How 5G Will Change IIoT

The advent of 5G networks has changed the way manufacturers approach connected operations. As more facilities add sensors, automated systems and remote monitoring tools, the ability to move machine data quickly and reliably is more important than ever. In particular, maintenance teams can take advantage of 5G to strengthen IIoT programs. It supports faster communication between equipment, sensors, analytics platforms, and the people who keep it all running.

The advances of 5G technology offer numerous capability advantages over 4G, including:

• Increased upload and download speeds, facilitating the faster transfer of content and media such as video

• Vastly decreased latency, now ranging from 50 milliseconds to 1 millisecond

• Increased bandwidth to handle more processes simultaneously

Most importantly for industrial companies and manufacturers, 5G and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) advances will go hand in hand—enhancing IIoT technology that is available or in place, and opening doors for industrial IoT implementations to improve productivity, efficiency and operations effectiveness. In the next section, we will explore some of the possibilities that 5G IIoT presents.

What is 5G in manufacturing?

Fifth-generation wireless connectivity supports connected industrial equipment, IoT sensors, automation systems, remote monitoring, and data-driven maintenance workflows. While not a standalone smart factory solution, it’s a critical enabling technology that provides more responsive communication, supports more connected devices and offers greater flexibility than traditional wired or Wi-Fi-only systems. 5G connectivity is most relevant for factory environments that feature a large number of connected devices that must communicate as quickly and reliably as possible. Some examples include plants with mobile robots, machine health sensors, video monitoring, remote troubleshooting, autonomous material handling, or flexible production layouts where wired connectivity would be difficult to scale.  

5G and IIoT: Boosting the performance of the modern industrial facility

5G industrial Internet will impact every area of the connected facility. Before we look at the specific improvements that 5G offers, let’s review the ways in which IIoT helps industrial operations—at any speed—4G or 5G:

• Performance and machine health monitoring: Through connected sensors, IIoT enables unprecedented monitoring of, and insights into, the performance and health of industrial equipment. Machine sensors are able to gauge and communicate early warning signs such as temperature fluctuations and vibration aberrations. These red flags can indicate potential performance issues well before they cause a production interruption or shutdown—allowing much greater control over maintenance planning.

• Remote access: With remote access, reliability teams, maintenance leaders and specialists can review equipment performance, monitor multiple sites, troubleshoot issues, and support their local teams. IIoT hardware and software facilitate remote work by enabling equipment monitoring and control from anywhere, allowing personnel to carry out key functions without being on-site.

• Automation augmentation: In addition to helping employees fulfill their duties from anywhere, industrial IoT technology augments automation by delivering more data and information that automation and AI systems can use to optimize automated functions. By continuing to provide more data with which to work, IIoT sensors and software can enable increased automation, efficiency and productivity.

• Maintenance enhancements: With more information about equipment performance, delivered closer to real-time, IIoT can streamline and optimize maintenance operations. IIoT nearly eliminates unplanned downtime—identifying potential issues well before they cause a catastrophic shutdown and enabling leaders to develop a proactive maintenance strategy.

• Safety improvements: By improving maintenance and machine performance, IIoT creates a safer facility that is far less prone to unexpected incidents and dangers to employees.

Business impact of 5G connected systems in manufacturing facilities

With an understanding of the benefits of IIoT, we can now look at IIoT 5G possibilities. These are the ways in which improved communications and IoT connectivity can take these advantages to the next level:

• Improved remote access: The upgrade from 4G to 5G will take technology such as video monitoring—already heavily used—to the next level of performance. 5G enables high-definition monitoring and multiple video streams to and from anywhere. Previously, this level of fidelity could only be achieved on-site through hard-wiring and analog monitoring technology. Now, however, it can be accessed from anywhere—thanks to the increased bandwidth of 5G.

• Reduced latency: 5G IIoT helps industrial facilities realize the promise of near real-time monitoring and control, with latency reduced to as little as 1 millisecond. In highly sensitive operations, this latency reduction can make all the difference in enabling remote monitoring or catching maintenance issues just in time.

• Unparalleled reliability: When IIoT monitoring is heavily in use, connectivity reliability is a critical concern. If the system goes down or experiences interruptions, it is essentially useless—and puts all operations at risk. The increased speed and bandwidth of 5G creates a major boost in reliability.

• Increased access channels: 5G Internet increases bandwidth to the point that multiple access streams are possible. This includes high-definition video to multiple monitoring stations—improving reliability and safety through redundancies.

5G IIoT use cases in manufacturing and maintenance

5G provides the greatest value to manufacturers in cases where low latency, high bandwidth, mobility, or the ability to serve a large number of IoT devices are required. Here are just a few examples of industrial IoT applications where 5G can be the most valuable:

Need help preparing your maintenance program for connected machine data? Talk to ATS about predictive maintenance and reliability support. 

5G, edge computing and IIoT

Edge computing serves an important but distinct role in the 5G-enabled smart manufacturing environment. While 5G improves the speed and reliability of communication, edge computing serves to process data closer to the machine. In an IIoT environment, sensors collect machine data, which is analyzed near the asset by edge devices. 5G can then transmit time-sensitive information such as alerts, summaries or data streams to maintenance teams, dashboards or enterprise systems. 5G by itself is not a complete solution. A strong connected maintenance strategy requires sensors, edge processing, analytics, maintenance workflows, MRO readiness, and skilled technicians to be successful. In short, 5G moves data, but the true value comes from what the organization does with that data.  

Get support for connected maintenance and IIoT reliability

At ATS, we offer vast expertise in maintenance solutions—including IIoT technology—to improve operational efficiency, machine uptime and overall productivity. ATS has decades of industrial maintenance and MRO experience with a focus on technology. We are ready to help you leverage a comprehensive solution to capture machine data, analyze it and use it to implement the improvements that will keep plant operations up and running. For more information, contact ATS today.

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