Client: Global Packaging Company
Industry: Packaging
Solution: Access Control at a Higher Level

The Challenge: A Potentially Costly Security Solution

When a national packaging manufacturer began exploring ways to control access to key production equipment, the team assumed it would come with a hefty price tag. They expected to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a dedicated manufacturing control system—one that would require new software, new licenses, and a completely separate infrastructure from its existing access control system.

The Solution: Access Control Meets Equipment Control

Enter Data Link. Working closely with the client’s engineers, we expanded their existing access control system to manage not just doors, but machinery.

By installing readers directly on key equipment, we enabled the system to control machine operation levels through relays. Employees used existing credentials to get access to the machine. Behind the scenes, it was configured using elevator control logic within the access system, assigning “function levels” just like allowing access to a building’s floors. It also creates an audit trail to show who used the machine and when.

If an employee’s credentials allowed them access to that function level, they could power up and operate the machine. No separate system. No expensive software licenses. Just a seamless, secure solution built on what they already had.

The Outcome: Big Savings, Bigger Efficiency

• Massive cost savings — what could have cost hundreds of thousands was completed for under $100K.
• Improved accountability — every machine use is tracked and tied to a specific operator.
• Simplified infrastructure — no new platform or ongoing software licenses are required.

Why It Matters

By expanding the functionality of an existing access control system, the manufacturer avoided unnecessary complexity and expense, proving that the smartest systems don’t always require starting from scratch.

Client Takeaway

With Data Link’s expertise, a project once headed for a six-figure investment turned into a cost-effective, integrated solution that delivers full control, security, and visibility. One system. One badge. Infinite potential.

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