5G

and Evolution ofWireless Technology to Drive Future Factories- Digitalization of Manufacturing Facilities by AI and IoT in the New Normal Era -Introduction
At factories, in order to move for automation, to save labor, and to support various-kinds
and various -volumes production, opportunities are increasing to see scenes, such as
control of robots and automatic carriers, real-time information from workers andmanufacturing equipment, inspection and analysis using AI (Artificial Intelligence) and IoT(Internet of Things), and work support by ICT (Information and Communication
Technology). Now that we are in the new normal era, factories are adopting a production
process that enables remote monitoring and remote work without workers sticking to thesite.
Under these circumstances, wireless communication has become indispensable in orderto provide means of communication for automated carriers and workers with mobile
devices, and to improve the ease of installation of equipment with communicationinterfaces. Furthermore, due to the evolution of wireless LAN (Local Area Network) andhigh expectations for 5G (Fifth-generation mobile communications system), it is expectedthat the use of wireless communication will be further expanded in the future.
On the other hand, sufficient information is not available, that includes how to use
wireless communication and how to install it well in factories. With this regard, FFPA
(Flexible Factory Partner Alliance) is receiving questions from factories and equipmentvendors.
This position paper provides FFPA's views on three major questions as follows:・What are wireless use cases in factories?
・What is 5G introduction scenario?

・How is the future factory vison changed by digitalization?
FFPA is hoping that this position paper will serve as a reference document to consider avison of the future factories supported by wireless communication.
FFPA established cooperative relationship with 5G-ACIA (5G Alliance for Connected
Industries and Automation) and signed Memorandum of Understanding in April 2020 andexchanged views on this position paper with them during the development. Bothorganizations continue to seek more collaboration in the future.

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance21. Expectations for wireless communication at
manufacturing facilities
1.1 Macro trends surrounding the manufacturingindustries
Manufacturing industries are required to address long-term macro issues (Fig. 1). In
factory operations, automation and labor saving are accelerated due to labor shortages
and a decrease in skilled workers, mainly in developed countries. Furthermore, for the
production at factories, it is necessary to adapt to intensifying global competition anddiversifying customer needs. Therefore, on-demand manufacturing is being promoted to
produce the required products, with the required amount, and at the required timing.

Macro Trends
Labor shortage
Decreased skilled workers

Intense global competition
Diversity of customer needs

Ways to Adapt
Automation/Manpower saving. Digitization of know-how. RobotsOn-demand manufacturing. Real-time production management. Flexible processes of production

Figure 1: Macro issues in manufacturing industries.

In order to address these macro issues, it is necessary to change conventional
operations and processes by utilizing ICT. Furthermore, due to the pandemic of the newcoronavirus infection (COVID-19), automation/labor saving and remotemonitoring/remote work utilizing AI and IoT are becoming more important.
In the future, it is expected that the manufacturing facility will evolve that can digitize
know-how, can facilitate control of machines such as robots, and can easily collectdigitized information to flexibly adapt to changes in operations and processes.

1.2 Flexible Factory
Flexible Factory represents an evolved site for flexible on-demand manufacturing ofvariable product types with variable production volumes, emphasizing mobility andconfigurability of manufacturing facilities [1]. In the network of the above factory, wirelesscommunication is indispensable, and is responsible for communication with mobile
devices and carriers. Wireless communication is also important for network connections
from retrofitted sensors and frequently relocated production machines and equipment.

