Premiere: First private 5G network in operation in Switzerland

stürmsfs ag, one of Europe's most modern steel and metal service centers, has put the first private 5G network in Switzerland into operation. In collaboration with Nokia, Intel and Daetwyler as well as the federal IndustryFusion Foundation, the company in Goldach on Lake Constance plans to use Industry 4.0 solutions to make its production processes even more efficient in the future.

For the construction and operation of the private 5G network, stürmsfs is working with communications network supplier Nokia, among others. The Swiss company Daetwyler is responsible for implementing the entire technical infrastructure on site - from the cabling to the installed antenna technology. Intel supports this development with key technologies for connectivity and IoT edge computing.

5G technology will pave the way for stürmsfs in the direction of smart manufacturing: In the future, all relevant assets in manufacturing will be networked via this particularly powerful wireless standard. The open source solution IndustryFusion will be used as the software. "IndustryFusion is designed from the ground up as a cross-manufacturer networking solution that creates an interoperable link between machine, factory and cloud platforms. Ease of implementation is central to the solution, enabling companies of all sizes to intelligently digitize manufacturing & products and reap the benefits of advancing digitization," says Igor Mikulina, president of the IndustryFusion Foundation, which is based in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

 

"Already today, a high degree of automation in our production is a key success factor for our company. With Nokia, Intel and Daetwyler as well as the IndustryFusion Foundation, we have strong partners who we are happy to offer the opportunity to extensively test technologies and use cases with us in a real production environment."

Marcel Meier
Division Manager Procurement/Corporate Development | stürmsfs ag
Member of the Board of Trustees | IndustryFusion Foundation

 

Networking of production facilities and mobile assets
 

The private 5G network in industrial quality currently covers two production halls at the main production site of stürmsfs in Goldach on Lake Constance. In the next stage of the project, a wide variety of production facilities will now be networked via 5G technology and IndustryFusion software - including, for example, a CNC cutting system from MicroStep or a plasma power source from Kjellberg Finsterwalde. Mobile assets can also be easily integrated into the Smart Factory via wireless technology.
"The networking of manufacturing technology, robotics and moving assets within campus mobile networks is an important prerequisite for a higher level of automation, productivity increases and ultimately for Industry 4.0. The Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) is an industry-ready campus solution and platform for digitization. stürmsfs has thus succeeded in taking an important step towards the smart factory," explains Patrick Langelaan, Vice President for the Enterprise Market in Southern Europe at Nokia.

On-site data processing in real time

The Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) deployment provides reliable high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity for sensors, machines, vehicles and other devices. At the same time, it ensures that all data remains within the company and is processed on-site in real time, giving stürmsfs full control over its production know-how.
 

"A high degree of automation in our production is already a key success factor for our company," says Marcel Meier, Head of Procurement/Corporate Development and member of the Executive Board at stürmsfs. Meier is convinced that efficiency can be significantly increased, particularly in the areas of manufacturing, logistics and work processes, on the basis of the data obtained via networking. Integrated intelligent control and networking of machines, logistics and workers are the focus. AI-based improvements are on the agenda. "With Nokia, Intel and Daetwyler as well as the IndustryFusion Foundation, we have strong partners who we are happy to offer the opportunity to extensively test technologies and use cases with us in a real production environment," says Meier.
 

Nokia's 5G private network hardware and stuermsfs end-to-end factory server are based on a wide range of Intel's networking and edge technologies, including Intel Xeon processor-based servers, Intel's distribution of the OpenVINO toolkit for vision-based process optimization, and Intel IoT Edge technology for workload optimization with Nokia connectivity solutions.

"The digitization of our world is creating new opportunities to transform a range of industries," said Christine Boles, vice president, Network and Edge Group and general manager, Industrial Solutions Division at Intel. "The solution installed at stuermsfs with Nokia, Datwyler and IFF is a strong example of the type of collaboration required to rapidly deploy smart factory use cases with 5G and edge technology for manufacturers of all sizes."

 

"IndustryFusion is designed from the ground up as a multi-vendor networking solution that creates an interoperable link between machine, factory and cloud platforms. Ease of implementation is central to the solution, enabling companies of all sizes to intelligently digitize manufacturing & products and reap the benefits of advancing digitalization."

Igor Mikulina
President | IndustryFusion Foundation

 

The companies involved
 

About stürmsfs ag

The municipality of Goldach is home to stürmsfs ag, one of the most efficient providers of supply solutions in the steel and metal sector on the Swiss market. At a total of four locations in Switzerland and Austria, around 230 employees ensure that components are made to measure. From small locksmiths to steel erectors and major plant manufacturers, companies rely on the high-quality products of the job store center and their timely delivery via the company's own fleet of trucks. www.stuermsfs.shop

 

About Daetwyler IT Infra AG

Daetwyler IT Infra is an international company headquartered in Switzerland with subsidiaries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Daetwyler helps organizations around the world to successfully expand their core business thanks to future-proof and intelligent IT infrastructures. The company, which employs around 1,000 people, operates in the market as a supplier of innovative system solutions, products and services for data centers, fiber optic networks and intelligent buildings, and as a partial or general contractor covering the entire value chain. www.datwyler.com

 

About the IndustryFusion Foundation

The St. Gallen-based IndustryFusion Foundation pursues the goal of securing Europe's digital sovereignty and competitiveness in the digital age through intelligent networking of the manufacturing industry. The foundation for this is the creation and further development of the open-source IIoT networking solution IndustryFusion, which can be used vendor-independently for the networking of smart factories and smart products. This digital infrastructure ensures a continuous flow of data from the plant to the cloud and at the same time provides the basis for the development of innovative digital business models and B2B platforms. www.industry-fusion.org

 

About Nokia

With our technology, we help the world work together.
As a trusted partner for critical communications networks, we focus on innovation and technology leadership - from mobile to fixed to cloud. Thanks to the multi-award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we create value through intellectual property and long-term research.
When it comes to integrity and safety, we have set ourselves the highest standards - for a productive, sustainable and inclusive world. www.nokia.com