ZTE and USTB Jointly Verify 5G TSN Private Network in Iron and Steel Scenarios
On April 22, the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), an institution of higher learning in the iron and steel industry, ushered in the 70th anniversary of the university. As a university celebration gift, relying on the national key R&D projects led by the University, ZTE set up a private network for scientific research with the team of the Industrial Internet Research Institute of the University to complete technical verification of the first precise control scenario of 5G TSN iron and steel in China, and demonstrated it at the celebration site. The verification employs technologies such as private network multi-link, data transmission duplication and elimination, and active/standby redundancy to achieve high reliability of connection. At the same time, enhanced by 5G TSN + wireless uRLLC, the system guarantees deterministic low latency (10ms), controllable jitter (us level) and accurate synchronization.
5G TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) and uRLLC (ultra-Reliability and ultra-Low Latency Communication) are the key technologies for 5G to empower industrial control in depth. ZTE’s TPC (Time Promised Communication) solution is designed specifically for industrial control reconstruction. In addition to the latest industry standard technologies (5G TSN/5G LAN/URLLC/SLA), the precise channel transmission control and forwarding dispatching technology with a large number of proprietary intellectual property rights (IPR) is used to change the statistics multiplexing channel into a deterministic radio channel. Furthermore, the solution takes the lead in realizing SLA from measurement, analysis and intelligent guarantee, and then adding high-reliable dual-link redundancy measures such as FRER (Frame Replication and Elimination for Reliability). ZTE is the first vendor to provide the deterministic network solution oriented towards commercial use, and has become a key technology in the control of the steel industry. Secondly, in terms of ODICT(Operation/Data/Information/ Communication Technology) integration, ZTE provides the low-latency agile platform for the iron and steel industry through private network technologies such as edge cloud and UPF sinking. In this way, the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) can work in the cloud to access the IT and OT channels, and solve the problems from orders, plans and production. At the same time, the private network adopts multi-link, data transmission replication elimination, active/standby redundancy and dual-frequency redundancy, to provide reliable channel guarantee with reliability greater than 99.9999%.
With the empowerment of private network technologies such as cloud & network enhancement, TSN, and dual-link protection, 5G fully meets the requirements of key service scenarios in the iron and steel industry. ZTE has taken the lead in applying these key technologies in leading iron and steel enterprises in China. In centralized control scenarios such as remote PLC control on production lines, the deterministic delay of the 5G TSN network effectively ensures synchronous control instructions, and smooth process production control, and seamless connections between upstream and downstream, significantly improving work efficiency. In remote mobile control scenarios such as unmanned overhead & gantry crane, molten steel and molten iron transport, dual frequency and dual links are isolated from each other, so that any link fault does not affect the operation of the service system, making it possible for remote driving unmanned vehicles to implement safe production. In multi-service scenarios such as machine vision, the solution can introduce technologies such as sinking 5GC, edge cloud proximity computing, wireless coding and scheduling optimization to make the control latency less than 10ms and further extend the application scope of wireless control services.
In 2022, ZTE officially established the Metallurgical and Iron Industry Department, which works with USTB and other universities, iron and steel enterprises, and operators to build the 5G green metallurgical ecosystem. From system technology research to prototype laboratory verification, and then to the implementation of various innovative service applications, ZTE fully cooperates with its partners to empower intelligent production, lead the technological innovations and promote high-quality development in the iron and steel industry.