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance3

Production machines in the factory are usually used for 20 years, or even 30 years or
more. According to a plan of the factory as a whole, new equipment and communication
systems are introduced step-by-step for each process at the time of equipment renewal
or equipment addition. Therefore, the wireless communication systems with various
standards and generations are mixed in the same site. The applications and venders ofcommunication systems are also different there. In the case of wireless systems,
coordination among the systems is not expected so far and communication problems
may occur. In addition, the operating wireless system may not be able to perform stablecommunication due to layout changes, movement of surrounding structures, andinterference from other wireless systems in the factory.
The Flexible Factory requires stable wireless communication without disturbance.
However, for the purpose of dealing with stable operation, it is difficult to have specialists
who are familiar with wireless communication technology in the factory. Therefore, it isnecessary to have a mechanism that visualizes the status of wireless communication andenables integrated management to be doable even by non-experts. FFPA is promoting
standardization activities for the SRF wireless platform to facilitate visualization andintegrated management of wireless communications. Multiple wireless systems built on
this platform will mitigate interference with each other and will enable them to work
together.
One of the most relevant concerns about using wireless communication is security. The
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has developed the standard for networkand system security of industrial communication networks, namely IEC 62443 [2]. Basedon the standard, security guidelines for secure factory network with wirelesscommunications [3] have been released by FFPA and a white paper addressing security
needs for 5G [4] has been published by 5G-ACIA. As this position paper does notcontain security aspects for wireless communication, the above documents arerecommended to read.

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance42. Wireless communication in factories
2.1 Use cases of wireless communication
At the workshop held by FFPA, the major use cases actively using wirelesscommunication were mentioned. They include (1) control of AGVs (Automated Guided
Vehicles) and AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots), and (2) work analysis and support
based on videos from a large number of cameras located along the production line, and(3) product inspections to check defects such as foreign substances, burrs/chips,
scratches/colors/dimensions, etc. performed using high-resolution images in the
production line.
In the use cases drawn by 5G-ACIA [5], (4) light curtain system that detects the intrusionof people to ensure safety, (5) motion control that requires highly accurate alignment ofcomponents/devices, and (6) closed-loop control based on sensor information inchemical plants, etc. are added.
Table 1 summarizes the major wireless use cases [1] [6]. They are categorized as"Quality Supervision", "Factory Resource Management", "Display", "Equipment Control","Human Safety", and "Others" for factory applications. From the perspective of wirelesscommunication requirements, work support using videos that require large-capacity
communication, motion control and emergency warning (intrusion detection) that require
low delay, and various types of monitoring and management to collect a large amount of
information are highlighted in the use cases.

Table 1: Major wireless use cases (modified based on [1] and [6]).
Example for Use Cases

Category

Description

Quality
SupervisionCollecting information related to products and states of machines during
production.

Inline inspection, Machine operation/production recording,
Logging, and Closed-loop control by sensor information.

Factory
Resource
Management

Collecting information about whether production isproceeding under proper environmental conditions, and whether
personnel and things contributing to productivity enhancement are
being managed appropriately.

Preventive maintenance for machine tools and equipment, Machine monitoring,
Inventory control, Positioning, Motion analysis, and Facility-environment control.

Display

For workers, receiving necessary support information.
For managers, monitoring the production process and production
status.

Work instruction/support (wearable display, tablet, and screen),
Retention-status display, and Andon board.

Equipment
ControlSending commands to mobile vehicles, production equipment, andreceiving status information.

Motion control for robots and machines, Control for automatic carriers and rotaryequipment, and Control for AGVs and AMRs.

Collecting information about dangers to workers.

Emergency warning (Intrusion detection) and safety reaction, Dangerous-behavior
detection, Area monitoring, and Vital-sign monitoring.

Communication infrastructure with non‐specific purposes.

Program downloads.

Human
SafetyOthers© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance52.2 Choice of wireless communication system
Wireless communications used in factories transmit various types of data: (1) small datawith low delay for motion control, (2) a large amount of data for videos from cameras andmassive data from sensors, (3) loss-tolerant data in environmental sensing, and (4) data
limited to one-to-one communication for remote controls and displays.
For these reasons, factories will introduce the most suitable wireless communication
system not choosing one type for all factory applications, considering requirements,
power consumption and installation/operation costs, etc. As a result, various wirelesssystems are mixed in the factory. In the next section, wireless communication
technologies are analyzed, that are intended for use in factories.

