When a specialty chemical manufacturing company needed to obtain more reliable, robust, and secure connectivity throughout one of its facilities, they initially consulted with two of the three major wireless carriers. However, both carriers determined it was not cost effective to add more equipment to the existing towers needed to boost the cellular coverage throughout the plant.
MSB Consulting Engineers (MSB) was already engaged with the company for Electrical, Instrumentation & Control consulting services. The company went back to MSB, this time seeking consulting services on available technology options from their Connectivity Solutions division.
Elusive Cellular Coverage
Manufacturing plants, refineries, warehouse and distribution facilities, shipping ports, and other large industrial facilities do not have ubiquitous cellular coverage like more populated areas do, resulting in poor coverage and unreliable service. However, Wi-Fi networks present their own challenges in environments like these, where signals can be disrupted by the significant amount of large metal structures and pipe racks, which create signal interference issues. This can become problematic with a mobile workforce that relies on continuous connectivity and robust security requirements.
For this particular company, the existing wireless coverage was insufficient to meet operational needs across various units within the facility. The infrastructure itself posed the most significant obstacle to resolving these network coverage issues.
One viable solution MSB had experience with, and recommended to the company, was to implement a Private LTE (PLTE) network. What is Private LTE? Simply put, it is a wireless technology that offers a dedicated (private) network for a specific group of users. Before proceeding with this solution, the MSB team needed to determine whether the facility was suitable for PLTE implementation.
FEED, Plan, Prepare
MSB initiated the process by conducting a comprehensive Front-End Engineering and Design Study (FEED). The study played a vital role in assessing whether PLTE was indeed the most suitable solution for the facility – evaluating its capabilities against the specific operational requirements and challenges at that location.
The study also laid a solid foundation for MSB to develop a customized PLTE network and accurately plan its implementation strategy. In addition, MSB developed a Total Installed Cost (TIC) estimate to assist the client’s cost-benefit analysis. This step was crucial as it ensured financial preparedness and facilitated strategic planning moving forward.
Private LTE Exceeds Expectations
This ambitious project culminated in a Private LTE network that has empowered the company to tailor the facility’s communication infrastructure, specifically for their mobile workforce, to improve operational efficiency. By closely analyzing the unique requirements of the facility, MSB was able to customize the network architecture, ensuring that it not only met, but exceeded, expectations for performance.
Also, by establishing a clear financial framework, MSB and the client could allocate resources more effectively during the implementation phase, and anticipate potential costs associated with both deployment and ongoing maintenance of the PLTE system.
Services
- FEED Package
- Conceptual Design
- Cost Estimate
- Detailed Design Package
- Construction Support with Technical Direction
- Site Testing and Coverage Analysis
- Optimization
- Project Closeout
