Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Strategic Studies and Digital Economics Center, ICT Research Institute (IRAN Telecommunication Research Center (ITRC)), Tehran, Iran Corresponding Author: fasanghari@itrc.ac.ir
2 Ph. D candidate in Strategic Management, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The fifth-generation networks of smart manufacturing and smart factory is rapidly evolving as a technology that integrates industrial production and smart Internet, bringing new support for the digital transformation of the industry and the development of a high-quality economy. Therefore, this article, with emphasis on the fifth generation of the Internet and with the aim of identifying 5G-based intelligent manufacturing projects, seeks to prioritize these projects using the hierarchical analysis method. Therefore, after reviewing the literature and interviewing with 17 experts, 5 main criteria for project prioritization were selected and weighted by AHP method using an expert questionnaire. Then, using the opinions of experts, 22 identified smart factory projects were prioritized according to the criteria weight. The criteria were calculated according to the income, cost and risk level of the project. Also Intelligent production line, intelligent logistics, intelligent resource allocation and process automation were identified as the most important intelligent production projects.
Introduction
Prompt technological progress is driving a substantial paradigm shift in the manufacturing sector, empowering manufacturers to innovate and better satisfy consumer needs. In order to maintain a competitive edge on an international scale, manufacturers must implement technological advancements such as flexible production, robotics, automation, and smart factories to reduce expenses and increase efficiency (M Attaran & Attaran, 2020; Mohsen Attaran, 2023).
5G technology is integrating intelligent internet with industrial production at an accelerated rate. Its provision of superior network services, including ample bandwidth, extensive connectivity, minimal latency, and dependable performance, serves as a catalyst for the advancement of the wireless industrial internet (Agiwal et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2022)
With augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and automation, 5G enables smart factories to perform troubleshooting (Wang, 2021). It addresses production obstacles while improving connectivity, speed, and quality (Yit et al., 2020). By facilitating intelligent management and agile production, 5G IoT provides factories with increased flexibility, reduced change turnaround times, and enhanced cost-effectiveness. It centralizes product lifecycle management, enhances communication, and streamlines smart factory operations (Siddiqui et al., 2022).
5-G improves smart manufacturing by enabling real-time machine-to-machine communication, connectivity, and smart factory capabilities (Gangakhedkar et al., 2018). Early adoption of 5G has limited commercial applications in manufacturing, despite its potential (Wang, 2021). This article uses research, expert interviews, and project prioritization criteria to identify promising 5G applications in smart factories to aid 5G adoption decisions.
Literature Review
2.1. The fifth generation of mobile networks
Among the continuously evolving communication technologies, 5G emerges as a transformative entity. It follows the digitization of voice in 2G, the incorporation of multimedia in 3G, and the introduction of high-speed wireless broadband in 4G, constituting the fifth generation of mobile networks. Present communication technologies are facing challenges in keeping pace with the exponential growth of demand for mobile services, communication capabilities, and network traffic (Mu et al., 2020).
5G, designated IMT-2020 by the International Telecommunication Union in 2015, will revolutionize connectivity and capabilities. Its features include user-centric network architecture, cloud radio access network architecture, beamforming antennas, millimeter-wave hybrid and standalone networks, and user plane separation. 5G offers over 1000-fold increased communication capacity, 10-100 times faster data transfer speeds, less than 1 millisecond latency, 10-100 times larger large-scale connectivity, lower costs, and a vastly improved user experience (Agiwal et al., 2016; Alqahtani et al., 2023; Li et al., 2020).
2.2. Smart factory
Smart manufacturing, or smart factories, uses 5G technology to improve efficiency, reduce production time, and optimize processes. It uses smart sensors to monitor and control production. These sensors can adapt to external stimuli, make logical decisions, and relay information, enhancing manufacturing efficiency and intelligence (Hozdić, 2015; Soori et al., 2023; Temesvári et al., 2019; Zuehlke, 2010).
2.3. Smart manufacturing technologies
M2M and D2D communication are part of smart manufacturing. Active communication, data-driven decision-making, and control commands are enabled by M2M connections between humans, machines, and systems. It helps implement IoT smart connections. Conversely, D2D allows peer devices in a network to communicate directly. Communication is routed and managed autonomously by each device, optimising resource usage and network efficiency to improve connectivity (Ding & Janssen, 2018).
2.4. Smart office
The impact of 5G technology transcends the boundaries of the manufacturing facility. It enables employees to optimize their productivity by means of virtual assistants, digital communication tools, and rapid data transfer, thereby empowering intelligent workplaces. The realization of a mobile digital office is facilitated by 5G, which also promotes employee collaboration, adaptability, and uninterrupted communication (M Attaran & Attaran, 2020; Rao & Prasad, 2018).
2.5. Automation and supply chain management and 5G
By facilitating communication and data exchange between and within organizations, 5G has a substantial effect on supply chain management. By improving the ability to integrate suppliers, customers, and internal logistics processes, it grants organizations a competitive edge. 5G enhances the overall efficiency of supply chains through the optimization of processes, reduction of costs, improvement of quality, and implementation of real-time monitoring capabilities (Liu, 2021; Rejeb & Keogh, 2021; Taboada & Shee, 2021).