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance63. Technology Analysis
3.1 Wireless applications and wirelesscommunication systems in factories

In the previous section, the use cases and their categories have been described. Morespecific applications in the use cases and the wireless communication systems are
explained in the following.
Figure 2 shows the relationship between required response performance andcommunication range for typical applications. Some applications requiring
communication within a single process line such as machine control, and inline
inspection may have relatively narrow range, but small amounts of data tend to beexchanged frequently with quick response performance. Environmental sensing datasuch as temperature and humidity, require less frequent communication and a wide
communication range to collect the data. In this way, the characteristics required for

Required response performance

communication differ depending on the application.

Hi

Machine control,
Emergency stop
Transport
equipment

In-line inspection

Vital monitoring

Instruction display,
Andon

Production environment
monitoring
Production line

LoInter-Prod. Line

1

10

Building

Entire site

100

1k

Communication range (m)Figure 2: Relationship between required response performance and communication range fortypical applications.

Figure 3 shows what kind of wireless technology is selected in the factory based on therelationship between communication distance and communication speed. At the
manufacturing facilities, functional and performance requirements for wirelesscommunication differ depending on the application, so a wireless communication systemthat suits each application is selected. For this reason, various wireless communication

Communication speed (bps)systems are mixed and operated at the manufacturing facilities.

10G

5G

1G
100M

3G/4G
(Cellular)

W-LAN

10M
1M

Bluetooth

100k
10k
1k

Zigbee

Wi-SUN
Non-cellular LPWA
(LoRa, SigFox, etc)

RFID

100
10

100

1k

10k

Communication range (m)Figure 3: Examples of wireless technology selection for factory use cases.

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance7

Typical wireless technologies are explained in the following with providing how they areused in factory environments.
Wireless LAN (2.4GHz/5GHz)

Wireless LANs have a very high commutation speed and can be easily connected to
wired LANs with a bridge. So they are widely used for wireless tools to AGV control, etc
in manufacturing facilities. Relatively large data such as high-resolution images, vibration
data, and torque waveforms are sent in a short time. They are also used to connect
devices such as smartphones and tablets finally to reach the factory backbone network.
The wireless LANs consume rather high power, and are mainly used for devices withconstantly powered or with a large-capacity battery. A typical communication distance isseveral tens of meters.
Bluetooth/BLE (2.4GHz)

Bluetooth is often used to pair a handheld terminal or a barcode reader with asmartphone or tablet carried by a worker. In particular, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is
low power-consumption and therefore, it is used in many battery-powered IoT devices.
BLE is also used for beacons and is used to locate positions of workers and things infactories. Bluetooth or BLE is mainly used for communication with a distances of several
meters.
Zigbee (2.4GHz/Sub-GHz)、Wi-SUN (Sub-GHz)

While a communication speed is low, Zigbee or Wi-SUN has good coverage taking theadvantage of a low frequency (Sub-GHz band) compared with Bluetooth or wirelessLAN. Furthermore, it is possible to cover a wide area by making multi-hopping
connection. For this reason, Zigbee or Wi-SUN is used for environmental monitoringsuch as temperature and humidity sensors in scattered positions, and telemetering ofelectricity meters. It features a low power consumption, and is used for applications
operating on a battery (primary battery) for several years.
Non-cellular LPWA (Sub-GHz)

Communication such as LoRa and SigFox has a very low transmission rate, but it
enables long-range transmission over 10 km with low power consumption. It is primarily
used for telemetry applications and can also be used for outdoor tracking in combination
with GPS.
LTE/4G (700MHz~3.6GHz)

While various wireless communication systems such as 920MHz band, wireless LAN,and Bluetooth are used from IoT devices to the gateways, mobile communication
systems LTE/4G is used when uploading data from gateways to a server or clouds indifficult environments where wired LAN cannot be used or wide area communication isrequired.
In addition to the communication systems as listed above, the 5th-generation mobile
communication system (5G), which is now being introduced in the market, will expand
the choices of users. 5G has the potential to accelerate use of wireless communication infactories and will significantly change operation of machines and equipment as well as
manufacturing facilities.

