5G empowers Schneider Electric factories, and the degree of automation has jumped to 75%

May 08,2025

In the wave of Industry 4.0, digital transformation and intelligent upgrading have become the core pursuit of many manufacturing companies. Recently, Schneider Electric factories have achieved remarkable results with the support of 5G technology. Its industrial automation level has jumped to 75%, setting a new benchmark for the industry.

Strong alliance opens a new chapter of 5G industrial application

Schneider Electric, as a leading company in the field of industrial automation, has been actively exploring the application of cutting-edge technologies in industrial production. This time, it joined hands with China Unicom. The two parties, relying on their respective deep accumulation in the fields of communication technology and industrial automation, jointly promoted the deep integration of 5G technology in industrial scenarios. Schneider Electric has rich industrial production practical experience and advanced automation systems, while China Unicom is strong in 5G network construction and services. The cooperation between the two is a perfect match, aiming to open up new paths for industrial automation and digital transformation, jointly shape a new model for future industry, and provide a demonstration for global industrial transformation and upgrading.

Intelligent material distribution, a new experience of precision and efficiency

Walking into the Schneider Electric factory in Putuo District, Shanghai, it feels like stepping into an intelligent industrial kingdom. In the intelligent material distribution area, the advantages of 5G technology are fully demonstrated. The 18 monitoring devices hanging on the top of the workshop are like sharp "eyes". With the help of the high-speed transmission and low latency characteristics of the 5G network, dozens of AGVs are monitored in real time. It takes about 200 milliseconds for a person to blink once, while it only takes 20 milliseconds for CCTV to monitor the movement trajectory of an AGV and transmit the data back to the background. This efficient data transmission enables the AGV to achieve more accurate navigation and positioning without human intervention, and become the "intelligent transporter" of material handling, shuttle efficiently in the workshop, greatly improve the efficiency and accuracy of material distribution, and ensure the smooth operation of the production line.

Quality inspection change, remote control is smarter

In the quality inspection area, a 5G-driven change is taking place. In order to maximize the capabilities of the PLC automatic detection system, China Unicom helped the factory build a "5Gⁿ+ centralized PLC" automatic simulation detection line. By placing the PLC in the IT room for unified deployment and using the 5G network, one PLC can control multiple devices in the room at the same time, successfully realizing remote control and wireless communication of industrial quality inspection. This innovative model not only improves the efficiency of quality inspection, but also reduces the errors that may be caused by manual intervention, making quality inspection work more intelligent and efficient, and ensuring that every product can meet high quality standards.

Network integration, platform performance leaps forward

Faced with fierce market competition, Schneider Electric urgently needs to further empower its EcoStruxure open automation platform (EAE platform for short) through network technologies such as 5G and edge computing power. The industrial cellular network includes 5G network deployment, which realizes seamless integration with the EAE soft PLC. The transformed system has increased production efficiency by 15.8% while maintaining the original production rhythm. "For the wireless network, we use 5G indoor private networks. According to the needs of business scenarios, we enhance network capabilities based on technologies such as D-MIMO, carrier aggregation, and URLLC. For the core network, we use an exclusive 5GC deployment mode to meet the latency, reliability, and network security of services in different industrial scenarios." The comprehensive application of 5G networks has enabled factories to achieve unprecedented accuracy and efficiency in every link from raw material procurement, production and processing, quality inspection to logistics and distribution.

Future Outlook, Continuous Exploration of Innovation

Behind this series of changes, China Unicom has played a key role. It has built a cross-domain 5G private network with full core network elements for Schneider Electric, and combined with the development trend of new industrial control systems, it has proposed an industrial cellular network that integrates multiple technologies. Through the centralized management of 5G+EAE, the flexibility and scalability of the production line have been greatly improved, and the reconstruction of a production line has been shortened from 5-7 days to a few minutes. In the future, the two parties will continue to explore the deep integration of 5G, industrial cellular networks, edge computing platforms and open automation systems in production line transformation, continue to inject momentum into the innovative development of industrial control technology, and promote industrial automation to a higher level.

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5G empowers Schneider Electric factories, and the degree of automation has jumped to 75%

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