2.6. Blockchain
Blockchain is a decentralized, global technology that works like a "large computer." It processes digital asset transactions like money, personal data, health records, and others as a distributed ledger. Blockchain accelerates computation through encryption and data improvement. Blocks of transaction records form a blockchain, ensuring data integrity. Blockchain combined with 5G technology allows real-time ownership and location tracking, improving transparency, validating products, preventing fraud, and improving supply chain efficiency. Monitoring KPIs ensures network performance transparency and ensures material sourcing, manufacturing, and supply chain security (Han et al., 2023; Jovović et al., 2019; Tahir et al., 2020).
Methodology
This study uses pragmatism-based applied research. Its main goal is to identify 5G network projects and applications in smart factories. The study is mixed-method, using qualitative and quantitative methods.
First, 5G in smart factory projects literature was reviewed and expert interviews were conducted to identify relevant projects. These projects were refined using content analysis.
17 industry experts were interviewed to evaluate and prioritize the projects in the second phase. After statistical analysis, 31 projects were reduced to 17. After comparing these projects to the literature, 22 were chosen.
The third stage involved choosing five project evaluation and weighting criteria. The 17 experts were given a questionnaire to weight each criterion by importance.
The fourth stage scored projects using the five criteria. Our Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) determined each project's final weight and ranking. The Analytic Hierarchy Process helps decision-makers prioritize options in complex and uncertain situations. It organises factors into a hierarchical tree structure and solves decision-making problems by breaking down large problems into smaller ones. This method clarifies problem relationships and concepts.
Conclusion
The 5G wireless communication technology has emerged as an indispensable component in the advancement and administration of intelligent manufacturing. Exploring the applications of 5G connectivity in smart factories, this study seeks to identify projects that are feasible. By conducting interviews with IT specialists and reviewing prior articles in this field, the research identified 22 implementable projects. The prioritization of these projects was determined by the following five factors: total project cost, project revenue, social benefits, project feasibility, and project risk level. The findings indicated that project revenue was the most pivotal criterion, with project cost and risk level following suit. Both intelligent logistics and smart production lines, which are the top two recommended project categories, stand to gain substantially from 5G integration. Additionally, intelligent supply chain management, intelligent resource allocation, and process automation are crucial initiatives that can augment smart manufacturing.
Keywords: Fifth-generation internet wireless mobile communications (5G), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Smart factory, Smart manufacturing, Technology.
The fifth-generation networks of smart manufacturing and smart factory is rapidly evolving as a technology that integrates industrial production and smart Internet, bringing new support for the digital transformation of the industry and the development of a high-quality economy. Therefore, this article, with emphasis on the fifth generation of the Internet and with the aim of identifying 5G-based intelligent manufacturing projects, seeks to prioritize these projects using the hierarchical analysis method. Therefore, after reviewing the literature and interviewing with 17 experts, 5 main criteria for project prioritization were selected and weighted by AHP method using an expert questionnaire. Then, using the opinions of experts, 22 identified smart factory projects were prioritized according to the criteria weight. The criteria were calculated according to the income, cost and risk level of the project. Also Intelligent production line, intelligent logistics, intelligent resource allocation and process automation were identified as the most important intelligent production projects.
Introduction
Prompt technological progress is driving a substantial paradigm shift in the manufacturing sector, empowering manufacturers to innovate and better satisfy consumer needs. In order to maintain a competitive edge on an international scale, manufacturers must implement technological advancements such as flexible production, robotics, automation, and smart factories to reduce expenses and increase efficiency (M Attaran & Attaran, 2020; Mohsen Attaran, 2023).
5G technology is integrating intelligent internet with industrial production at an accelerated rate. Its provision of superior network services, including ample bandwidth, extensive connectivity, minimal latency, and dependable performance, serves as a catalyst for the advancement of the wireless industrial internet (Agiwal et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2022)
With augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and automation, 5G enables smart factories to perform troubleshooting (Wang, 2021). It addresses production obstacles while improving connectivity, speed, and quality (Yit et al., 2020). By facilitating intelligent management and agile production, 5G IoT provides factories with increased flexibility, reduced change turnaround times, and enhanced cost-effectiveness. It centralizes product lifecycle management, enhances communication, and streamlines smart factory operations (Siddiqui et al., 2022).
5-G improves smart manufacturing by enabling real-time machine-to-machine communication, connectivity, and smart factory capabilities (Gangakhedkar et al., 2018). Early adoption of 5G has limited commercial applications in manufacturing, despite its potential (Wang, 2021). This article uses research, expert interviews, and project prioritization criteria to identify promising 5G applications in smart factories to aid 5G adoption decisions.
Literature Review
2.1. The fifth generation of mobile networks
Among the continuously evolving communication technologies, 5G emerges as a transformative entity. It follows the digitization of voice in 2G, the incorporation of multimedia in 3G, and the introduction of high-speed wireless broadband in 4G, constituting the fifth generation of mobile networks. Present communication technologies are facing challenges in keeping pace with the exponential growth of demand for mobile services, communication capabilities, and network traffic (Mu et al., 2020).