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance8

3.2 Use cases of 5G in manufacturing facilities
In Japan, 3.7GHz, 4.5GHz, and 28GHz frequency bands have been newly assigned to
5G. These bands are licensed to mobile network operators, allowing them to fully utilize
clean, non-interfering bandwidth for many business and industrial applications. In
addition, non-public 5G (Local 5G) is available, where some parts of the 4.5GHz and
28GHz frequency bands are allocated to local governments or landowners for theirlimited sites e.g. factories and farmland. 5G provides excellent communication
performance such as high speed, low latency, and massive connections to meet various
service requirements. Another benefit is the high security supported by device
authentication of 5G core networks. These features are suitable for wireless networks in
manufacturing facilities, both indoors and outdoors (Fig. 4).

Features
New frequency spectrum
that brings many business
opportunities

Advantages
Accommodating
a lot of applications

New licensed bands

New frequency bands
for non-public networks

Highly reliable cellular
system that meets various
service requirements

Dedicated 5G system
to optimize individual needs

Enhanced mobile broadband

High performance

Low latency
Massive communication
Easy management

Centralized control

New applications
New operation

Interference management

QoS control by API
High security level

Wide area coverage

Centralized monitoring and control(indoors & outdoors)

Figure 4: Advantages of 5G.

Many companies in Japan have conducted 5G field trials to take advantage of thesebenefits for factory reforms (Table 2).

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance9

Table 2: Major 5G field trials in manufacturing facilities.
Partners

DOCOMO,OMRON and Nokia

Location

Kusatsu factoy of OMRON

Overview of field trials
Radio wave propagation and transmission experiments, layout-free
production lines using Autonomous Mobile Robots,human-machine collaboration using 5G. (FY 2019- )DOCOMO, FANAC,
and Hitachi

FANUC headquarters factory andRadio wave propagation and transmission experiments, verification

Hitachi Omika Factoryof wireless control of production equipment, remote maintenance,complete wireless factory by 5G. (2019-2021)

ATR, KDDI, DENSO,

and Kyushu Institute ofTechnology

KDDI, DMG MORISoftBank,

Sumitomo Electric

Kyushu Institute of Technology andVerification of complete wireless control of pick-and-place industrial

DENSO Kyushu

robots and layout changes. (Jan.-Feb. 2019)

DMG MORI Iga Campus and Tokyo

AI-enabled chip removal solutions of image recognition andGHQautomatic cleaning nozzle using 5G. (FY 2019-2020)

Factory of Sumitomo Electric

Images and sensing data are collected in real time via 5G andanalyzed by AI to automatically detect changes and anomalies inequipment and human behavior. (Mar. 2020-)

NTT Communications,
Bridgestone

NTT Communications,
DMG MORI

Fujitsu,Fujitsu Telecom Networks

Bridgestone Technical Center andRadio wave propagation test, communication performance test,

Product Plant

various application tests using local 5G. (June 2020-)

DMG MORI Iga Campus

Radio propagation and communication quality tests. Remote
operation of an AGV via local 5G. (May 21, 2020 to April 2021)

Oyama plant in Tochigi Prefecture

Data transmission of high-definition images collected by multi-point
cameras. AI-powered security system that quickly detects
suspicious behavior through motion analysis. (March 27, 2020-)

Fujitsu,Fujitsu Network Solutions,
Cable media waiwai

Sumitomo,

Sumitomo Shoji Machinex,
NICT, etc.

