Ericsson Texas 5G-powered Smart Factory

  • March 12, 2020
  • imc

Ericsson’s first smart factory in the United States is now operational and producing 5G base stations to enable rapid 5G deployments. The initial product is a Street Macro base station designed for faster, more cost-effective 5G deployments. The same 5G base station is being deployed within the Lewisville, Texas, factory to increase production efficiency. According to Ericsson, the factory will be one of the most advanced manufacturing facilities in the industry when it is fully operational later this year.

The first product manufactured at the factory is the millimetre-wave Street Macro solution, which is key to Ericsson’s 5G portfolio for its North American customers. All radio access components are housed in a single lightweight enclosure. It is designed to allow service providers to rapidly scale out 5G coverage in complex city environments.

The Street Macro solution is also helping to provide Ericsson’s 5G-enabled connectivity in the smart factory.

“It’s exciting to use our own 5G products in the factory for wireless connectivity to increase production efficiency,” said Erik Simonsson, Head of the USA 5G Smart Factory, Ericsson. “With the first 5G base stations now rolling off the production line, we are on target this year to have the most fully automated, sustainable 5G smart factory in the U.S.”

Ericsson’s 5G connectivity will enable the smart factory with agile operations and flexible production, supporting industrial solutions such as automated warehouses, connected logistics, automated assembly, packing, product handling and autonomous carts. Ericsson will initially employ approximately 100 people at the facility.

Ericsson says that the new USA 5G Smart Factory complements the company’s global supply strategy, which ensures the company is working close to its customers through its American, European and Asian operations, securing fast and agile deliveries to meet customer requirements.