Ericsson, Fraunhofer Institute demo industrial 5G for jet engine

Ericsson is partnering with the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology to explore and develop industrial applications for 5G.

The first example is producing so-called blade integrated disks, or blisks, for Germany-based jet engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines.

Blisks are high-tech components where the disk and blades are produced as a single piece and serve the purpose of compressing the air inside jet engines. They are milled out of solid pieces of metal and have extremely high requirements towards accuracy and surface integrity.

Typically the milling process takes 15-20 hours and the total lead time is around three to four months, including the coating processes and quality checks.

At the trial Ericsson has built a 5G trial system operating on 3.5-GHz, which is connected to an acceleration sensor mounted directly on the blisk in the production machinery.

Vibrations are transmitted in real time via 5G to the evaluation system. The very low latency of 5G technology helps correlate the vibration to the tool’s position and enable prompt adjustment of the production process.

“Applying 5G in the manufacturing industry has many important benefits in terms of costs, quality, and flexibility. The ultra-low latency and very high bandwidth make it possible to control machines in real-time, reducing manufacturing costs and improving the quality of products,” Ericsson said.

The Swedish vendor said the 5G-enabled production process can help a single factory save €27 million ($32.7 million) per year in efficiency. It also helps cut CO2 emissions – from both the production of blisks and their operation in jet engines – by some 16 million tons annually on a global basis.

These efficiencies and benefits would be impossible if using fixed line technology because of the complexity of production, the vendor added.

Ericsson said the Blisk project, which was presented at the Hanover Fair in Germany late April, is the company’s first published tangible case study.

“The Blisk project is a perfect example of what is possible in the industrial context with 5G in the future. Ultra-low latency of 5G makes this industrial use case feasible,” said Arun Bansal, Ericsson’s senior vice president and head of market area for Europe and Latin America.