Sumitomo, Sumitomo

Corporation Global Metals,
Sumitomo Shoji Machinex,

Cable Media Waiwai (5G core) and

Real-time transmission of high-definition video with various sensors

test customer (edge equipment)

for monitoring, sensing, and remote work support. (Oct. 2020- )Plant in Kitaazumi-gun Nagano

Verify properties of the millimeter-wave band, remote video

Prefecture, Takebashi andmonitoring, VR conferencing, and transmission of large amounts ofOtemachi Office in Tokyo

data from 4K 360-degree cameras. (June to August 2019)

Summit Steel Osaka Factory

automated visual inspection based on AI analysis and remotequality verification based on high-definition video transmission.
(Jan. 2021-)

Grape One© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance10For example, ATR, KDDI, DENSO, and Kyushu Institute of Technology have jointly
demonstrated the control system for pick-and-place industrial robots using wirelessconnection by 5G, that increases layout flexibility in an actual factory [7][8]. The system
configuration is shown in Fig. 5. A base station of 28GHz frequency band was built in thefactory, and the signal cables connecting the industrial robot, 3D scanner, and control
PC were replaced with 5G wireless networks. The entire picking area including the robot
was measured by a 3D scanner and the collected 3D data were transmitted to thecontrol PC via 5G. The control PC estimated the positional relationship between the partand the robot, and commanded the robot to pick the part and to place it on the conveyor belt accurately. The movement of the robot was optimized by the motion planningtechnology by Kyushu Institute of Technology. The pick-and-place was successful
without human teaching even when the robot placement was changed (Fig. 6).

5G Radio Unit

3D scanner with
5G tablet

LAN
5G

5G

Control PC

Monitoring for robot
movement and partsby 3D scannerParts
Measuring
the position ofparts and robot

Industrial robot with 5G tablet

Picking and placing parts from position databy 3D scanner

Figure 5: System diagram of the field trial.

Before relocating

After relocating▶

Figure 6: Industrial robot relocation in the field trial.

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance11

From June to August 2019, Sumitomo Corporation carried out the Japan's first local 5G
field trials to verify the properties of the millimeter-wave band and to demonstrate remote
video monitoring, VR conferencing, and transmission of large amounts of data from 4K
360-degree cameras. Sumitomo and its partners also conducted the pilot experiment of
non-public 5G (Local 5G) at the Osaka Factory of Summit Steel from Jan. 2021 as aconsignment project supported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications[9]. In this experiment, an automated visual inspection based on AI analysis and remotequality verification based on high-definition video transmission have been tested. The
experiment results were analyzed with the aim of spreading the use of non-public 5G for
similar purposes.

Figure 7: Summit Steel Osaka Factory (provided by Sumitomo Corporation).

3.3 A scenario of 5G introduction
Utilization of wireless communications has been increased in factory facilities for various
kinds of purposes. Different communication qualities are required depending on the
purpose for each use case or application. Figure 8 shows an example of required
communication qualities. Some use cases require 5G performance of low latency, while
there are remaining use cases with no need of 5G. On the other hand, since many
wireless systems are already attached to or embedded in production machines andequipment, which usually operate for over decades, it is expected to be very difficultcompletely to replace all existing wireless systems by 5G from the viewpoint of return on
investment. From these reasons, 5G in a licensed band and wireless technologies inunlicensed bands will become a mutually complementary relationship. The best wirelesstechnology for each use case will be chosen from 5G, wireless LAN, Bluetooth and otherwireless technologies in unlicensed bands depending on the requirements for each use
case or application, e.g. required data transmission speed, delay tolerance of datatransmission, number of accommodated wireless devices, range of wirelesscommunication, indoor use or outdoor use, radio wave environment in which wirelessdevices are utilized, power consumption of wireless devices, and initial and running costsof wireless systems.
© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance12Delay Tolerance
Equipment
Control   

 Machine, Robot
AGV with rails, Rotary equipment
AGV w/o rails

Inline inspection

Quality
Supervision

Machine operation/production recording
LoggingPreventive maintenance for tools, Machine monitoring

Factory
Resource
Management

Preventive maintenance for machines
Positioning, Motion analysis, Inventory control
Facility environment control

Work instruction (wearable display)

DisplayWork instruction (tablet, screen)
Andon board

Human
SafetyDangerous behavior detection
Emergency warning
Safety reaction
Vital sign monitoring

Figure 8: An example of required communication quality (Delay tolerance) [1].

