Telecoms and digital services provider Orange and technological equipment manufacturer Lacroix Group are exploring the benefits of 5G at the Lacroix Electronics plant in Montrevault-sur-Evre, France.
The companies are running full-scale tests to see the benefits of 5G and its use in Industry 4.0 as part of the “Symbiose” project – the electronics factory of the future in France.
To carry out the test, Orange designed and installed an indoor 5G network based on Ericsson equipment. Four Ericsson Dot indoor 5G antennas were installed inside the plant, broadcasting experimental frequencies to cover the production space. Orange operates a virtualised network core, distributed between its own premises and the electronics plant. This allows for local processing and data security, as well as network performance and efficiency.
The innovative project aims to make the plant more adaptable. The reliability of wireless connectivity will provide more flexibility in the organisation of machines, and production islands in the factory may eventually be modified according to the type of production needed.
5G will also allow for better production quality control. By taking high-resolution photos of electronic processes, for example, real-time verification of the quality of welds and the presence of components can be performed. Taking and sending images in real time can be combined with machine learning to improve detection algorithms, and to make sure that there are no errors in batches produced or whether adjustment of a machine is necessary.
The companies are also testing how 5G can contribute to better technical management of buildings and infrastructure. This experiment is being carried out in a controlled environment, where electronic cards are produced for the aviation sector. The assembly of components requires strict temperature and hydrometric regulation to prevent damage.
Lacroix Environment, a subsidiary specialising in water and energy network management, provides connected equipment to receive real-time measurements. Optimising the settings will prevent over-consumption of energy.
5G will allow a response to the increasing number of sensors in the plant: it will be able to support up to 1 million sensors per km² (3GPP 5G standard). Eventually, thanks to the increase in the number of sensors, it will be possible to calculate the carbon footprint and power consumption required for the production of each product.
Orange enterprise customers will be able to visit the plant during the experiment to discover the benefits of 5G for Industry 4.0.
“5G will be a digitisation facilitator for Industry and a competitive lever for both the economic environment and all enterprises, regardless of size or location,” said Orange Business Services chief executive Helmut Reisinger.