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Date
2026-02
Abstract
Accelerated digitalisation of manufacturing is reshaping production systems through the convergence of IoT, AI, 5G, edge computing, and cyber physical integration. The adoption of these technologies is constrained by challenges of interoperability, security, data consistency, and integration of legacy equipment. This research addresses these issues through the development of a comprehensive smart manufacturing testbed, designed to replicate real industrial communication patterns, heterogeneous device interactions, and multi-protocol data flows in a controlled environment. The testbed combines physical manufacturing stations, industrial sensors, robotic systems, wireless and wired communication technologies, edge gateways, private 5G infrastructure, and virtual digital-twin environments to evaluate emerging Industry 4.0 technologies at scale.
The research provides a framework for digital twins to be realised and enable interoperability, support predictive analytics, and strengthen resilience through continuous synchronisation and virtual experimentation. Real-time heterogeneous data streams were generated and validated across multiple protocols, including LoRa, Bluetooth, and 5G enabling the analysis of system behaviour, fault detection, and data-driven optimisation.
Contributions include validating communication strategies, and assessing performance under realistic industrial conditions, ultimately offering a scalable framework for improving interoperability, resilience, and operational efficiency in modern manufacturing environments while advancing the transition toward connected, sustainable Industry 4.0 ecosystems.
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Description
Peer-reviewed
Publisher
University of Limerick
Citation
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Funding Information
Sustainable Development Goals
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License
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International