Volkswagen Tests 5G For Smart Factories

The Volkswagen Group has started a pilot project to test 5G for its smart factory at its Wolfsburg plant. It has deployed a local 5G network which covers the main product development center and the pilot hall. The project will be testing whether 5G networks can meet the demands of vehicle production with a view to developing this for industrial series production in the future.

The pilot project will use a dedicated 5G radio to ensure safe delay-free transmission of data. The transparent factory in Dresden has also put the so-called 5G island into operation. The idea for the Volkswagen group is to develop competency in using future-facing technology. The transparent factory is where Volkswagen is manufacturing the ID.3. It is also a brand for innovative factories of the future. The 5G island has been deployed in collaboration with VW group subsidiaries like Porsche and Audi and Dresden University.

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"In implementing our accelerate strategy we are working at full speed to transform our Volkswagen sites into smart factories. Our goal is to continuously optimize our production and make it even more efficient and flexible. We believe that 5G technology has great potential for innovation, from the use of intelligent robots and driverless transportation systems to networked control of plant and machinery in real-time up to wireless software flashing of manufactured vehicles," said Christian Vollmer, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Brand responsible for Production and Logistics.

The 5G facility is being run as a test pilot

5G promises no latency in the transfer of data. Volkswagen has deployed 5,000 robots as well as many machines and systems and that's where this technology will become critical in providing instant data transfer over a secure line. 5G has an advantage even over wireless LAN connections with latency times dropping to just one millisecond with data transmissions in the range of a gigabit. This is why 5G is critical for smart factory operations.

One of the scenarios that are being tested in the pilot phase under real-life laboratory conditions in Wolfsburg is in the wireless upload of data to manufactured vehicles. With connected cars and autonomous cars, the amount of data transferred is massive and that's where a fast 5G network kicks in.

"Efficient wireless communication in real-time will be crucial for flexible production in the future. 5G has the potential to be one such driver of the Industrial Internet of Things. Our aim is, therefore, to build up extensive experience in the operation and industrial use of 5G technology," said Beate Hofer, CIO of the Volkswagen Group. In the long term, the campus network at the Wolfsburg site is expected to cover large parts of the 6.5 square-kilometer plant site.

Volkswagen is setting up the local 5G infrastructure itself and for the campus, in Wolfsburg, the company has been allocated a private radio frequency of 3.7 and 3.8 GHz with 100 MHz bandwidth by the Federal Network Agency in Germany. Volkswagen gets the advantage of exclusive spectrum for 5G which is used for production purposes. This network equipment is provided by Finnish major Nokia which along with Ericsson and Huawei is one of the leading providers of 5G network switches.