Remote Monitoring and Control of an EV Battery Disassembly Cell Using 5G
Business challenge
Product Innovation
Sector
Electrification
Technology or capability
Product Design
Process Design
As manufacturing moves towards more distributed and reconfigurable models, manufacturers need new ways to maintain control, safety and performance. This case study demonstrates how MTC implemented a 5G‑integrated architecture to enable secure, real‑time remote monitoring and control of a Factory‑in‑a‑Box EV battery disassembly cell, proving a scalable model for next‑generation distributed manufacturing.
Project Challenges
Manufacturing is increasingly adopting distributed, relocatable production models, exemplified by the Factory‑in‑a‑Box approach. In the context of EV battery disassembly, this shift introduces a critical requirement: engineers must be able to monitor and control remote cells safely, securely and with absolute confidence in the underlying digital infrastructure.
Conventional wireless networks are unable to meet these demands. They struggle to provide the sustained bandwidth, deterministic performance and low latency required to support real‑time control loops, synchronised data streams and reliable video. In safety‑critical environments, this lack of predictability undermines situational awareness and limits the ability to intervene at precisely the right moment.
MTC’s Solution
MTC implemented a 5G‑integrated architecture that securely connects the Factory‑in‑a‑Box EV battery disassembly cell to a remote control centre.
A private 5G network delivers reliable, low‑latency connectivity for both operational data and supervisory systems, with secure pathways between the shopfloor and enterprise layers. This enables engineers to supervise operations and intervene remotely with confidence.
The remote control centre brings together three core capabilities:
- Real‑time CCTV - Consolidated, low‑latency video streams from the disassembly cell provide continuous situational awareness. Enabled by 5G’s high uplink capacity, predictable latency and traffic prioritisation, multiple video feeds remain smooth and dependable even under load.
- IoT data dashboard - A single, integrated view of key operational and environmental metrics, including live updates, trends and alarms. 5G’s ability to support high device densities and frequent data publishing ensures deterministic delivery as additional assets and devices come online.
- Remote SCADA access - Secure supervisory access allows authorised personnel to execute commands and verify responses without being physically close to hazardous operations. Predictable latency, end‑to‑end quality of service and network isolation support assured remote intervention in safety‑critical scenarios.
By implementing remote monitoring and control of the CHARGE cell, underpinned by a private 5G network, the MTC is helping to demonstrate how 5G can deliver secure, real-time wireless connectivity for industrial applications. Together with MTC and BT, Ericsson has enabled wireless connectivity to the Charge Factory-in-a-Box using Ericsson Private 5G, which combines deterministic latency, robust uplink and downlink capacity, and built-in security. This demonstrates the real feasibility for MTC and its industrial partners to visualize production status, tune process parameters, and orchestrate operations remotely, thus removing humans from the process.
Philip Bonner - Ericsson
The Outcome
The demonstrator shows that a 5G‑integrated architecture can securely connect a distributed Factory‑in‑a‑Box EV battery disassembly cell to a central control environment, enabling assured remote operation.
From a single location, engineers now have access to consolidated real‑time CCTV, a live IoT data dashboard with time‑aligned operational and environmental metrics, and remote SCADA access for authorised interventions. Together, these capabilities deliver the latency confidence, situational awareness and governance required to make informed decisions at exactly the right moment.
The project proves a repeatable and scalable blueprint for deploying and managing distributed manufacturing cells across multiple sites.
Benefits to the Client
- Trusted wireless connectivity - A private, secure 5G network provides dependable wireless communication between indoor and outdoor industrial assets.
- Greater operator assurance and safety - Continuous visual oversight through low‑latency CCTV, combined with live alarms, supports safer remote interventions and reduces exposure to on‑site hazards.
- Faster decisions, fewer delays - A single dashboard view of key metrics and trends shortens the path from detection to action, improving responsiveness to process deviations and equipment events.
- Deterministic remote control - Predictable SCADA command and acknowledgement timing enables confident supervisory control without the need to be near hazardous operations.
