Household appliances and electronics manufacturer Arçelik Global, owners of the Beko and Grundig brands, is to deploy the first private celluar network in Turkey, as an LTE-based setup with a 5G-upgrade option. It has engaged with Nokia and Türk Telekom on the project to install an “industrial-grade 5G-ready” private setup at a washing machine manufacturing facility in Çayırova, in the Marmara region in the northwest of the country, not far from Istanbul.
Arçelik will use Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) solution, which combines radio and core networks, plus edge compute components and a number of analytics modules. Nokia is also to provide solution design, deployment, and on-going managed services. Türk Telekom, in charge of project management and governance, is to provide LTE spectrum for the network. Nokia and Türk Telekom have collaborated on 5G for Industry 4.0 in Turkey since 2019.
The scope of the new project for Arçelik covers “pervasive, reliable, low-latency coverage” throughout the Çayırova plant, to connect and orchestrate automated guided vehicles (AGVs) on the shop floor, used for component logistics. The network will support high-accuracy indoor positioning for real-time asset tracking, plus new video analytics-based applications for site safety and security.
Nokia and Arcelik will develop additional use cases, they said, listing target applications: “augmented and virtual reality, digital twins, inventory control, safety and facility management, quality control, high-resolution video for remote inspection, and facility-wide voice and video communication”.
Utku Barış Pazar, chief strategy and digital officer at Arçelik, said: “We are committed to integrating new technologies into our business model and this deployment positions Arçelik at the forefront of manufacturing digitalization. We have identified more than 30 further use cases where this future-proofed… network can help drive productivity, boost efficiency and enhance safety. Private wireless [will be[ an integral part of our digital manufacturing strategy.”
Raghav Sahgal, president of Nokia’s cloud and network services division, said: “Arçelik has a highly progressive approach to introducing latest innovations into its manufacturing practices and workflows. Deployment of the first private 5G-ready network in Turkey for Arçelik is a major step forward in both its approach to manufacturing digitalization, and as an inspiring example of innovation in the region.”
Mustafa Eser, deputy general manager of corporate sales at Türk Telekom, said: “Arçelik’s top competencies in manufacturing digitalization, Türk Telekom’s leadership in connectivity and network technologies, and Nokia’s international experience came together to form the new generation ‘smart factory’ project. This project will be one of the indicators of Turkey’s digitalization in the field of manufacturing. It will host the most advanced applications of Industry 4.0, bringing efficiency, flexibility, quality and productivity to high levels.”
Eser added: “Today, we are witnessing a very important moment when this goal (to minimize errors, and increase productivity and efficiency in critical industrial applications) is realized. As the leader of Turkey’s digital transformation, we are very happy to contribute to the digitalization of manufacturing at Arçelik, the leading company in its sector, with a new generation network compatible with 5G.”
Nokia Bell Labs Consulting calculates 5G-enabled Industry 4.0 use cases such as collaborative robots can increase manufacturing productivity by up to 25 percent, video sensors can cut unanticipated equipment breakdowns by up to 30 percent, and AGVs can increase transportation capacity by as much as 30 percent.
Arçelik is the second-largest white goods company by sales volumes in Europe. It employs around 35,000 people in 43 countries. It has 22 production facilities in eight countries. It has an annual turnover of around €5 billion. Nokia has deployed private cellular with “more than 290 large enterprise customers” across various industries, it claims – “of which over 40 incorporate 5G”.
