Process/Results:
Roadmap to Network Convergence
Polytron, Inc. was engaged to upgrade its 15-year old aging Industrial Network infrastructure to eliminate communication disruptions and production losses across the plant floor. New components were continually being “bolted” on the old network and it was close to collapsing. Further complicating the situation, the manufacturer had no in-house expertise to manage network-related issues.
Fact:
24/7 
2.5M 
2.5M The client’s plant runs 24 x 7 and produces over 2.5 million cartons of the beverage product per day.
The company asked Polytron, Inc., Cisco’s Digital System Integrator and Solution Provider, to evaluate and design a network architecture that focused on improving overall bandwidth utilization and efficiency across all manufacturing areas. The new network requirements were to configure and install a reliable, expandable and robust infrastructure, and to maximize the benefits of plant-to-business data collection and reporting systems.
It was going to take the installation and configuration of a high-performance Ethernet and fiber-optic network to meet and exceed the client’s networking standards requirements for the industrial network.
Following the Polytron “Roadmap to Network Solutions,” a network audit was conducted using diagnostics; a design plan was developed; and a schedule was created for implementation. The Digital System Integrator’s team reviewed the design plan with the manufacturer’s stakeholders for alignment.
Alignment with all stakeholder groups was crucial because the network project touched every area of the plant. Support was needed from: manufacturer’s IT support group; all department managers; plant engineering; and, control support technicians.
The project required minimal disruptions to plant operations. To accomplish this, the installation and network migration schedules had to be adjusted constantly to align with the plant’s schedule.
Coordinated Technology Partnerships
The network upgrade included updates to legacy controls hardware from Rockwell Automation and other companies in Polytron’s technology partnership network, which enhanced the beverage manufacturer’s technical resource support. The new plan comprised the following:
- Allen-Bradley® ControlLogix® communication cards —1756-EN2T. The ControlLogix Controllers would manage communication to other controllers and switches.
- Allen-Bradley Stratix switches—Stratix 2000TM unmanaged, Stratix 8000TM modular managed and Stratix 8300TM modular — would be used to direct and manage traffic between end points, controllers, etc.
- These technologies and most of the communications on the network would be managed by technology from Cisco, such as 2960 switches for Layer 2, and 3750 switches for Layer 3.
- These switches along with fiber optic and Ethernet copper solutions from Panduit would provide a more reliable and flexible solution.
Laying the Foundation
Step 1: The implementation began with the lowest risk area. The first step was to install and configure the network’s new fiber-optic infrastructure, connecting the new infrastructure to the existing infrastructure.
The installation focused on replacing the existing Ethernet copper cabling and existing fiber-optic cabling with a new cabling system that would support the updated network topology and designed bandwidth. Validation helped verify the existing network could effectively communicate with assets on the new network before proceeding.
To reduce migration risk because of old, dated medium, the project team installed all new Ethernet copper cabling and fiber-optic cabling in parallel to the existing network. This parallel installation allowed the project team to reduce installation risk, continue with day-to-day operations, and have a seamless migration cut-over. In a project such as this, the installation is about 60% of the total project cost.
Step 2: The next step involved moving all the plant’s industrial servers to the new infrastructure. The project team then tested and validated all communications with existing plant operations. This installation required the most resources from the facility’s IT support group.
Once validated and stable, it was time to migrate the other automation components and operational areas to the new network.
Step 3: The next several migration areas followed the operational flow of the plant. Strategically migrating each area from a low-risk area to a high-risk area, ending in a low-risk area allowed the team to focus on installation effort closing with documentation effort. Each area was validated in real-time against an agreed-upon checklist and required 100% accuracy before moving to the next area.
Step 4: After completing the migration of each of the operational areas, the team conducted a Network Health Assessment. This step involved connecting to the core switch and running a number of tests, checking for any issue areas and/or communication disruptions.
Hands-on training and operations handoff were conducted as each area was validated and running smoothly, before moving on to the next area. This process enabled a continuity of performance for operational efficiency with the network upgrade.
Successful rollout Creates Roadmap for Additional Industrial Network Upgrades
The updated network provided the desired performance results and delivered a secure, sustainable and scalable system — eliminating network-related production downtime issues.
The updated network also increased the plant’s networking support structure and ease of maintenance, with new technologies available for future projects.