While utilization of wireless communication is expanding in factory facilities, the adoptionof 5G is increasing especially for the use cases which need the 5G performances andalso which are newly created on the basis of 5G. On the other hand, there are many use
cases which can be achieved by using ordinary wireless technologies in unlicensed
bands such as wireless LAN and Bluetooth. Therefore, FFPA has drawn up a scenario in
which these technologies are also increasing together with 5G.

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance13

In future factory facilities, there will exist wireless use cases which need the 5G performances of high speed, low latency, and massive connections in wireless networks, e.g.
wireless robot control, 4K/8K image wireless transmission for image inspection, and AR
glasses for work support (Figure 9).

Low latency

Broadband

Massive connectivity

Wireless robot control

4K/8K image inspection

Remote PLC

Retrofit camera

Broadband

Low latency

AR/MR work support
AR glasses

Figure 9: Use cases utilizing 5G in factory facilities.

The advance on miniaturization and price reduction of 5G wireless devices will lead to the
combo devices which have multiple radio access technologies (multi-RAT) of both 5G
and wireless technologies in unlicensed bands such as wireless LAN and Bluetooth.
Appearance of the multi-RAT combo devices (e.g. tablet PC, wireless camera, AR
glasses) is expected to encourage wireless utilization further in factories (Figure 10). FFPA
has been standardizing the wireless platform which can realize more reliable wirelesscommunications and more efficient utilization of limited frequency resources based on
the coordination between 5G and wireless technologies in unlicensed bands.

Unlicensed
Bands

5G
Bands

5G/Wi-Fi
Combo Device

Unlicensed
Bands

5G
Bands

Unlicensed
Bands

5G/Wi-Fi
Combo Device

5G
Bands

5G/Wi-Fi
Combo Device

Figure 10: An example of coordination between 5G and wireless technologies in unlicensed bands.

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance144. Factory of the future with wireless communications
4.1 Digitalization of manufacturing facilities
According to the white paper published by Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry ofJapan, the problem of skill succession is getting worse in the manufacturing industry.
86% of manufacturing companies are or willing to digitize the skills at manufacturing andproduction sites. The visualization and sharing of skills are the top reason (71%) for
digitalization of skills [10]. This shows the need to build the scheme for everyone tobecome an expert or to automate the work of an expert by digitizing the skills of anexpert.
OMRON is developing the real-time coaching system using AI and IoT technology(Figure.11). A lot of human works are required in the production of many models in small
quantities. The detailed operations of human works differ depending on the proficiency of
the worker. The real-time coaching system analyzes the operations of the workers,
detects whether they are performing appropriate operations, and gives correction
instructions, if necessary. By utilizing this system, it is possible to support the operations
that are prone to mistakes and enable workers to efficiently improve their proficiency.

Figure11: The image of analyzing the operations of the workers (OMRON).

At the Amberg factory of Siemens (Germany), monthly production is on the scale ofmillions for 1000 types of automation system-related electronic components andproducts. The data collected from 50 million manufacturing processes are analyzed by
the industrial cloud (MindSphere), and the results are reflected to improve manufacturing
process. The rate of automation in the factory has reached 75%, and the defective
product rate, which was about 500-600 dpm (defect per million) in the case of
manufacturing by workers, has been reduced to 12 dpm. This is an example improving
not only production efficiency but also product quality assurance by increasing the rate ofautomation.
© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance15

4.2 Full automation / Human-robot collaboration
The manufacturing facilities are various and vary greatly depending on the products andthe type of production. Therefore, FFPA believes that the approach to the above issues is
not only full automation but also human-robot collaboration. In fact, the introduction ofcollaborative robots that operate in the same space as humans is rapidly expanding [11].
In addition, SmartFactoryKL, the test bed installed at German Research Centre for
Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), is verifying that a production line can be constructed by
combining production modules made by multiple vendors. They aim to realize a flexible
production line by transporting products between among production modules by transfer
robots such as AGV or AMR instead of a fixed conveyor belt.

