cablex installed the mobile indoor radio coverage with two system technologies to control the fully automated high-bay warehouse with 36,000 pallet spaces. A huge facility under construction in Oensingen. Realisation is due to be completed in three years, and the definitive commissioning is scheduled for the 2nd quarter of 2023.
Indoor radio coverage for a frozen food centre!
Planning and realisation of the indoor antennas.
cablex supported the new building project of Bell Schweiz AG, from initial project preparation, to implementation and the project follow-up activities. The engineering division of cablex was involved in the planning phase of the major project at a very early stage. As soon as the plans for the five-storey frozen food centre were available, the planning phase for the necessary data network began.
Mobile indoor radio coverage is required to ensure the high frequencies are available in the building. The heavily insulated outer shell of the warehouse also represented a major challenge. The temperatures in the frozen food centre are minus 26° C, and automated systems handle storage and retrieval to enable the fast movement of a large number of items.
A simulation tool was also used for this inhouse project to plan the mobile radio coverage in detail. The drawing highlights, for example, the installation points of the Micro Radio 2230 system.
Two system technologies - why?
The areas in the frozen food centre will be regulated with different temperatures later on. The Micro Radio 2230 was used for the high-bay warehouse (photo 1). The advantage of the Micro Radio 2230 is that it can also be used outdoors. This is relevant because the functionality can be maintained at temperatures ranging from minus 40 to plus 55° C. The high-bay warehouse is cooled down to minus 26° C during operation. The installation required a 230 V AC power supply and an optical fibre connection with two fibres to the master unit.
In the offices, technical rooms, stairwells, basements and zones where temperatures do not drop below five degrees, we installed Radio Dot devices (photo 2). They blend inconspicuously into any interior design style and provide the premises with a fast 4G mobile connection (5G prepared).
A total of 25 Radio Dots and 16 Micro Radio 2230 devices were installed in the frozen food centre by the cablex technicians. These antennas require at least Cat. 6a Ethernet cables connected to the indoor radio unit (IRU). The cablex East and Central Wireless Team worked diligently and with a lot of heart and soul on this project to ensure the given schedule was complied with.
The challenge here was to complete our installation work perfectly in line with the tight schedule, before the conveyor belts and machines were delivered. The construction progress was checked continuously and our technicians were planned in with a great deal of flexibility and at short notice. Carrying out a project like this as site manager makes me proud and I really enjoy being on the road for cablex.
Esat Haziri, construction specialist at cablex, who was the responsible site manager for the project.
The antenna installation work by cablex at the Bell Frozen Food Centre was successfully completed and handed over to Bell Schweiz AG. Now the installation of 36,000 pallet bays will take place, as well as the completion of the other premises, so that the opening of the warehouse can take place on time.
Mr Andreas Ramseier, ICT architect at BELL Food Group AG, supervised the project with all those involved from cablex and was very satisfied with the cooperation:
I am very pleased that the project went so well. All of the units from cablex and Bell that were involved worked together very well. Both in the planning phase and during implementation and final documentation. We're already planning the next projects with cablex, which I'm looking forward to.
Andreas Ramseier, ICT architect at BELL Food Group AG.
