Vertical: Manufacturing
Application: Quality control, robotics, digital twin, logistics improvements
Private Network: 5G
BMW has deployed a private 5G wireless network in Spartanburg, SC for their factory and warehousing operations.
In the factory, automated robots are used with the help of AI functionality to weld hundreds of metal studs onto the frames of vehicles. Video analytics then check to see if the studs have been placed correctly. “If the AI detects a stud that has been misplaced, the system will automatically tell the robot to fix it,” said BMW Group Manager Curtis Tingle. The facility uses 26 cameras on the floor to determine if there are any issues that require human intervention. Workers also wear scanning devices which are used to create and maintain a digital twin of the factory.
The warehouse associates also wear scanner devices to improve the tracking of parts and containers in the nearly one million-square-foot facility. Automation has also been developed to lift and sort small items and large pallets.
“I firmly believe that innovation, digitalization, and sustainability are key successors for the logistics and the future,” said Oliver Bilstein, the Vice President of Logistics and Production Control.
In the 30 years since the Spartanburg facility opened, BMW claims to have invested roughly $12 billion into the county. The South Carolina plant produces more than 1,500 vehicles per day – the largest BMW plant in the world.
Read about another private 5G deployment in the automotive sector here.
