Late news out of MWC; Schneider Electric, Capgemini, and Qualcomm Technologies have worked together to develop an automated hoisting solution to attach to private 5G networks. The trio called it a “first-of-its-kind” solution; a prototype has been installed at Schneider Electric’s hoisting lab in Grenoble, France.
Hoisting applications, integrated typically into cranes, play a key role in supply chain and manufacturing operations to lift materials and goods, sometimes up to hundreds of metres. Often, they are required to operate in challenging industrial environments, such as under extreme temperatures and over large distances.
Automated hoisting systems increase productivity, safety, and performance but require fast reaction times and high precision, availability, and reliability. They also require support for manual controls and overrides. As well, they must integrate with other IoT systems, notably video cameras for monitoring and remote operation, and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for various control functions, including automation, remote control, and safety functions.
The new solution at the Schneider Electric plant in Grenoble does away with wired connections completely, to function autonomously on a private 5G setup. The solution also “unifies existing wireless connections from Schneider Electric’s industrial automation system,” the companies said. Schneider Electric consulted with Capgemini on the use case (and ‘business outcomes’), and managed the 5G system integration – “based on Qualcomm’s compute and AI innovations”.
The hoisting solution roperates in 3.8GHz radio band, running on an Athonet core network and Airspan small cells at the Grenoble site; it uses Qualcomm’s FSM100 5G RAN Platform. It is being tested with customers, with a view to a broader commercial rollout; Schneider is working with Capgemini on further use cases. A statement said: “[It] can now be leveraged to deliver additional digital use cases, such as augmented operators enabled by extended reality and wearable devices.”
Marc Lafont, vice president of innovation at Schneider Electric, said: “This breakthrough end-to-end 5G private network hoisting solution is a perfect example of the power of working together as we pilot it at end user sites this year. In addition, in the short-term, we will validate more industrial 5G use cases in various discrete manufacturing, hybrid automation, and process automation applications. In the mid-term, we will experiment with deeper integration of 5G inside our automation equipment.”
Fotis Karonis, group leader of 5G and edge computing at Capgemini, said: “The… solution, customized for Schneider Electric’s hoisting system, is a good example of the added value of 5G for industrial communication and illustrates its potential to transform an industry segment. Advanced connectivity, 5G, and edge computing are strong enablers and accelerators for this move towards a digital economy and innovative use cases.”
Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president of Qualcomm Europe, said: “The opportunity to utilize 5G to propel enterprise connectivity forward is tremendous. We are investing in this emerging ecosystem by providing practical innovations for private 5G… By enabling a pre-integrated solution with multi-vendor choice along with open RAN automation and management technology to streamline deployment, management, and customizability of private networks, we’re helping reduce complexities and accelerate time to market globally.”
