Paxton Net2 Access Control Upgrade for a Manufacturing Site

Client requirement

A manufacturing business needed to move from standalone access-control units to a centrally managed system across several buildings. The existing arrangement did not provide the networked access management the site required. The brief was to bring door control and access records together while accommodating the facility's existing IT and fire alarm systems.

Operational challenge

The work took place in an operational manufacturing and research environment. Upgrading more than one building required careful coordination of access, cabling and network connections, with the programme broken into phases across 17+ doors. The team needed to plan around the client's ongoing activities rather than treat the installation as work in an empty building.

Working environment: An occupied, multi-building manufacturing facility with ongoing operational and research activities.

The SPS Technical solution

The SPS technical systems team implemented a networked Paxton Net2 solution. The scope brought together door controllers, proximity readers, locking hardware, authorised exit devices and the supporting cabling and power infrastructure. Working with the client's IT team, the engineers coordinated network requirements so that access management could be handled centrally. Fire alarm interfaces were included in the project scope, without treating the access-control upgrade as a replacement for the site's wider fire-safety arrangements.

Key outcome: Centralised access logging and control replaced a fragmented standalone arrangement across a multi-building facility.

Systems and technology installed

• Access Control

Products and manufacturers: Paxton Net2 Plus controllers, Paxton proximity readers and Net2 PaxLock Pro units, with CDVI locking hardware and associated cabling, power supplies and exit devices.

Delivery approach

A phased programme combined physical door works with cabling and network coordination. This kept the access-control changes aligned with the way the facility continued to operate.

Phasing: Door upgrades and cabling work were carried out in phases, with access times coordinated around the client's operations.

Stakeholder coordination: The project team worked with the client's IT and network staff on connectivity and controller setup. Access permissions and fob allocation were planned ahead of handover.

Disruption avoided: Access times and work areas were coordinated around operational activities.

Integration and compliance

Integrations: The access-control work was coordinated with the client's existing IT and fire alarm networks. The published summary intentionally omits network architecture, access permissions and the positions of security equipment.

Testing, training and handover

Training and handover: Pre-commissioning planning covered fob allocation and access permissions, helping the client prepare for administration of the networked system.

Outcomes and client benefits

Client benefit: The client gained a networked approach to access management, with centralised logging and control instead of relying on separate standalone units.

• A phased access-control upgrade across 17+ doors.
• Centralised access logging and control across multiple buildings.
• Integration with the existing IT and fire alarm networks within the agreed project scope.
• Delivery within the agreed schedule and cost parameters, as recorded in the project summary.

Lessons learned

• Bring the client's IT team into the planning process early, alongside the door-hardware requirements.
• Plan credentials and access permissions before handover, rather than leaving administration until the installation is complete.