Smarter
communications With the Government’s new data innovation hub set to accelerate digital technology in manufacturing, Mick Goulding explores the role of connectivity and private networks in securing sites, protecting people and supporting digital transformation in manufacturing
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anufacturers are moving to smarter and more automated operations to stay efficient, competitive and profitable, and there are many support systems in place to facilitate this. Earlier this year, the UK government announced a £50 million data innovation hub as part of the £300 million UK R&I Made Smarter Innovation Challenge, to support manufacturers with the development of digital technologies to help to boost productivity, growth and sustainability.
The connectivity problem
In an industry which relies on communications - whether its backend business systems, production-line sensors, automated vehicle guidance apps, or team members across a site – connectivity is key.
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For many manufacturers, it’s vital that communication networks are secure, simple to manage and, above all, always-on. But even the smartest of manufacturers will struggle with coverage not-spots, dropped connections and high cost, complex systems. Typically, the largest manufacturing sites will often face the bigger issues. The scale and complexity of these sites means that conventional public networks and WiFi options often struggle to meet connectivity needs. Facilities that are based in rural, hard to reach, or more remote settings will also face difficulties as public mobile coverage can be limited; whilst operations that are based in urban areas are forced to compete with thousands of consumers and businesses for wireless bandwidth. Unreliable connectivity has created a communications gap for businesses around the country that are looking to maximize the use of