Background
When the global electronics innovator, Murata Manufacturing Corporation, acquired the Massachusetts-based Power Electronics Division of C&D Technologies, it was obvious that more than a name change was ahead. An old barcode reader swipe-in system from the ‘90s was not going to meet the security needs of the new company, now Murata Power Solutions.
Their entry control system – cards with a barcode that were printed out and laminated – could easily be duplicated and were regularly lost or damaged by employees. This was a primitive system for a company now required to meet U.S. government ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) requirements. These regulations implement the provisions of the Arms Export Control Act and are interpreted and enforced by the Department of State. Compliance with ITAR is required of all manufacturers, exporters, and brokers of defence articles and services or related technical data on the United States Munitions List.
Mission
Andrew Plante, Manager of North American Security Operations at Murata Power Solutions, says “I am responsible for the physical security of not just one, but all three of our sites. Our Mansfield site is 180,000 square feet, one single floor, and includes office space, manufacturing space, design space, engineering space, warehouse space, and shipping and receiving. Our Toronto site is smaller, about half the size - around 70,000 square feet - and is used primarily for design, research, hybrid development, product development, and some manufacturing. We also have a research and development site in Broomfield, Colorado, just outside of Denver. I oversee physical protection systems, automated entry control systems, access control systems, vehicle control systems, our personnel, and our guard force, at all these locations.”
“Recognising the need to rapidly upgrade our inherited security arrangements, my want list included a new access control system as part of our time and attendance system, and the ability to secure and audit numerous areas and doors internally to become ITAR compliant.”
“For guidance on this I contacted Michael Ehrlich, President of Integrated Security, Inc. (ISI). They are a SALTO Systems partner company and, after listening to what we needed and what we wanted to achieve, had no hesitation in recommending SALTO’s proximity solution as being the right technology for the job.”
"We now use SALTO for our |
“It has been a phased project. Phase 1 was our entry control. Phase 2 was our shipping and receiving dock. Phase 3 was movement control for our compliance areas. In all I have about 425 users enrolled in our system right now, and we’re continually developing and enhancing our application from SALTO.”
Michael Ehrlich, President of Integrated Security, Inc. (ISI), comments “They really didn’t need real-time notification of who entered a space, but they did need the ability to provide that kind of reporting as needed. The SALTO solution we proposed was a cost effective way of doing that, on target precisely with what their needs were - without overkill - and budget friendly.
The ITAR requirements, which show up in a lot of defence agreements, drove the sale. They had to regulate numerous internal doors with only certain employees allowed access into secure areas. We upgraded the door locking hardware. Now it could be audited and would restrict who had access to a space. Not all the doors had to be hardwired - which was restricted to employee entrance/exit doors turned into read in/read/outdoors in order to keep track of who was in a building in case of emergencies - cutting out considerable non-value-added cost. Card IDs are assigned to each employee, and because of the read-write capability, it has the ability to carry messages back to the system and perform the function of what would happen if it was hardwired, without the need to wire it. They can now track who is in a space at what time, with better control over the internal movement of people.”
Solution
At the Mansfield location, where the SALTO application is currently in use, everyone is issued an access card – a profile key card that is associated with the system. There are internal movement controls in place within the facility for restricted or standard-based compliance areas, so not all employees can access certain areas without authorisation. The company can also create virtual user control profiles for their contractors, visitors, and off-site Murata employees from their two other sister sites.
"The virtual network from SALTO also assists with not having every single door lock online" |
The SALTO Virtual Network (SVN) is key to security at the company’s remote sites. This advanced software system allows stand-alone electronic escutcheons to read, receive and write information via its operating smart cards or ‘intelligent’ keys. This data is captured from the cards at SVN on-line IP access points located at strategic points around the sites. The “updating points” upload and download user related information that is then used to permit, control or deny access.
Their goal is to implement the system on a wide-scale basis that is fully integrated between the three sites, with the Mansfield site being the hub for all activity. The central command will be here, with access control and surveillance systems also all tying into the same location.
Andrew Plante concludes “This system is ideal for us. Where other systems have hard-coded profiles at one central location, this is a server-based system - or possibly could be a server-based system - where virtual profiles can be carried from one site to another. Our Murata employees do travel a great deal between facilities.”
“The virtual network from SALTO also assists with not having every single door lock online. You see a lot of other systems now where you have to run 300 to 400 feet of wire from one door to a control centre, and every door has to be a hotspot where they all read into a central networking or computer-based system. SALTO allows a virtual network, meaning doors and locks can be offline. The card is carrying information and the locks are carrying information as they are used, so it is almost like this floating virtual network; you can actually transmit information out by putting information on cards. If I wanted to blacklist a card and deny that individual access to a room – even a room they normally have access to – I can do that remotely. I don’t have to input the information at each lock manually. That’s a real timesaver for the amount of locks some companies have. We have eight zones here within our building, controlled zones, so it helps us do that.”
Result
The SALTO RFID system has exceeded Murata Power Solutions needs. The company understands security is paramount and now has a reliable, high-quality, advanced RFID solution that can monitor and control access 24/7. It provides the company with the control it needs and gives it the added flexibility to easily grow the system to meet their future security requirements. It also allows staff to deliver best practice and provide a safe and secure environment for all its employees.
