Metals specialist SMS Group has built a private 5G campus network in Siegerland, Germany.

The company has paired with Mugler and Ericsson to deploy the private 5G infrastructure at its Hilchenbach location in the west of the country.

It builds on an agreement signed by systems integrator Mugler with Ericsson last year.

Mugler selected Ericsson to provide the company with tailored 5G private network solutions throughout Germany.

According to SMS Group, the deployment of a 5G Standalone private network will enable the company to develop new materials, while reducing its energy consumption and emissions.

The site went live four weeks after the project was launched, confirmed SMS Group.

It's being used as a test environment for the implementation of various 5G use cases, such as automated guided vehicles (AGV), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and lone worker applications.

“This partnership gives us the opportunity to take huge strides in digitalizing the industry and developing new solutions by utilizing SMS group’s footprint in the steel industry and the 5G technology from Ericsson,” said Stefan Richter, Head of Local Networks - Campus Networks at Mugler SE.

“Thanks to the 5G connectivity, it enables the transmission and processing of data to gain insights into the process that were jointly developed and tested at SMS group in Hilchenbach," added Jens Petri, Head of Technologies and Partnerships at SMS digital.

"SMS group is closing the gap between physics, sensor technology, OT, and IT."