Toward Smart Factory using Wireless Communication Technologies

Abstract

Currently wired communications are main usages in the manufacturing field, because they have a potential to realize high reliability for controlling of process machines. In recent days, however, wireless communications receive a lot of attentions based on product life cycle acceleration. In a collaborative effort between private and public sectors, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and member companies of Flexible Factory Project teamed up to carry out a series of tests and evaluations for wireless communications technology in several currently-operating factory sites, for the purpose of promoting the integration of IoT on the factory floor. Within a factory, there are potential instability issues in wireless communications when several different wireless systems running at the same time and location. In order to tackle these issues, the project began in June 2015 and has been ongoing since. This paper shows situations of wireless environment and requirements for stable operation of manufacturing systems using wireless communication technologies.