NTT Group is using its partnership with private wireless startup Celona to build on-premise private networks for Schneider Electric, which will use its own edge infrastructure to process data obtained from factory floors in Lexington, Kentucky and Lincoln, Nebraska.
Schneider Electric has developed a ruggedized edge data center called EcoStruxure to process factory data. They are designed to cut Schneider’s carbon footprint by consuming less power than the manufacturer would use in a traditional data center.
Shahid Ahmed of NTT, EVP of the group, new ventures and innovations, said Schneider’s prefabricated infrastructure is as big as a mini-refrigerator, and the addition of Celona’s network hardware and software doesn’t increase the physical footprint. of the foot.
“We incorporate our private 5G core right on the edge of the conveyor belt,” Ahmed said. Although the core is 5G-ready, he said the networks will be launched on LTE due to the lack of 5G-capable devices for factory use cases.
“You start talking to customers and you realize that devices are a big challenge,” Ahmed said. “I’d like to see machine-vision cameras natively support 5G without a gateway.”
Machine-vision cameras can be used to detect jitter in the production line or employees not wearing safety equipment. In addition to smart cameras, Schneider Electric plans to explore the use of private 5G to manage autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) and augmented reality (AR) solutions that will help workers perform equipment maintenance.
Some devices are likely to connect to private networks using the 5G gateway when the networks are upgraded. Celona marketing director David Callisch explained the gateways provided by vendors like Inseego or Sierra Wireless that connect to smart devices using Ethernet, and use CBRS to connect to private networks. Celona’s routing capability gives enterprise visibility to network devices despite the fact they are “behind gateways,” Callisch explains.
Schneider Electric’s networks will use the General Authorized Access CBRS spectrum, where Google or Federated Wireless provides the Spectrum Access System, Callisch continued. Celona will provide all core, radio and orchestration hardware and software through NTT, which designs the networks and oversees the deployment.
Private means private
Ahmed of NTT said the factories are highly protective of their data and do not want to send it to public clouds for processing or analysis. That’s one reason for the interest in private 5G in the manufacturing space. If factory automation data goes to carrier or public cloud networks, “IP could end up in the wrong hands,” Ahmed said. He added that not only are factories trying to protect their process optimization algorithms, but also data about how products are made.
“Most factories want operational data within the walls of the factory itself,” Ahmed said. This makes it more difficult for two different factories within a company to share best practices, he added. This is a problem that NTT is trying to address through its partnership with ServiceNow. The two companies are trying to offer customers a workflow automation platform that uses artificial intelligence and can be shared across locations.
Schneider Electric is a prime example of a company with multiple factories that can share information about process automation. Ahmed explained that NTT first needs to consolidate private networks in Kentucky and Nebraska and ensure device integration, then digitize workflows and after that it will address data integration.
Lighthouse factory
Schneider Electric’s Lexington plant has been designated as the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) Advanced Lighthouse. The Global Lighthouse Network is a WEF initiative in partnership with McKinsey, which recognizes factories for making substantial change toward customer centricity, supply-chain resilience, speed and productivity and eco-efficiency.
“Schneider Electric is proof of IIoT’s power to positively impact the bottom line and more sustainability goals,” said Annette Clayton, president, and CEO of Schneider Electric, North America, in a statement. “Being part of the global Lighthouse network allows us to share our knowledge.”
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