A multi-layer network security system to enhance autonomous mobile carrier in smart manufacturing system

Nowadays, wireless communication technology is widely used and accepted by industry to improve the flexibility and efficiency of smart factories. The Wi-Fi 6 high-speed communication technology is integrated into the autonomous mobile carrier (AMC) in this research to make it possible for interacting with many other machines at the same time with high transmission speed, high reliability, and low packet loss ratio. The indoor positioning accuracy of autonomous mobile carrier is enhanced by Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, so that it can then move and complete multi-station automation processing tasks more smoothly. Finally, a multi-layer network system with security function to protect all the equipment in the manufacturing environment is proposed and developed in this research. The threats that may come with the use of wireless network technology can then be avoided. In this research, an overall system framework with multi-layer network security mechanism is developed and introduced into the autonomous mobile carrier, and the enhanced autonomous mobile carrier is applied into a manufacturing field for performance test. The results show that the enhanced autonomous mobile carrier can maintain positioning accuracy within ±100 mm, wireless network packet transmission latency rate less than 5 ms, and wireless network packet transmission loss rate less than 1%. It shows that this autonomous mobile carrier system benefits from UWB and Wi-fi 6 communication technology and has a very high potential for realizing smart manufacturing applications.