4.3 Digital twin
Adapting to intensifying global competition and diversifying customer needs, the flexible
and efficient production, distribution/sales, maintenance/after-sales service are required
based on the entire engineering chain consisting of research and development, productplanning, product design, and process design and supply chain consisting of orderingand production management.
Therefore, it is expected that the digital twin will develop. The digital twin collects theoperating status of equipment and facilities and environmental information of the physicalspace in real time and modeling the equipment and equipment in the cyber space forvisualization and simulation (Figure 12).
The digital twin digitizes not only information on equipment and facilities at the
manufacturing facility, but also the movements and behaviors of workers. It enables
visualization of proficiency and appropriate work support in virtual space. It is expectedthat efficient and effective skill succession will be possible.

Figure12: The image of digital twin (Siemens factory at Amberg).
© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance16

Whether the direction of evolution of the manufacturing facility is full automation or
human-robot collaboration, information on equipment and workers in the physical space
is analyzed and evaluated in the virtual space for feedback to the physical space.
Therefore, the digital twin will be indispensable in the factories of the future.
Since the digital twin sends and receives wide variety of large amounts of data andinformation between physical space and virtual space, communication technology isrequired to meet various requirements at the same time. In addition, it is expected toutilize wireless communication in order to improve the flexibility that is essential in the
Flexible Factory.

4.4. Roadmap of FFPA
FFPA develops SRF wireless platform standards as a basis for stabilizing diverse wirelesscommunications mixed in the manufacturing facility. Figure 13 shows the roadmap of
FFPA. SRF wireless platform in version 2.0 and later provides a flexible wireless industrial
network in which the coordination control between 5G and unlicensed bands wirelesstechnologies is conducted. In version 2.0, the status of 5G network is monitored and thepolicies/sessions are controlled. In version 3.0, 5G network will be directly controlledusing API (Application Programming Interface) by updating configuration based on
application information. Moreover, SRF wireless platform in version 2.0 and later also
conducts the coordination control of wired- and wireless-integrated industrial networks.
As the use of the SRF wireless platform expands, use cases that utilize stable wirelesscommunication will become widespread. In addition, FFPA is accelerating the
introduction of the digital twin, which is necessary to realize full automation of
manufacturing facilities and human-robot collaboration, and envisions the future in which
digitalization of manufacturing facilities will be realized.

Network in the heterogeneous wireless environment
Visualization

Management
Collective
management ofconnected devices

Diagnosis. Illegal device detection. Risk of network instability

Digitalization of
manufacturingsites

Use cases example. AGV. Robot control. In-line inspection. Full automation. Human-robot
collaboration. Digital twin

(Image-sensing). Traceability. Functional safety. AR/MR

Field Manager *SRF Sensor
SRF Gateway / Device*Field Manager is a control device for coordinating
different types of wireless communication systems.

Ver. 3.0
SRF Wireless Platform Ver. 1.0

2020

2021

Ver. 2.0

Monitoring 5G network to control policies/sessions.

2022

2023

2024

Controlling 5G network by updating
configuration based on application
information. (in consideration)

2025

Figure 13: The roadmap of FFPA.
© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance175. Conclusions
The environment surrounding the manufacturing industry has changed significantly due
to various issues such as a shortage of workers, a decrease in skilled workers, work stylereforms, intensifying global competition, and diversification of customer needs, as well as
responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need to shift to a production
process that utilizes AI and IoT. It is necessary to realize the Flexible Factory emphasizing
mobility and configurability of manufacturing facilities, where wireless communication isindispensable.

