ComIn I5100 Flexible Manufacturing Solution

Every Production Line Adjustment Means Rewiring – An Old Problem Gets a New Solution

In automotive manufacturing workshops, a production line finishes one vehicle model and needs to switch to another the following week. Workers remove the clips holding fixed network cables and lay new ones. Electricians reconnect PLCs and sensors. This process takes two to three days at best, often up to a week.

A workshop manager put it bluntly: "Every time we change models, the equipment debugging time is minimal. It's all about the 'cables'."

Traditional production lines rely on wired networks to connect industrial equipment. When equipment moves or production lines are reconfigured, cables must be re-laid. AGVs navigating through the workshop often experience dropped connections during signal handovers. Adding a new camera means routing a network cable around three workstations.

As manufacturing shifts from "high-volume standard products" to "multi-variety, small-batch" production, production lines need to adapt quickly. The physical limitations of wired networks are becoming an invisible bottleneck to manufacturing flexibility.

5G LAN: Enabling "Plug-and-Play" Industrial Device Networking

The 5G LAN technology introduced in the 3GPP Release 16 standard is changing this dynamic. It allows devices in different locations to communicate directly over the 5G network as if they were connected to the same Layer 2 switch, without routing traffic through the core network.

Here's a simple analogy: traditional 5G communication is like making a phone call – two devices need to go through a central switchboard. 5G LAN, however, puts devices into the same "group chat" – any member can send a message directly to any other member, without a central operator.

What this means for industrial sites:

• PLCs can communicate directly with each other without a central server, with end-to-end latency stable at 10-16ms

• Supports industrial Ethernet protocols like PROFINET and EtherCAT – devices are plug-and-play, with no need to reconfigure IP addresses and routing

• Devices across workshops or sites can form a unified Layer 2 network, making dispersed production lines work as if they were in the same server room

One automotive parts supplier found that when switching production lines, newly deployed robots and automation equipment connected directly to the existing system via 5G LAN. No new cabling or switch configuration was needed, reducing line changeover time from three days to eight hours.

ComIn I5100: Bringing 5G LAN Capabilities to the Factory Floor

The MovingComm ComIn I5100 industrial 5G router is designed for exactly this scenario. It integrates 5G LAN technology with industrial-grade hardware, enabling wireless transformation of flexible production lines in real workshops.

5G Dual-Mode Full-Netcom for Different Network Environments

The device supports both 5G SA and NSA modes, covering all major domestic 5G frequency bands while also supporting 4G/3G fallback. In 5G SA mode, downlink peak rates reach 2.4 Gbps – more than enough bandwidth for PLC control commands and multi-channel HD video backhaul.

Dual SIMs and Link Self-Healing to Prevent Production Interruptions

Equipped with dual Nano SIM slots, the device supports automatic switching between primary and backup carriers. If the primary network fails, it switches to the secondary automatically. Built-in link monitoring and anti-disconnection mechanisms ensure that AGV dispatch commands and PLC control data continue to flow even during network fluctuations.

Wi-Fi 6 High-Density Access for Endpoint Coverage

Beyond industrial control equipment, workshops are filled with handheld terminals, barcode scanners, sensors, and cameras. The ComIn I5100 supports concurrent dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi 6, with total wireless throughput of 3000 Mbps. In environments with complex electromagnetic interference, Wi-Fi 6's interference resistance and multi-user concurrency ensure stable connections for scanners and handheld terminals.

Interface Compatibility for Mixed Equipment

The device includes one Gigabit WAN port, four Gigabit LAN ports, and one RS485/RS232 serial port (via terminal block). New PLCs and cameras connect via Ethernet; older instruments and meters connect via serial; mobile terminals connect via Wi-Fi. One device covers all workshop connectivity needs.

Industrial-Grade Design for Workshop Conditions

Workshops aren't air-conditioned. Summer cabinet temperatures often exceed 50°C, and winter can drop below freezing. The device uses industrial-grade components, with operating temperature from -30°C to +60°C and storage temperature from -40°C to +85°C. Power input supports 9-36V wide voltage range, remaining stable even during factory voltage fluctuations. Dual watchdog design automatically resets the system if an error occurs.

From Wired Constraints to Wireless Flexibility: Real-World Changes

Scenario 1: AGV Coordinated Dispatching

An electronics factory warehouse deployed 10 AGVs connected via ComIn I5100 to a 5G LAN network. Dispatch commands are sent simultaneously to all AGVs, with real-time location and battery data transmitted back. Path planning response time dropped from 1.2 seconds to 0.3 seconds, improving material handling efficiency by 50%.

Scenario 2: Rapid Production Line Reconfiguration

An automotive parts supplier received an urgent order and needed to convert a conventional production line for EV motor components. New equipment connected via ComIn I5100 to the 5G LAN, and older stamping equipment was synchronized via RS485 serial connection. Remote configuration via the cloud platform meant line changeover took just eight hours instead of three days.

Back to Selection Logic

Choosing an industrial 5G router isn't about finding the highest specs – it's about finding the right match for the use case. The ComIn I5100 is focused on scenarios where production lines are frequently adjusted, equipment needs to move, and workshop reliability is critical. It solves the endless "cable, decable, recable" cycle.

With the trend toward flexible manufacturing and smaller batch sizes, production line changes will become more frequent. If every change means rewiring, the potential efficiency gains are limited by physical connections. Going wireless is not the end goal – making production lines truly "reconfigurable on demand" is what matters.