With a recent study finding that 74% of manufacturing decision-makers are considering upgrading their communications networks by 2022, it’s clear that 5G has a leading role to play in the future of the industry. But how can 5G change the face of manufacturing and engineering in the next few years and beyond?
We are beginning to see the dawn of a fourth industrial revolution, with factories embracing connected devices, automation and artificial intelligence. This opens the door to a world of possibilities, but it also requires strong, reliable connectivity to power these new technologies.
Factories reliant on connected devices and automation technologies such as artificial intelligence are fast becoming the norm in manufacturing. The factories of the future will no doubt need to work fast and more efficiently, to provide cost savings, sustainability and increased outputs. It is their networks that connect them and drive this efficiency, which is why 5G is starting to prove so pivotal for manufacturers.
This is particularly important in the West Midlands, with its strong manufacturing heritage. Our region is strong across manufacturing sectors including aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical and food, earning its title of the Midlands Engine.
The Worcestershire 5G Consortium was awarded funding by the 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme as part of the Programmes initial portfolio of Use Case Trials.
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Faster, reliable and wireless: 5G is the gearshift that can change the way the region’s manufacturing companies operate. The Worcestershire 5G Consortium – chaired by Mark Stansfeld, also the chair of West Midlands 5G – consists of a team of both 5G and manufacturing experts. Over the last couple of years, the testbed has secured £25m of Government funding to explore several Industry 4.0 uses for 5G technology. For example they have been supporting manufacturing organisations with trialling:
5G and manufacturing in action
The Midlands is home to 20% of UK manufacturing and some of the region’s most revered businesses, including Worcester Bosch and Yamazaki Mazak have been involved in the trials.
Bosch and Mazak have private 5G networks set-up alongside a private 4G network in their respective factories and these networks have been used to trial technologies covering condition monitoring, visual monitoring and augmented reality.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) also present new possibilities for manufacturers. Mazak was able to clearly illustrate a potential productivity return of 2% through the use of AR, which reduced the cost of customer service and helped to improve customer experience. Meanwhile, Bosch expects a 1% increase in plant efficiency. These may seem like small increases but those fine margins can reap large rewards when factored across many workshops.
Check out our section on Worcestershire 5G to find out more on their trials.
WM5G is committed to support innovation in manufacturing – an industry which contributes significantly to GDP of the West Midlands. The goal is to achieve productivity improvements through 5G-driven trials. Building on trials with Bosch and Mazak in neighbouring Worcestershire, WM5G is partnering with regional LEPs and private sector organisations to potentially secure funding and launch a 5G manufacturing testbed in the West Midlands.
To find out how West Midlands 5G can support you in streamlining manufacturing processes, get in touch here.
Members of the West Midlands 5G team have been quoted in Midlands Business Insider in an article on how UK SMEs in the aerospace sector have benefitted from the installation of a 5G network. Read More >
Telefonica's O2 UK and aerospace company, Leonardo have teamed up to investigate applications and demonstrate the advantages of 5G private networks to the defence and security industry. Read More >
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), a facility in Coventry dedicated to supporting manufacturers to benefit from new technologies, is launching a 5G private network to help manufacturers boost productivity via 5G use cases. Read More >
AE Aerospace, a leading manufacturing business in the West Midlands, will be the first UK SME to deploy a 5G private network and will work together with WM5G and its technology partners, on three new 5G use cases set to transform manufacturing. Read More >
Leveraging 5G technologies to accelerate growth for Industry 4.0. Together BT, the University of Warwick and Warwickshire County Council are hosting this event, one of three. Read More >
5PRING is holding a panel session on how organisations in the manufacturing sector can explore innovation with the power of 5G. Panellists will also dive into the value of 5G for businesses in the sector and what they should be doing to be 5G ready. Read More >
Members of the WM5G team will be speaking at the 5G Realised Summit on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th September 2020. The 5G Realised Summit will look at use cases for 5G across different industry vertical segments... Read More >
Government ministers are calling on local councils to help ensure people can access better broadband and mobile connectivity crucial to the UK’s coronavirus recovery. Read More >
After a decade of growth, the West Midlands’ economy is being badly affected by COVID-19. Stepping back, the global pandemic is accelerating key digital trends and digital leadership is now at the heart of the recovery plan for the West Midlands. Read More >
Chair of WM5G, Mark Stansfeld will be speaking in a webinar at 2pm on Monday 6th July 2020. "Supercharging UK plc with 5G – exploring the economic opportunity" is a free webinar looking at the potential of 5G to power the digital economy. Read More >
5G’s increased capacity, low-latency and enhanced security make it ideal to support manufacturers to transform productivity. Read about how 5G will help to open up endless possibilities in manufacturing. Read More >
The UK’s 5G and manufacturing sectors recently hosted the international 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation’s (5G-ACIA) quarterly workshop in Coventry on February 10th 2020. Read More >
5G-ACIA will be holding a 3-day member event in our region in January 2020 and they have invited WM5G to lead on a workshop on day 3 with a focus on Industrial 5G. Read More >
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