A collaborative effort among three companies occupying very different market spaces has resulted in a 5G solution for managing manufacturing processes with extremely tight tolerances. Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT), Ericsson and GF Machining Solutions unveiled their networked monitoring system at the 2018 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago earlier this month. The project sought to address the challenges associated with excessive vibrations in certain high-speed milling machines. These vibrations can be significant enough to disrupt dimensional consistency at high volumes, which is unacceptable in industries like aerospace and defense.
Ericsson’s mobile communication networks are low-latency and reliable, which allows them to support real-time monitoring of vibration data or other variables that could result in defective components. The new 5G-enabled technique should give machine operators near-instantaneous feedback if something in the process is amiss. 5G is the only communication standard capable of transmitting sensor data in under a millisecond. The three companies believe the project’s integration into high-value manufacturing processes will catch errors that other network options are too slow to prevent.
Aerospace manufacturing was chosen as a logical starting point for testing this new solution, as it typically involves components that are both complex and costly. Process monitoring in this space is essential, as even small mistakes can result in defectiveness. For an example case, the companies selected a GF Mikron MILL P 500 U used in the production of blade-integrated disks (blisks), part of a jet engine’s compressor. Before the team’s 5G solution was implemented, the components could not be inspected until milling was completed. Defects and rework, therefore, amounted to a quarter of total output. The companies estimate that their new technique could reduce these errors to the tune of $30 million annually at a single location.
This sort of early adoption of 5G is likely just the start, according to representatives from each of the three companies. As manufacturing advances toward Industry 4.0, the ability to handle increasing volumes of data will become more important. “Our main challenge is the increasing number and complexity of parts we have to design and produce. 5G will bring a very important benefit so we can handle more data in real-time,” said Thomas Dautl, director of manufacturing technology & industrialization at MTU Aero Engines. Fraunhofer IPT’s Niels Konig echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that 5G is a critical piece of his company’s plans going forward. The collaboration between these three organizations represents 5G’s first foray into the U.S market, but it surely won’t be the last.