Locweld Transforms Network Infrastructure with Extreme Networks

Locweld is the largest lattice tower manufacturer in North America, tasked with custom-crafting large electrical towers that support critical infrastructure. With a 225,000 square-foot facility operating state-of-the-art machinery for crafting towers to specific measurements, Locweld is the kind of place where connectivity problems simply cannot happen.

And yet, they do. This was the major concern Locweld was facing, with poor connectivity creating potential roadblocks across the large, dense facility. These operational and IT challenges were what led IT and Automation Director Eric Girard to look for a new, modern networking infrastructure that would support mission-critical operations.

“We needed something that was reliable, and our goal was to eliminate having just a single point of failure,” Girard said of the impetus for the project. “Something that would ensure uninterrupted service from a network perspective.”

And with those mission-critical operations relying on connected CNC machines and centralized ERP systems to produce 25,000 tons of fabricated steel annually, network reliability was going to be essential. Alongside Extreme Networks and partner LRC Tek, Girard and his team got to work galvanizing Locweld against its previous hurdles and achieving seamless connectivity.

When Eric Girard joined Locweld in 2003, the company’s IT infrastructure consisted of Unix systems, paper tape, and floppy disks. But as the years went by, Girard and his team ran into challenges with the dense environment and the ways it impacted production.

“For us, network downtime means taking a big financial hit,” Girard said of this production environment. “We manufacture to order. So that means our network stability and connectivity helps us optimize the material, have the least amount of scrap possible.”

Not only was downtime expensive, but solutions proved difficult to find and attain.

“We wanted predictable costs, the ability to adjust the number of access points, and a really clear upgrade path,” said Girard. “These all made it difficult to attain the solutions we truly needed.”

After starting a lean initiative in 2017, Girard and his team wanted real-time access to production data and the ability to update data anywhere on the shop floor. That’s when they started examining deploying an overhauled Wi-Fi network.

“Steel and Wi-Fi don’t go very well together,” Girard laughs. The facility’s heavy steel structures created major RF interference that limited connectivity, communication, and functionality on the production floor. This was especially frustrating to employees who were running into issues operating CNC machines and ERP systems, all reliant on a stable Wi-Fi connection.

Key challenges the Locweld team faced included:

• RF Interference: A steel-heavy environment meant lost connections and slow communications that put a snag in production efficiency.
• Limited bandwidth and aging infrastructure: Initial systems couldn’t support growing data demands.
• A single point of failure: Network outages halted production, causing financial losses.
• Wi-Fi that was anything but reliable: Earlier Wi-Fi deployments had failed to provide adequate coverage, especially in the dense, steel-heavy environment. This was a major disruptor for operations.
• Inventory Management Issues: Poor connectivity caused duplicate entries during physical inventory counts, requiring rework and delaying operations.

Locweld chose Extreme for more than just dependable switching and access points (44 of them) to enable real-time data access across the facility. They also saw the value in ExtremeCloud™ IQ, giving the team centralized control and automation that would support their lean manufacturing setting.

With the full deployment of pre-configured equipment, Locweld’s network was transformed into a strategic asset within a six-week period — with zero downtime and no impact on production.

Key initiatives included:

• A complete network overhaul: Copper was replaced with fiber, while stackable switches were deployed to eliminate single points of failure.
• Site-wide Wi-Fi expansion: The team installed 44 access points (AP-460) across the facility, supported by 3.4 kilometers of cabling.
• Lean Manufacturing Support: ExtremeCloud™ IQ enabled ease of management and centralized control, while connection to mobile tools and dashboards empowered shop-floor decision-making.
• Pre-Configured Equipment: An accelerated deployment with zero downtime was no problem, completed over a six-week period thanks to pre-configured and ready-to-go equipment.
• A Predictable Subscription Model: Locweld found the flexibility it needed working with LRCTek to engage Extreme’s subscription model pricing, allowing financial and operational flexibility and a clear path to a Wi-Fi 7 future upgrade.

The transformation delivered immediate and measurable improvements.

“We don’t have to account anymore for lost connections or deal with buffering or queuing a request if the network goes down,” said Girard. “The shop floor now sees our Wi-Fi as being reliable, which allows our employees to be mobile and responsive in ways that positively impact production and operations.” Today, reliable connectivity eliminates dead zones across the vast facility. Stable connections sustain CNC machines and ERP systems to accelerate productivity and maintain the facility’s output.

The result? Greater operational efficiency, with real-time access to production data, improved responsiveness, and reduced downtime. Now, Locweld can move forward on orders with:

• Solving for a Challenging Environment: Extreme’s Wi-Fi 6 APs were the answer to the challenging RF environment and allowed Extreme and LRC Tek to deliver a reliable network despite difficult conditions.
• Always Accurate inventory: Girard and team have eliminated duplicated entries and created smoother inventory processes.
• Wi-Fi that Staff Can Trust: Previous frustrations with unstable Wi-Fi that impacted mobile tools, CNC machines, and ERP systems is no more, with employees now able to manage production on the fly with confidence that the Wi-Fi will sustain their efforts and help them meet their objectives.
• An eye on strategic growth: The network now supports future initiatives, including IoT integration and mobile device expansion.
• Cost-effective scaling: Through Extreme’s leasing model, Locweld gained access to enterprise-grade hardware that truly meets the needs of their facility and team —no more settling for solutions that weren’t up to par for this specialized manufacturing environment.

Now, Locweld teams have a clear path free of the RF challenges that previously plagued this steel-heavy environment and impacted efficiency. Beyond that, the path to the future seems to be primed for IoT expansion, smart manufacturing, and future automation initiatives that will help Girard’s team stay competitive in their market.

For Girard and his team, Locweld’s partnership with LRC Tek and Extreme Networks has redefined both operational capabilities and day-to-day production activities.

“It’s like night and day in terms of not having any dead spots,” said Girard of the results from their Extreme deployment. “And it’s a reliable system that is fully cloud-managed, so we can see what’s really happening across the facility, across the network.”

What began as a solution to IT bottlenecks has evolved into a strategic infrastructure supporting innovation, efficiency, and growth. With a reliable, scalable network now in place, Locweld is finally able to forget network concerns and keep its focus on fabricating and building electrical towers and lattice structures that are the basis of the infrastructure millions of people rely on every day.