Fraunhofer IPT and Ericsson support manufacturing companies on their journey to 5G: Showcased at Hannover Messe 2022

For several years now, 5G has promised to improve production by enabling the monitoring of process flows or, for example, the control of mobile robots in real time. There are numerous companies with an interest in 5G, but many lack the know-how and resources to take the first steps.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen has therefore designed a "5G Portfolio" offering for companies on their journey to 5G production, created with Ericsson’s Private 5G network solution. The 5G portfolio ranges from evaluation and testing of various use cases, to in-house network planning and installation. This is particularly attractive for small and medium-sized enterprises, where the initial costs represent a hurdle and the added value of 5G must first be proven.

"Try before buy" - this is the motto of the Fraunhofer IPT when it comes to supporting manufacturing companies in their introduction to 5G. With their 5G Portfolio, the Aachen researchers offer a support package consisting of three tiers of service level, enabling companies to test their own use cases of a private 5G system.

The "5G-Start" tier is aimed at companies that have had little or no previous contact with 5G technology: they are given the opportunity to spend a day getting to know the technology and possible use cases up close at the 5G-Industry Campus Europe in Aachen. In dialog with the researchers, companies can identify their own areas of application and determine the economic potential.

In the "5G Expert" tier, companies receive further concrete advice on how to set up their own 5G network: for this purpose, the Fraunhofer IPT provides a 5G private network from mobile communications equipment supplier Ericsson. With Ericsson Private 5G solution companies can test their own 5G applications over a longer period of time under the guidance of the Aachen experts, without having to install their own system straight away. The private network utilizes up to three

radio cells simultaneously, providing several thousand square meters of 5G coverage. One cell can optionally be used outdoors.

"This is a unique opportunity for companies to practically test 5G in their own halls without having to immediately make the large investment of their own 5G network. We take care of the construction and commissioning of the network," says Niels König, coordinator of the 5G Industry Campus Europe. “The performance of the mobile 5G network is up to one gigabit per second and a latency of 10 milliseconds.”

Fraunhofer IPT shows companies exactly how to set up their own network in the "5G Professional" tier: This service level is aimed at companies that have already gained initial experience with 5G and now want to get started with the technology. The Fraunhofer IPT offers the opportunity to use state-of-the-art measurement technology to characterize the performance and quality of network coverage on site. Researchers also provide support for the implementation of various use cases.

5G-Industry Campus Europe

Together with Ericsson, Fraunhofer IPT have been investigating the use of 5G in industrial production since 2017. In 2020 scientists from Aachen together with Ericsson installed and commissioned the "5G-Industry Campus Europe", one of the world's first industrial 5G research networks on the Melaten campus of RWTH Aachen University. Providing almost one square kilometer of outdoor and indoor 5G network coverage, the partners have since been researching the requirements for a 5G network in a production context and associated use cases in the areas of sensor technology, robotics, logistics and cross-site production chains.

The Fraunhofer IPT will be showcasing their 5G Portfolio at Hannover Messe from May 30 to June 2, 2022 at the Fraunhofer joint booth in Hall 5, Booth A06. Interested parties can find out more about "Ericsson Private 5G" at the Ericsson booth in Hall 8, Booth #D23.

At the Ericsson booth in Hall 8, Booth #D23, our experts will be on-site to talk and demonstrate real-life applications, including how to:

• Gain complete visibility and control of all IoT devices throughout their entire life cycle with Ericsson’s connectivity management platform no matter where in the world they are located—through the IoT Accelerator. Cradlepoint NetCloud integrates with IoT Accelerator, providing a single pane of glass to simplify wireless WAN operations for their customers
• Future-proof 5G site construction sustainably, all while saving on capital and operating expenses, through intelligent use of energy from renewable sources, as seen in Deutsche Telekom and Ericsson’s successful trial. This paves the way for significant advances in supplying renewable energy for mobile sites
• Reduce costly downtime of critical infrastructure through predictive maintenance powered by Industrial IoT, as seen in a demo with ifm, Dell, and Software AG
• Connect your workforce to be more efficient and effective in their tasks while protecting them from hazards through Zebra’s Workforce Connect hardware and software, powered by Ericsson Private 5G
• Leverage automated guided vehicles, powered by Ericsson Private 5G, to increase worker safety and improve efficiency demonstrated with Kollmorgen and T-Systems