IT Integration and Deployment for Jiangyin Nuclear Power Components Factory

Introduction

Located in Jiangyin, China, Jiangyin Boshuo New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. is a specialized manufacturer that supplies critical components to the nuclear power industry. Operating in a sector where the standards for quality, safety, and security are exceptionally high, the company recently undertook a major initiative to overhaul a 2,000-square-meter legacy factory building on its campus. The vision was to transform the aging structure into a modern, intelligent, and highly secure facility, underpinned by a robust IT infrastructure built to support the company’s growth for the next decade.

Business Requirements

The project's success depended on addressing several core IT challenges from the ground up to create a truly modern manufacturing environment.

Comprehensive Network Renewal: The facility required a high-speed, stable, and low-latency network infrastructure capable of guaranteeing the uninterrupted operation of core business systems, including ERP, MES, and industrial control systems. The network also needed to be future-proof, with the capacity to support next-generation digital and automated technologies like AGVs and robotics.

Advanced Security & Data Sovereignty: Given the company's work in the nuclear sector, a top-tier security system was non-negotiable. The goal was to achieve 24/7 surveillance coverage with no blind spots across the entire facility. This had to be paired with a large-capacity, locally-managed storage solution to ensure all sensitive security data remained secure and under the company's direct control.

Tiered Access Control and Scalability: The factory is divided into multiple functional zones—including production areas, a server room, employee offices, and a visitor reception area—each with different security requirements. The company needed an intelligent access control system to manage permissions on a granular level, including multi-factor authentication for high-sensitivity areas. The entire IT solution also had to be inherently scalable to support planned campus expansions efficiently and cost-effectively.

Why UniFi?

Managing the network, security, access, and surveillance for a 2,000 m² industrial facility is an immensely complex task that typically involves significant long-term costs. The UniFi ecosystem was chosen because it consolidates all these functions into a single, unified operating platform. This integrated approach allows the IT team to view and manage the entire infrastructure—from network switches and APs to security cameras and door access—through a single pane of glass. The fact that UniFi requires only a one-time hardware purchase with no recurring software or licensing fees was a decisive factor, drastically reducing the long-term total cost of ownership for the company.

Deployment Highlights

A Resilient, High-Performance UniFi Network

The project team faced significant hurdles in deploying a wireless network within the old factory building. The existing wiring was chaotic and severely aged, and the structure lacked basic cable trays. Furthermore, the complex layout of office and production areas, with dense walls and support columns, created a challenging environment for RF propagation, risking signal blind spots. The versatility of UniFi APs, which support multiple installation methods, allowed them to overcome these physical constraints. The deployment included 12 enterprise-grade E7 indoor APs and 6 U7 Outdoor APs to provide complete coverage. The high-density E7 APs feature PRISM™ active RF filtering technology, which reduces co-channel interference by over 1,000 times, ensuring exceptional signal stability in a crowded RF environment. With each AP covering up to 185 square meters and capable of supporting thousands of connected devices, the solution delivered reliable, high-performance WiFi to every corner of the facility, from the front office to the warehouse floor.

Intelligent, Proactive Security with UniFi Protect

To meet the high-security demands of the nuclear industry, the company leveraged UniFi Protect's advanced AI capabilities. A total of 39 UniFi cameras, including Bullet, Dome, and PTZ models, were strategically installed to cover production lines, entrances, and other sensitive areas.

Within the UniFi Protect application, administrators defined custom security zones. The system automatically sends alerts to management personnel whenever a person or vehicle enters a restricted area. This intelligence extends to audio detection; the system can recognize specific acoustic events, like the sound of a smoke alarm or breaking glass, and trigger an immediate alarm. This AI-driven system, combined with PTZ cameras that can be configured to automatically track suspicious activity, has transformed the facility's security from reactive to proactive, enabling what the company calls "early perception and rapid response.".

Data Sovereignty Through Local Storage

For an industrial project of this nature, maintaining full control over sensitive data is paramount. The UniFi solution addressed this by pairing the camera system with a local UniFi NVR (Network Video Recorder). All surveillance footage is stored on-site, and the video streams are encrypted during transmission. This architecture eliminates the security risks associated with internet disruptions or potential data breaches from third-party cloud platforms, fully satisfying the industrial requirement for autonomous data control.

Streamlined Integration and System Synergy

The UniFi platform’s support for Webhooks and an Open API proved instrumental in creating a cohesive, interconnected operational environment. The surveillance system was integrated with other business systems to improve efficiency and traceability. For example, shipping and logistics workflows are now linked to corresponding surveillance footage, allowing for easy review and verification later. In parallel, security alerts from UniFi Protect can be automatically pushed to the property management system, ensuring faster, more coordinated incident response across departments.

Looking Ahead

The successful modernization of the first factory has set the stage for future growth. The company has two key expansion plans: Enhanced Outdoor Coverage: Additional outdoor APs will be installed to strengthen wireless coverage across the facility's exterior areas.

Multi-Site Expansion: The company plans to renovate an adjacent factory building and will replicate the existing UniFi deployment. By leveraging UniFi’s wireless bridge technology, the new and old facilities will be seamlessly interconnected into a single, unified network. This will allow both sites to be managed from the existing server, dramatically shortening the deployment cycle and reducing capital expenditure for the new facility.

Key Metrics

IT Cost Savings: Overall IT costs were over 20% lower than projected.

Network Availability: ≥ 99.9% uptime across the entire campus network.

Critical System Stability: Zero downtime or disconnections for essential ERP, MES, and POS systems since launch.

Incident Response: AI-powered security detection and automated alerts significantly shortened the response time to abnormal events.

Data Security: All critical video surveillance data is stored locally on an NVR, ensuring complete data sovereignty.