Intel has built a 5G smart factory in collaboration with EXOR International, TIM and JMA Wireless in Verona, Italy to demonstrate the benefits of the Industry 4.0 digitalisation. The end-to-end smart factory is based on multiple Intel products and is said to highlight what can be achieved with latest 5G and AI technologies, in an agile and modular application environment.
“We built this smart factory from the ground up to take advantage of the latest 5G and AI technologies from Intel and Telecom Italia. Our smart factory in Verona will demonstrate that digitalisation can happen at any scale. This is increasingly important for small and mid-size manufacturers who are looking to stay innovative and competitive in the market…” said Claudio Ambra, CTO of EXOR International.
With the global smart manufacturing market value expected to reach US$506 billion by 2027 at CAGR of 12.2 per cent, manufacturers are eyeing on Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies to reduce maintenance, energy costs and improve productivity.
Intel noted that manufacturers still have questions on using smart manufacturing techniques. The chip maker said, with this smart factory, EXOR aims to demonstrate operational benefits of transformation and provide a working example.
“EXOR’s new smart factory is a great example of how deploying solutions based upon standards with open architectures can help lower maintenance costs, increase productivity and take advantage of new business opportunities,” said Christine Boles, vice president in the Internet of Things Group and general manager, Industrial Solutions Division at Intel.
The on-premise 5G lab built in partnership with local operator TIM is said to allow experimentation on the latest generation’s ability to improve communication in extreme factory design setup, may be use of industrial robots to enable peer-to-peer communication. Intel is also opening a portion of smart factory floor and lab for other companies to experiment on achieving digital transformation.
