All production systems and machines in the new-build Factory 56 will be connected and operated using 5G with gigabit data rates and almost real-time latency times.
Mercedes-Benz will use the network to boost flexibility, production precision and efficiency as industry digitalisation and Internet of Things becomes a reality in car production.
Markus Haas, CEO, Telefónica Germany, said: "We are starting the 5G era for Germany as an industrial location and are building the most modern mobile network for one of the most modern automobile factories in the world."
The 5G network will facilitate data linking or product tracking on the assembly line (demonstrated in the video below).
Ericsson aims to optimise all the processes and make it more robust and adaptable at short notice to fit market requirements.
Arun Bansal, president and head of Europe & Latin America, Ericsson, commented: "5G is about to change manufacturing as we know it through secure and almost real-time connectivity that will result in transformative productivity, speed and efficiency improvements.
“The car industry will be among the first to benefit, as will be the case with Mercedes-Benz where we are working closely with the company and Telefónica to put our 5G private network technology leadership into practice in Sindelfingen.”
The private 5G network, built by Ericsson and Telefónica Germany, will securely connect production systems and machines within the 20,000sqm Factory 56 complex and will comprise of solutions from Ericsson’s Private Networks portfolio.
Once the network operators hand over the facility, Mercedes-Benz will begin operating Factory 56 and use the lessons learnt from the 5G implementation when rolling out the technology in other plants.
In another similar move, Ericsson recently teamed up with Vodafone to connect a factory owned by e.GO Mobile, a German maker of electric cars in Aachen, with 5G.
An Ericsson video (below) has since highlighted the project as an example of how critical broadband can impact the manufacturing industry.
Ericsson Private Networks are capable of delivering gigabit bandwidth and latency of just a few milliseconds, for example in the newly announced @vodafone e.Go factory project. https://t.co/lqon6ulddh #MWC19 #Shanghai pic.twitter.com/1Kwp4V7CzK — Ericsson (@ericsson) July 1, 2019
Jörg Burzer, Member of the Divisional Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain, said: “With the installation of a local 5G network, the networking of all production systems and machines in the Mercedes-Benz Cars factories will become even smarter and more efficient in the future. This opens up completely new production opportunities.”
Mercedes-Benz manufacturer Daimler is also reaping the benefits of a recent upgrade at Maincubes AMS01 — a colocation data centre in Amsterdam Schiphol-Rijk, The Netherlands, which will support its connected cars.
