5G factory refers to the digital technology represented by 5G is widely applied to the factory production site, forming an advanced factory with extensive connectivity of production units, deep integration of information (IT) operation (OT), full utilization of data elements, and efficient enabling of innovative applications. As the product of the deep integration of “5G+ Industrial Internet” in the industrial field, 5G factories have attracted the attention of the industry, promoting 5G in industrial production from local to global, from external applications to the core of production, accelerating the pace of digital transformation of enterprises, and opening up a “new track” for the integration of 5G and industrial Internet.

05704-A-0145 So, what new highlights has 5G factory brought to the transformation and upgrading of traditional manufacturing industry, and what is the development trend in practice? Recently, the reporter interviewed Shen Bin, deputy director of the Industrial Internet Research Department of the Technology and Standards Institute of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, on related issues. She pointed out that in the new development period, promoting the construction of 5G factories has become a key direction and key task for the in-depth development of “5G+ industrial Internet”.

Under the continuous and strong promotion of various policies, “5G+ industrial Internet” is accelerating its integration into vertical industries. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology resolutely implements the spirit of the General Secretary’s instructions and vigorously promotes the development of “5G+ industrial Internet”. In 2021, ten departments such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Central Network Information Office, and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly issued the 5G Application “Sail” Action Plan (2021-2023), proposing to focus on the key industries of “5G+ Industrial Internet” development, create typical application scenarios, and continue to carry out “5G+ Industrial Internet” pilot demonstrations. In 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the “Guidelines for the Construction of 5G Fully Connected Factories” to guide various industries in various regions to carry out the construction of 5G factories.

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According to Shen Bin, under the joint efforts of government, industry, university and research, as of the first quarter of 2024, 20 typical application scenarios and 10 key industries of “5G+ Industrial Internet” have been formed, and the number of “5G+ Industrial Internet” projects in the country has exceeded 10,000. The application of 5G in the industrial field has penetrated from peripheral auxiliary links such as logistics and monitoring to core production links such as industrial control; The 5G factory “100 million” action was carried out nationwide to promote the construction of more than 2,000 5G factories, of which 300 5G factories have been built to be included in the “2023 5G Factory List”, creating 83 5G factory benchmarks; To promote the construction of “5G+ Industrial Internet” integration pilot areas in qualified cities; It has established a Chinese brand of “5G+ Industrial Internet” and 5G factory.

05704-A-0145 It can be seen that at present, the development of “5G+ industrial Internet” has entered a new stage of high-quality development and large-scale application from the initial exploration. Shen Bin said that in the future, it is necessary to promote the application of 5G in the industrial field to develop in a better, more stable, more economic and more green direction, promote the expansion of “5G+ industrial Internet”, and continue to polish the Chinese brand of 5G factories.

In the direction of “better use”, the “5G+ Industrial Internet” chain casting plan has been launched, and on the basis of 5G AGV, 5G camera, 5G industrial camera and other equipment, industrial equipment with integrated 5G capability has been continuously enriched, and 5G network can be connected after equipment startup, improve the flexibility of equipment, and further improve the utilization efficiency of enterprise production resources. Meet flexible production needs.

In the direction of “more stable”, start the experiment of 5G and industrial control system integration, build a public experiment platform for 5G, TSN and other network technologies to communicate with industrial protocols such as Profinet, Ethernet/IP and CC_Link, and explore the formation of a baseline plan for the integration of 5G, computing power, artificial intelligence and industrial control systems. Establish a more stable new industrial network to meet the needs of industrial control in different scenarios.

In the “more economic” direction, 5G factory certification work is carried out to evaluate and promote construction, while improving the quality of 5G factory construction, promote the wide application of 5G in various industries, release 5G application demand, improve 5G application efficiency, strengthen the supply capacity of 5G application, innovate 5G service mode, and further reduce the comprehensive cost of 5G construction and application in the factory.

In the direction of “greener”, promote the green construction of 5G factories. On the one hand, 5G, artificial intelligence and other technologies are used to strengthen the ability of energy efficiency data collection, analysis and decision-making in factories, and effectively support the energy saving and emission reduction of factory production and the recycling of resources. On the other hand, explore the green and low-carbon construction and application of 5G network in the factory to meet the requirements of industrial green development.