5G, designated IMT-2020 by the International Telecommunication Union in 2015, will revolutionize connectivity and capabilities. Its features include user-centric network architecture, cloud radio access network architecture, beamforming antennas, millimeter-wave hybrid and standalone networks, and user plane separation. 5G offers over 1000-fold increased communication capacity, 10-100 times faster data transfer speeds, less than 1 millisecond latency, 10-100 times larger large-scale connectivity, lower costs, and a vastly improved user experience (Agiwal et al., 2016; Alqahtani et al., 2023; Li et al., 2020).
2.2. Smart factory
Smart manufacturing, or smart factories, uses 5G technology to improve efficiency, reduce production time, and optimize processes. It uses smart sensors to monitor and control production. These sensors can adapt to external stimuli, make logical decisions, and relay information, enhancing manufacturing efficiency and intelligence (Hozdić, 2015; Soori et al., 2023; Temesvári et al., 2019; Zuehlke, 2010).
2.3. Smart manufacturing technologies
M2M and D2D communication are part of smart manufacturing. Active communication, data-driven decision-making, and control commands are enabled by M2M connections between humans, machines, and systems. It helps implement IoT smart connections. Conversely, D2D allows peer devices in a network to communicate directly. Communication is routed and managed autonomously by each device, optimising resource usage and network efficiency to improve connectivity (Ding & Janssen, 2018).
2.4. Smart office
The impact of 5G technology transcends the boundaries of the manufacturing facility. It enables employees to optimize their productivity by means of virtual assistants, digital communication tools, and rapid data transfer, thereby empowering intelligent workplaces. The realization of a mobile digital office is facilitated by 5G, which also promotes employee collaboration, adaptability, and uninterrupted communication (M Attaran & Attaran, 2020; Rao & Prasad, 2018).
2.5. Automation and supply chain management and 5G
By facilitating communication and data exchange between and within organizations, 5G has a substantial effect on supply chain management. By improving the ability to integrate suppliers, customers, and internal logistics processes, it grants organizations a competitive edge. 5G enhances the overall efficiency of supply chains through the optimization of processes, reduction of costs, improvement of quality, and implementation of real-time monitoring capabilities (Liu, 2021; Rejeb & Keogh, 2021; Taboada & Shee, 2021).
2.6. Blockchain
Blockchain is a decentralized, global technology that works like a "large computer." It processes digital asset transactions like money, personal data, health records, and others as a distributed ledger. Blockchain accelerates computation through encryption and data improvement. Blocks of transaction records form a blockchain, ensuring data integrity. Blockchain combined with 5G technology allows real-time ownership and location tracking, improving transparency, validating products, preventing fraud, and improving supply chain efficiency. Monitoring KPIs ensures network performance transparency and ensures material sourcing, manufacturing, and supply chain security (Han et al., 2023; Jovović et al., 2019; Tahir et al., 2020).
Methodology
This study uses pragmatism-based applied research. Its main goal is to identify 5G network projects and applications in smart factories. The study is mixed-method, using qualitative and quantitative methods.
First, 5G in smart factory projects literature was reviewed and expert interviews were conducted to identify relevant projects. These projects were refined using content analysis.
17 industry experts were interviewed to evaluate and prioritize the projects in the second phase. After statistical analysis, 31 projects were reduced to 17. After comparing these projects to the literature, 22 were chosen.
The third stage involved choosing five project evaluation and weighting criteria. The 17 experts were given a questionnaire to weight each criterion by importance.
The fourth stage scored projects using the five criteria. Our Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) determined each project's final weight and ranking. The Analytic Hierarchy Process helps decision-makers prioritize options in complex and uncertain situations. It organises factors into a hierarchical tree structure and solves decision-making problems by breaking down large problems into smaller ones. This method clarifies problem relationships and concepts.
Conclusion
The 5G wireless communication technology has emerged as an indispensable component in the advancement and administration of intelligent manufacturing. Exploring the applications of 5G connectivity in smart factories, this study seeks to identify projects that are feasible. By conducting interviews with IT specialists and reviewing prior articles in this field, the research identified 22 implementable projects. The prioritization of these projects was determined by the following five factors: total project cost, project revenue, social benefits, project feasibility, and project risk level. The findings indicated that project revenue was the most pivotal criterion, with project cost and risk level following suit. Both intelligent logistics and smart production lines, which are the top two recommended project categories, stand to gain substantially from 5G integration. Additionally, intelligent supply chain management, intelligent resource allocation, and process automation are crucial initiatives that can augment smart manufacturing.
Keywords: Fifth-generation internet wireless mobile communications (5G), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Smart factory, Smart manufacturing, Technology.
Keywords
- Fifth-generation wireless mobile communications (5G)
- Hierarchical analysis
- Smart factory
- Smart manufacturing
- Technology
Main Subjects
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