Philip Morris Manufacturing & Technology Bologna and INWIT (Italian Wireless Infrastructures) together for the development of Industry 4.0. The deal is based on the making of a indoor roofing system with DAS technology (Distributed Antenna System) at the new plant in Valsamoggia, in the province of Bologna. The system will allow optimal use of all wireless connected devices and the development of IOT services.
The new plant extends for approx 110 thousand square meters and is the first in the world for large-scale production for innovative products based on electronic heating and, therefore, without combustion.
For an investment of over 1 billion euros, and with the intake of approx 1.200 Guests (since 2014), the plant represents the largest Italian factory built from scratch in the last two decades.
In detail, the roofing system created by INWIT at the Valsamoggia plant involves the installation of micro antennas made by JMA Wireless, connected and powered via optical fiber, which allow for optimal use of the services of the various telephone operators, improving device connectivity and the use of mobile services.
The DAS system will not only allow an improvement of current technologies up to 4G, but also the acceptance of the main technological evolutions in the roll out phase throughout the country. At the same time, the micro-shelter infrastructure will give a strong impetus to the implementation of industry 4.0 which will be essential for Italy's economic recovery.
Furthermore, the plant satisfies the international demand of more than 38 countries, positioning itself as a "lead site" among the 38 Philip Morris International plants present in the world. In fact, Philip Morris Manufacturing & Technology Bologna represents the center where the industrial processes for the creation of high-tech products are defined. Instead, the know-how is subsequently transferred to the other subsidiaries of the group.
“Our goal of building a smoke-free future by replacing cigarettes with innovative combustion-free products sees digitization as one of its fundamental pillars,” he commented. Oleksiy Lomeyko, Director Operations of Philip Morris Manufacturing & Technology Bologna.
"The digital transformation - concluded Lomeyko - involves our entire business, from the product to the processes, and finds in our production plant in the Bologna area one of the maximum expressions of Industry 4.0 at a global level".
Content written in collaboration with Philip Morris Italia
