--- title: Global tile manufacturer standardizes on Celona for nonstop manufacturing operations date: 2026-07-23T16:11:00+10:00 author: Pradhyum canonical_url: "https://celona.io/resources/global-tile-manufacturer-standardizes-on-celona-for-nonstop-manufacturing-operations" section: Resources --- / Case Study | Manufacturing | Del Conca USA # Global tile manufacturer standardizes on Celona for nonstop manufacturing operations Del Conca USA replaced an unstable 38-AP Wi-Fi network with a Celona private wireless LTE system across its 30-acre Tennessee facility. ![Delconca cs](https://celona.io/volumes/images/Resources/Case-Study/delconca-cs.jpg) 2× wireless coverage ⅓ the access points 38 → 12 APs to cover the plant ↓ CAPEX & OPEX on the network / At a glance ## From flapping Wi-Fi to nonstop operations. ### \_01 The Challenge - Unstable legacy Wi-Fi causing downtime across the plant - Connectivity failures stalling AGVs, forklifts & fulfillment - Weak signal below −80 dBm dropping critical connections - High CAPEX/OPEX for limited coverage ### \_02 The Solution - Celona private wireless LTE on CBRS (band 48) - 8× indoor AP 12 and 4× outdoor AP 11 - Celona Edge OS + Orchestrator - Integrated with existing VLANs and IP domains ### \_03 The Outcome - 2× coverage with one-third the access points - Reliable connectivity even at low signal strength - Faster material handling and order fulfillment - Lower network capital and operating costs / Proof > With Celona, we've overcome many of the production issues caused by our legacy wireless system - and still haven't found the limits of the technology. \- Luca Chichiarelli, Head of IT Operations, Del Conca USA A constant battle to keep the wireless network running is not an option when an entire production facility depends on reliable connectivity for a host of automated systems. Network downtime can mean tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue, lower productivity, and shipment delays. That was the problem facing Del Conca USA - a subsidiary of Italy's Del Conca Group, a global supplier of fine Italian tile - at its 30-acre plant in Loudon, Tennessee. From raw materials to finished product, Del Conca runs one of the most precise, automated production and fulfillment processes in the industry. ## Manufacturing automation comes with wireless challenges Inside the facility, more than a dozen SACMI automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and 13 manned forklifts roam constantly, picking and placing pallets of tile. Each forklift carries an onboard industrial computer; each AGV uses a gateway that translates wireless to Ethernet. All of them communicate continuously with their management systems for instructions and tracking. ![Delconca 3](https://celona.io/volumes/images/Resources/Case-Study/Delconca/_900x1200_fit_center-center_70_none_ffffff/30016/delconca-3.webp) SACMI AGVs traverse the plant on dedicated VLANs ![Delconca 3](https://celona.io/volumes/images/Resources/Case-Study/Delconca/_900x1200_fit_center-center_70_none_ffffff/30016/delconca-3.webp) Forklift onboard computers depend on constant connectivity The legacy Wi-Fi network - 38 access points, 26 indoor and 12 outdoor - frequently dropped below −80 dBm, too weak for AGVs and forklifts to hold a connection. Concentrations of vehicles contending for the same APs caused media contention and packet loss, and the network was constantly "flapping," forcing onboard systems to reconnect. > "Our legacy Wi-Fi was constantly flapping… This could mean long truck-loading times, loading errors, lost time looking for goods, and production backlogs." \- Luca Chichiarelli, Head of IT Operations Unlike Wi-Fi, private cellular maintains a connection at low signal strength - using a wider frequency band, more efficient signal processing, and the ability to adjust transmit power and dynamically allocate resources. ## Out with the old, in with the new After evaluating private wireless options and public-carrier services, Del Conca chose Celona's private LTE system on CBRS (3.55-3.7 GHz, band 48). The team wanted a complete, end-to-end system that would integrate directly with its existing IT network, IP domains, and VLAN structure - which led them to Celona. Beyond AGVs and forklifts, Del Conca is targeting Celona to support line workers using Zebra TC26 handhelds with native CBRS to confirm yields and stream production video, and to migrate push-to-talk communications onto the private network. The architecture can be "cookie-cut" across sites using 4G LTE or 5G NR. ## Deployment details Del Conca installed eight indoor AP 12 units - housed in NEMA enclosures, ceiling-mounted 45 feet high, and connected via Cat 6 PoE+ - and four outdoor AP 11 units mounted 20 feet up on the building's corners with 90° or 120° high-gain (16.5 dBi) directional antennas. Each AP runs two 20 MHz channels, with all 150 MHz of CBRS spectrum available in the plant. ![Delconca 3](https://celona.io/volumes/images/Resources/Case-Study/Delconca/_900x1200_fit_center-center_70_none_ffffff/30016/delconca-3.webp) Outdoor AP 11 units with directional antennas on the building corners All data-plane and management traffic is securely tunneled to a Celona Edge node on Del Conca's LAN, while cloud-based administration, traffic policy, and SIM management run through Celona Orchestrator - giving IT granular, per-application QoS mapped to each VLAN. AGVs connect via Cradlepoint R-500 gateways with Celona SIMs; forklifts use Sierra EM7565 cards for native CBRS. ## Looking forward Del Conca now has a unified architecture it can duplicate across global sites. The network has already delivered ROI - higher material-handling productivity, fewer production errors and stalls, and lower capital and operating costs than the legacy Wi-Fi. Next, the team is exploring neutral host networking to extend public-carrier coverage across its facilities. > **We are excited about leveraging private wireless to address many other needs - connected workers, better indoor coverage, and public-carrier services through neutral host networking.** \- Luca Chichiarelli, Head of IT Operations, Del Conca USA ![Delconca outdoor celona aps](https://celona.io/volumes/images/Resources/Case-Study/Delconca/_941x977_fit_center-center_70_none_ffffff/55645/delconca-outdoor-celona-aps.webp) Celona outdoor APs mounted on the building corners ![Del conca](https://celona.io/volumes/images/Resources/Case-Study/Delconca/_500x400_fit_center-center_none/29829/del-conca.webp) At a Glance Customer**Del Conca USA** Vertical**Manufacturing** Facility**30-acre plant** Location**Loudon, TN** Spectrum**CBRS · Band 48** Solution - **8×** Celona AP 12 (indoor) - **4×** Celona AP 11 (outdoor) - Celona Edge OS - Celona Orchestrator - CBRS-to-Ethernet gateways / Related resources ## Go deeper More resources on private wireless for the enterprise. [Case Studies NEW ### Global data center hyperscaler needing deterministic wireless at a AI-dense server floor A global hyperscaler deployed Celona Orion private 5G across its server floors to give technicians reliable mobility in high-interference AI compute environments — while Wi-Fi continues to serve office and administrative spaces. Data centers · Jul 2026 ](https://celona.io/resources/global-data-center-needs-deterministic-wireless-amidst-rf-interference) [Installation Guide NEW ### Celona AP25-48 installation guide Data centers · Warehousing & logistics · Jul 2026 ](https://celona.io/resources/celona-ap25-48-installation-guide) [Data Sheet NEW ### WAP14 data sheet High-density enterprise Wi-Fi 7, unified with Private 5G through the Celona Orion platform. Data centers · Warehousing & logistics · Jul 2026 ](https://celona.io/resources/wap14-data-sheet) [Access all Resources ](https://celona.io/resources) / Next step ## See what Celona Orion can do for your plant Talk to the team behind Del Conca's deployment, or take the platform for a spin. [ Request a demo → ](https://celona.io/contact-us) [ Explore the platform → ](https://celona.io/manufacturing)