Cabling and security for manufacturing plants
Cablify installs industrial network cabling, fiber, cameras and access control in plants, from the office and the control room to the production floor, routed for the noise, dust and vibration each area brings.
Rate the environment first
ANSI/TIA-1005-A covers telecommunications cabling in industrial premises, and it grades each area with the MICE system.
| Letter | What it rates | What it changes in the install |
|---|---|---|
| M, mechanical | Shock, vibration, crushing and impact | Armored or high-flex cable, extra support and protected routes |
| I, ingress | Dust and liquids | Sealed connectors and enclosures, such as M12 and IP67 rated parts |
| C, climatic and chemical | Temperature, humidity, UV and chemicals | Jacket materials suited to oils, washdown or heat |
| E, electromagnetic | Electrical noise from drives, welders and motors | Shielded cable, bonding and more distance from power |
Keep data away from drives and motors
ODVA’s EtherNet/IP installation manual lists motors, variable frequency drives, arc welders and induction heaters among the noise sources to route around. Outside metal pathways, it recommends keeping Ethernet cable at least 6 inches from circuits under 20 amps, 1 foot from AC lines of 20 amps or more up to 100 kVA, and 2 feet above 100 kVA, and crossing power at right angles.
Cable within half a meter of a motor controller falls in the harshest electromagnetic class, E3.
- Separate tray or divided tray for data and power
- Shielded cable and bonding where the E rating calls for it
- Fiber between buildings and through high-noise areas
- Right-angle crossings and labeled routes on the as-built drawings
Hazardous locations
The National Electrical Code classifies areas with flammable gases or vapors (Class I), combustible dust (Class II) and ignitible fibers (Class III) in Articles 500 to 506. Division 1 means the hazard is present in normal operation and Division 2 only under abnormal conditions. The Zone system in Articles 505 and 506 is an alternative, and the code does not allow both methods for the same location.
Work in classified areas is scoped with your plant engineers to the wiring methods those areas require.
Plant areas we cable
Production floor
Drops to machines, HMIs and wireless access points.
Control rooms
Racks, fiber and copper for the control network.
Shipping and receiving
Cameras on docks, scales and staging lanes.
Offices and labs
Desk drops, phones and Wi-Fi for staff.
OT networks stay separate
In ISA/IEC 62443, assets with the same security needs are grouped into zones, and the links between them into conduits. A 2025 fact sheet from CISA, the FBI, the EPA and the Department of Energy puts it plainly: segment IT and OT networks, with a demilitarized zone for data passed to business systems.
In April 2026, federal agencies warned that Iranian-affiliated actors were exploiting internet-exposed programmable logic controllers, and the first mitigation listed was to disconnect PLCs from the public internet.
Segmentation is mostly configuration, but the cabling has to make it possible. We build the physical side your controls team designs.
- Separate racks or cabinets for control and business networks
- Distinct cable and patch cord colors for each network
- Labeled patch fields that match your zone drawings
- Locked network cabinets with card access or cameras
New plants and retrofits. Private manufacturing construction ran at a $167.2 billion annual rate in September 2026, according to the Census Bureau. New plant or retrofit, the cabling plan starts with the environment on the floor.
Common questions
What is MICE?
A way of rating an industrial area by mechanical, ingress, climatic and chemical, and electromagnetic conditions, each from 1 to 3. It is used under ANSI/TIA-1005-A to choose cable, connectors and enclosures.
How far should network cable be from power?
ODVA recommends at least 6 inches from circuits under 20 amps, 1 foot from 20 amps up to 100 kVA, and 2 feet above 100 kVA when the cable is not in metal pathway, crossing power at right angles.
Do you work in hazardous locations?
Work in classified areas is scoped with your plant engineers to the wiring methods the area requires under NEC Articles 500 to 506.
Can you work around production?
Yes. We schedule work in running plants around shifts, line changeovers and shutdowns.
Request a quote for a plant
Send the address, the areas involved and what you need installed. Note any classified areas and planned shutdown dates.