In a pioneering partnership, Ericsson, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Hitachi America R&D have united their expertise to facilitate a groundbreaking private 5G infrastructure trial at Hitachi Astemo Americas’ electric motor vehicle manufacturing plant in Berea, Kentucky, USA.
The collaboration highlights the immediate applicability of their combined technologies in real-world manufacturing and enterprise environments, providing early adopters with a competitive edge. The project showcases the seamless integration of Ericsson Private 5G and the AWS Snow Family to establish private cellular networks that form the basis for machine learning (ML) models within the Hitachi manufacturing complex.
Utilizing Hitachi’s video analytics capabilities, the trial transmitted real-time video of component assembly operations across the Ericsson private 5G network. This enabled the early detection of defects, resulting in reduced material wastage and enhanced production efficiency. The initiative marks a significant advancement in the integration of diverse technological components in industrial settings.
The innovative solution, built upon Ericsson’s advanced 4G and 5G radio and dual-mode core technology, empowers a wide range of innovative applications for indoor and outdoor environments. This integration seamlessly interacts with business operations, devices, and applications, promising heightened productivity, cost-efficiency, and energy conservation.
Ericsson Private 5G, designed for secure and reliable 4G and 5G connectivity through a single-server dual-mode core, serves as a next-generation private network solution. Its rapid deployment capabilities, coupled with pre-integration, ensure swift service initiation while safeguarding sensitive on-site data. This flexibility positions Ericsson Private 5G to support diverse use cases, industries, and enterprise complexities.
Sudhanshu Gaur, Vice President of R&D for Hitachi America and Chief Architect at Hitachi Astemo Americas, emphasized the transformative potential of the collaboration. He highlighted the ability of private 5G, cloud technology, and artificial intelligence/machine learning to revolutionize manufacturing processes, expressing enthusiasm for leading this innovation journey.
The trial’s outcomes underline its substantial operational and business implications, ranging from product quality enhancements to cost reductions and supply chain optimization. Key achievements include the swift implementation of use cases through Ericsson Private 5G, the augmentation of quality inspections via higher performance and reliability, and the global scalability facilitated by the fusion of 5G and cloud technologies.
Chris McKenna, Global Lead of Private Wireless at AWS, acknowledged the longstanding anticipation surrounding the transformative potential of technologies like 5G and video analytics in manufacturing. He highlighted the challenge of securely and reliably processing data for meaningful outcomes. The collaboration’s success was underscored by the secure and dependable execution of machine vision inferences using the Ericsson Private 5G Network and AWS Snow Family device, demonstrating the capabilities of the partnership.
The Ericsson, AWS, and Hitachi collaboration sets a remarkable precedent for the rapid integration and deployment of cutting-edge technologies in manufacturing. By showcasing the fusion of private 5G, cloud technology, and machine learning, the partnership charts a course toward enhanced efficiency, reduced waste, and higher product quality in industrial settings.
