Use Cases of 5G Technology for Smart Manufacturing in Thailand: A Technical Perspective and Financial Feasibility Study

Abstract

This study experimented the applying of 5G technology in manufacturing industry. The internet of things devices using 5G communication network were implemented in three companies with the aims to study their technical qualifications, improvement of manufacturing lines, and cost-benefit analysis. With experimental research method undertaken, the key advantages of the 5G technology were found including broader service coverage, reduced interference from other wireless signals, and enhanced security. In addition, adopting Multi-access Edge Computing system (MEC) could further reduce latency. Moreover, network quality could also be enhanced through supported enterprise-grade public network, slicing of the public network, or creating a private network. The 5G network could help improve operational efficiency for production industry, such as real time assessment of workload efficiency of each forklift, and changing of approaches for machine inspection and maintenance. As for the Return On Investment (ROI), it was found that investing 5G in the whole production system saw a high cost. Therefore, one-time investment on 5G infrastructure for using with a variety of interconnected use cases was recommended. In addition, deploying the 5G network would be favorable when addressing core product process with clearly identified pain points. For example, the case of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in production lines could yield a 164% ROI. Similarly, deploying a single 5G infrastructure could facilitate cost sharing and enable effective operational planning from the gathered data.