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Wireless AP Total Solution

Industry

Food manufacturing

Service

WiFi survey & design, LV cabling, AP installation

Project

21 projects over 4 states, 326 APs installed

Impact

~$1M in revenue

A major player in the food and beverage industry was experiencing operational inefficiencies due to an outdated, unreliable wireless network. The existing system's limitations meant that many essential processes, including the warehouse dispatching system, were managed manually. This involved time-consuming searches for specific pallets, leading to costly delays and bottlenecks in loading and dispatch.

To address these challenges, MultiTek was brought in to survey, analyze, architect, and implement a new wireless system across four key facilities in New Jersey, Arizona, California, and North Carolina.

Non-interruptible Factory Ops

As factory operations could not be halted easily, the onsite wireless surveys needed to be conducted & coordinated around the downtimes of production lines.

Optimized logistics

Installation of the APs often required warehouse goods to be moved temporarily and special barriers to be put in place to avoid debris contaminating production goods.

Building constraints

For the old buildings, certain LV cable routes required drilling through 2-3 feet of concrete. Expertise in optimizing AP placements was key in minimizing intrusive construction.

Approach

Our certified Ekahau engineers conducted comprehensive onsite active surveys, covering 22 buildings across four states. This data was meticulously analyzed to develop a set of findings and tailored recommendations for the client.

Using our extensive expertise, we designed optimized access point (AP) placements to ensure maximum coverage with an efficient number of APs. Factoring in traffic patterns and building obstacles, we mapped ideal AP locations to achieve comprehensive, reliable connectivity.

Our design also included a detailed physical architecture, specifying optimal IDF locations relative to both the MDF and APs, as well as cable pathways from switches to APs for seamless network integration. Given the age of the buildings, we collaborated with a structural engineer to assess specific cable routes, safeguarding against any potential structural impact from the new installations.

Following the approved design, our skilled technicians installed and configured each AP, running the necessary low-voltage cabling infrastructure.

Lastly, we conducted a final verification survey and made precise adjustments to confirm that the network provided robust, high-quality connectivity throughout all warehouse facilities.

Outcome

Over four years, MultiTek successfully completed 21 projects for this client, setting up 64 IDFs and installing 326 APs across 16 buildings at 4 key sites.

The new wireless network transformed the product search and selection process: forklift drivers now use barcode scanning over the wireless network to quickly locate pallets and update inventory in real time, streamlining operations and reducing delays.

The customer was exceptionally pleased with the enhanced wireless infrastructure at each location and has chosen MultiTek as their ongoing partner for future wireless network upgrades.