Video: Geely’s 5G Connected Factory rolls out 1 car in 2 minutes and 30 cars in an hour
Jerrica · Dec 8, 2021 05:19 PM
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Geely Auto is happily embracing, not just 5G, but 5G+ at their new factory located in Zhejiang, China. Production at the new 5G Connected Factory is in full swing with the help of many automated robots.
The 5G Connected Factory is currently only in charge of assembling the fourth-generation Geely Emgrand, the company’s best-selling car based on the BMA platform.
Geely claims that more production lines will be added in the future but for now, the demand for the Emgrand is enough to keep the factory busy.
The factory is fully automated thanks to various devices and cloud services to monitor inventory levels and production status. Online data entries are updated with live information and if inventory is running low, the factories’ many robots will kick into action and deliver the relevant parts.
These robots are known as Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV), they are small vehicles that move around the factory while playing soothing Kenny G tunes to alert humans of their presence.
The AGVs will carry out activities from replenishing front section panels in the soldering shop to moving delivery carts full of parts to someone on the final production line. These robots can deliver up to 7,000 parts to various stations in a day.
This is why a superfast 5G+ network is needed to keep everything in the factory running like clockwork. With everything working seamlessly, the plant is capable of producing 30 cars per hour, which is one car every two minutes. Perfect to keep up with the Emgrand’s demand.
Of course, the factory is not just all about pace and automation, Geely also placed a huge emphasis on quality.
To build the Emgrand, the factory uses 14 moulds to shape the exterior body. These moulds are provided by the same suppliers who supply moulds to luxury cars like Rolls Royce and Porsche, brands that are known for their product quality.
Geely ensures that this level of engineering means there is an error threshold of less than half a millimetre. That’s less than the thickness of a strand of hair.
Like all car plants, the factory also has its own assault course that each car that rolled off the production line will have to go through. The 2.4 km course includes 80 separate tests that check the performance, handling, mechanics, and electronics.
There is also what Geely calls a 3-pronged rain seal test to see how the cars stand up against different levels of water. The machine can simulate typhoon level rainstorms to make sure not a drop of water gets into the car.
China has already announced its intention to develop 6G internet connectivity, Geely is quick to mention that the factory is ready to migrate to 6G anytime.
There isn’t a time in memory that doesn’t involve staring at cars. After discovering the excitement of watching Schumacher vs Hakkinen, Formula 1 became a major part of life. The love for cars and F1 ultimately led to a job with CAR Magazine. The untimely death of the magazine meant a hiatus from cars at lifestyle women’s magazine Marie Claire before another opportunity came knocking again.
