This paper explores the integration of Smart Resource Flow (SRF) wireless platform with the EmKoI4.0 Orchestrator to enhance industrial network management in Industry 4.0 environments. We examine how the EmKoI Orchestrator, which utilizes Asset Administration Shell for dynamic reconfiguration of 5G Non-Public Networks, can function as an SRF Service Manager to optimize wireless resource allocation. The integration leverages the Central Coordination Point framework specified in IEC 62657-4 for industrial wireless coexistence management. Our approach establishes a multi-layered coordination mechanism where the SRF Field Manager handles localized resource allocation while the EmKoI4.0 Orchestrator provides high-level network adaptation based on application requirements, regulatory constraints, and environmental factors. The paper presents the theoretical framework for this integration and outlines an evaluation plan to assess performance improvements in practical industrial scenarios.

Integrating Industry 4.0 principles with 5G industrial networks and Asset Administration Shell (AAS) has established a new paradigm for more effective and intelligent management. This paper addresses the management of non-public 5G networks using AAS, focusing on optimizing communication configurations. We propose four AAS submodels regarding application requirements, network capabilities, legal constraints, and environmental conditions. A central entity, dubbed the orchestrator, analyzes the application's needs and adjusts the communication network as necessary. This approach enables dynamic and adaptive reconfigurations, improving operational efficiency and productivity. Details of the information models and workflow between the orchestrator and AAS are presented. Initial simulation results show how time slot configuration in a 5G network can be adapted to prioritize uplink transmissions according to application needs.

To date, very few studies have been conducted to analyse the effect of the harsh environments in process automation on the functioning of 5G standalone non-public networks. Mostly factory, laboratory, or outdoor environments have been analysed. Furthermore, the importance of 5G for mobile use cases is obvious but the behaviour of application relevant parameters in multi-cell networks has not been well documented. This paper presents a measurement campaign conducted at the TotalEnergies Raffinerie Mitteldeutschland GmbH, which analysed the effect of the movement of the user equipment and the measurement system within the test 5G campus network between multiple cells. Transmission time, update time, and message loss ratio are investigated during the measurements. The paper shows that interruptions in the communication, which are likely due to handovers, occur and consistently last between 500 and 600 ms for this particular campus network and its settings.

The integration of Industry 4.0 principles into manufacturing environments has propelled the development and deployment of Industrial Internet of Things solutions. Among these, the convergence of Industrial 5G networks with Asset Administration Shell presents a promising paradigm for efficient and intelligent industrial management. This paper explores the critical aspects of managing Industrial 5G networks over AAS, emphasizing the synergy between advanced communication technologies and comprehensive asset administration frameworks. In our use case, we focus on the dynamic reconfiguration of a 5G non-public network to adapt it to the changing application requirements, using Industry 4.0 methods.

Reliable and time-limited data transmission is crucial for security applications in industrial automation. PROFINET and PROFISafe are widely used communication protocols in industrial applications that require reliable and deterministic data transmission. Integrating wireless communication systems like 5G with these protocols offers advantages such as mobility and ease of installation. However, to ensure the proper functioning of these hybrid networks, performance testing is essential. This work presents the performance analysis of a 5G network where PROFINET and PROFISafe frames are transferred. The performance test of the 5G system was carried out from the perspective of the application, following an approach already established in previous works. The results of selected test cases are presented, highlighting the time-wise network performance and potential limitations, providing insights of special interest to end-users.

Wireless networks are gaining relevance to industrial applications. This entails the necessity of careful performance testing of their capabilities in order to build trust in a communication network prior to and during its deployment in an industrial application. In this paper, a sophisticated approach to performance testing of communication networks from an industrial application's perspective is presented. Following this approach, a performance analysis of a hybrid network of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and PROFINET (PN) is carried out. The deployed measurement tools in the testing system and the system under test (SUT) comprising BLE and PROFINET components are described in detail. The performance tests are conducted in a laboratory using a channel emulator to recreate realistic propagation conditions. The performance testing results reveal significant interdependencies of the three overall system's parts, the application, the PROFINET and BLE networks. A conclusion on how to reduce the mutual impact is drawn.

Resilience is the ability not to fail completely if a subsystem fails. This paper aims to introduce the concept of resilience in industrial 5G systems to avoid production downtime. Our approach is based on methods of the Industrie 4.0 concept in order to be able to create digital twins for 5G-networked automation systems. The digital twin will allow collaboration between automation and communication systems, adapting the behaviour of the process in case of unforeseen events.