FFPA thinks as follows:
1. Promising use cases for using wireless communication include control of automatic
carriers, image-based inspections, work analysis and support, and emergency stops
and area monitoring to ensure safety. There is the best communication system thatmeets the requirements for each application, resulting in various wirelesscommunication systems are mixed in the factory.
2. 5G, which is expected as a new wireless communication system, requires a license touse, on the other hand, there is no risk of interference with other wireless systems.
With non-public 5G, users can occupy frequencies and can maintain highperformance and reliability. 5G has features such as high speed and capacity, lowlatency, and a large number of multiple connections, and is excellent in terms ofmanagement and security. 5G will be the driving force for creating new applications
and operations in factories while coexisting with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth taking advantageof their merits.
3. The future factory envisioned by FFPA is that the digitization of skills and works will
progress toward two directions: factories with fully automated and with tightly
cooperation between workers and robots. The manufacturing facility governed under
the digital twin will connect cyber and physical factories to enhance the production
process. In the future factory, wireless communication will be indispensable for
information gathering, machine control and support for workers.
FFPA will contribute to realization of the future factory vison through promoting the SRF
wireless platform that enables visualization and integrated management of various
wireless communications including 5G.

© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance18References[ 1 ] Flexible Factory IoT: Use Cases and Communication Requirements for Wired and Wireless Bridged Networks, IEEE Industry Connections Report, April, 2020.
[ 2 ] Industrial communication networks – Network and system security – Part 1-1: Terminology, concepts and models, IEC/TS 62443-1-1, Edition 1.0 2009-07,
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
[ 3 ] Flexible Factory Security Guidelines for secure factory network with wireless communications, Flexible Factory Partner Alliance (FFPA), April 1, 2019.
https://www.ffp-a.org/document/files/190920_FFSG_p.pdf[ 4 ] Security Aspects of 5G for Industrial Networks, 5G-ACIA, February, 2021.
https://5g-acia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/5G-ACIA_Security_Aspects_of_5G_for_Industrial_Networks_single-pages.pdf[ 5 ] Key 5G Use Cases and Requirements, 5G-ACIA, May, 2020.
https://www.5g-acia.org/publications/key-5g-use-cases-and-requirements/[ 6 ] Wireless use cases and communication requirements in factories, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology. March, 2017.
[ 7 ] ATR, KDDI, DENSO, Kyushu Institute of Technology, joint press release, "Field trial of industrial robot control by 5G," Jan 29, 2019. (in Japanese)
https://www.atr.jp/topics/press_190129.html[ 8 ] Atsuki Yokota, Sora Honda, Kei Yamafuku, Takeshi Nishida, Takeshi Ikenaga, Naoki Mori, Akira Matsunaga, Kakeru Maruyama, Kyohiro Yoshida, Shintaro
Osada, "Application of 5th Generation Mobile Communication System to Industrial Robot Control," IEEJ Transactions on Industry Applications, Vol.140,
No.4, pp.314-326, 2020. (in Japanese)[ 9 ] Sumitomo Corporation press release, "Commencement of Local 5G Pilot Experiment at Production Site," Sep. 28, 2020.
https://www.sumitomocorp.com/en/jp/news/release/2020/group/13880[10] 2019 White Paper on Manufacturing Industries (Monodzukuri), Chapter 2, Section 3, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan, June 11, 2019. (inJapanese)https://www.meti.go.jp/report/whitepaper/mono/2019/honbun_pdf/index.html[11] Collaborative Robot (Cobot) Market by Payload, Component (End Effectors, Controllers), Application (Handling, Assembling & Disassembling, Dispensing,Processing), Industry (Electronics, Furniture & Equipment), and Geography – Global Forecast to 2026
https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/collaborative-robot-market-194541294.html© Flexible Factory Partner Alliance19

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