KT Builds 5G Smart Factory and Cobots at Parkwon Factory
Improving the quality of work for workers engaged in simple, repetitive, high-intensity labor


KT announced on the 30th that it supplied 5G smart factory cobots to Bakwon, a company that manufactures ultra-precision steel balls used in automotive parts.

KT established a dedicated enterprise 5G network and smart factory cobots at its approximately 23,000㎡ Bakwon factory in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, and enabled real-time monitoring of data generated during work processes on the cloud-based 'Factory Makers' platform.

An ultra-high-speed, ultra-low-latency 5G network is required for cobots to move sensitively alongside workers and to monitor large volumes of production data. Given the critical nature of corporate quality control and confidentiality, a highly secure enterprise-dedicated 5G network that is unaffected by commercial network traffic is also necessary.

The newly introduced cobots reduce worker fatigue by performing complex tasks alongside employees, and shorten work lead times and increase productivity by lowering errors and defects. They also enhance management efficiency by enabling accurate product weight measurement and allowing for immediate action in the event of anomalies.

In addition, the Factory Makers platform automatically collects and manages production information that was previously tallied manually by workers. Real-time production monitoring, which was impossible with manual methods, is possible through dedicated apps and the web, and processes can be scheduled professionally and efficiently, such as by improving defect rates through data analysis.

Parkwon stated that as a result of introducing KT's 5G Smart Factory to its packaging process, production increased from 225 boxes per hour under the existing method to 313 boxes per hour after the introduction. They also stated that productivity improved as the time required per box decreased from 16 seconds to 11.5 seconds.

Moon Sung-wook, Head of KT’s Corporate New Business Division, said, “Starting with Parkwon, we expect KT’s smart factory cobots to solve the problems of domestic small and medium-sized manufacturers facing labor shortages in the field,” adding, “KT will continue to expand its smart factory product lineup to provide differentiated manufacturing solutions.”