【Haichuan Chemical Discussion】What does a 5G factory look like in your mind? Sanning has built Hubei’s first 5G-enabled smart factory

On April 20, Du Shuanglin, the deputy general manager of China Telecom’s Zhijiang branch, pressed the button to establish a signal connection. As a result, the 5G base station located in the boiler air separation area of Hubei Sanning Company’s ethylene glycol production facility was connected to China Telecom’s server room, enabling full 5G coverage in that area. Video and audio feeds as well as location data of the workers working there were transmitted in real time to Sanning Company’s central server room via mobile devices on site. “The base stations are connected to the telecommunications facilities, and the mobile devices are in stable connection with both the base stations and the digital facilities. Thus, Sanning Company has become a true 5G-enabled intelligent factory – it is also the first such factory in Hubei Province. ”Du Shuanglin said, unable to hide his excitement.

In Sanning Company’s central computer room, the signals transmitted by mobile devices used for welding, working at heights, and other tasks related to the ethylene glycol project’s boiler air separation unit are of stable and clear quality; the sound is loud and distinct, and data changes are displayed in real time. Everything is visible with perfect clarity, without any errors. Yang Wenhua, director of the Smart Factory Promotion Office at Sanning Company, explained: “5G boasts advantages such as ultra-high speed, low latency, and the ability to support a large number of connections. Its transmission speed can reach up to 20 Gbps, which is 100 times that of 4G networks; moreover, its latency is very low, on the order of milliseconds.” The interconnection of personnel, equipment, and products is achieved in an instant, truly ensuring dynamic, intelligent, and real-time management. ”

Sanning Company is a **-level ‘Enterprise Compliant with the Integration of Informatization and Industrialization Standards’ and a ‘Provincial Smart Factory Model Enterprise’. With the application of 5G technology, the company set out to create an \"upgraded version of the industrial Internet\" during the construction of the ethylene glycol plant, aiming to become one of China’s first 5G-enabled smart factories. Subsequently, the company chose to partner with China Telecom’s Zhijiang branch, with Huawei providing technical support; it invested over 30 million yuan in the ethylene glycol project to advance 5G-based intelligent development. Once the entire 5G network is in place, the project area covering over 1,900 mu will enjoy comprehensive 5G coverage in all directions – above, below, and on the ground – without any dead zones, enabling interconnectedness of people, devices, and products as well as real-time monitoring.

“Compared to traditional 4G intelligence and wired transmission, 5G intelligence offers lower investment costs, higher efficiency, greater accuracy, and more real-time monitoring and scheduling. Building on the success of the ethylene glycol pilot project, Sanning Company has rolled out 5G intelligence across its entire group, promoting the use of 5G technology in personnel, equipment, and products. ”Yang Wenhua said.

According to Yang Wenhua, in terms of personnel management, wearable devices enable real-time tracking of employees’ locations, physical conditions, and the environment in which they find themselves, providing a solid foundation for back-office coordination, task assignment, and efficient management. As for equipment management, the installation of 5G-based monitoring devices reduces the complexity and costs associated with laying wires and cables in traditional monitoring systems, while also allowing for real-time monitoring and immediate alerts regarding long-distance transmission pipelines, devices operating in high temperatures, pressures, or humidity conditions, as well as underground cable trays. In terms of product sales, the use of “5G-enabled storage management” involves installing monitoring modules on product pallets, thereby enabling timely tracking of production, inventory levels, and shipping status. This provides the sales department with the data needed to secure orders based on production capacity and to arrange shipments accordingly, ensuring smooth flow in production, warehousing, and product distribution.

It is reported that the 5G outdoor macro cells launched this time mainly cover the boiler and air separation area of Sanning Company’s ethylene glycol project. With the ethylene glycol project starting trial production in July, the entire 5G network will be put into full operation in the same month.