Quick answer: A manufacturing plant is three camera environments in one building. The production floor needs sealed metal housings, wide dynamic range at the bay doors and mounts on building steel, not machine frames. Shipping needs varifocal cameras set across the dock doors, long IR on the dock face and a gate camera, with plate reading quoted separately per project. Any classified hazardous area is a CASE Project Series conversation, quoted per project with certificates, availability and lead time confirmed in writing. Keep the camera system and the plant safety program in separate scopes.
What does a plant environment actually do to a camera?
Read the site before the catalog. Dust works into any housing that is not sealed. Heat from ovens and compressors raises the ceiling air temperature well above the floor reading. Washdown hits the camera with hot water and chemicals. Presses shake anything bolted to their frames, welders and drives put noise on unshielded cable, and forklifts hit whatever hangs within reach of a mast.
| Stressor | What to specify | Printed example |
|---|---|---|
| Dust and washdown | Sealed housing, IP67, metal body; IP67 is not a jet or hot-washdown rating, so keep spray off the camera | CS-I8WS S-2.8mm and CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm: IP67, Housing Metal |
| Heat at ceiling level | Measure the ambient at the bracket during the survey | CS-I8WS S-2.8mm: −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C); CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm: −31 °F to 149 °F (−35 °C to 65 °C) |
| Vibration | Building steel or walls, never a machine frame | Bracket compatibility per the accessory spec sheet |
| Electrical noise | Shielded Cat6 bonded at one end, or fiber | Bonding per NEC (CEC in Canada) |
| Impact | Mount above mast height or use an IK-rated dome | See IP66 vs IP67 vs IK10 |
The printed operating range is the air temperature at the camera, not the process temperature of the equipment it watches. Take an infrared thermometer reading at the bracket with the line running; if it exceeds the printed range, move the camera or bring the position to Anabon as a project item.
Production floor: how do you handle dust, heat and mixed lighting?
Plant lighting mixes high-bay fixtures, skylights and open bay doors, so a camera looking toward a bay door sees a bright rectangle and a dark interior in one frame. The CS-I8WS S-2.8mm prints 120dB wide dynamic range; the CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm prints 120dB True WDR (TWDR). No camera prints a welding-arc rating, so aim across welding booths rather than into them.
Lens choice follows the cell. A 2.8 mm fixed lens covers a work cell from 15 to 30 ft (4.6 to 9 m) and shows who was at the machine. A 2.7–13.5 mm varifocal lens lets you set the view from a column you did not choose, and reaches the far end of a long line. Mount on building steel at 16 to 22 ft (4.9 to 6.7 m), above forklift mast height, clear of crane paths and outside the NFPA 13 sprinkler obstruction limits (verify the local code).
Analytics are printed per SKU. The CS-I8WS S-2.8mm prints Human & Vehicle Classification, Tripwire and Perimeter; the CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm adds Heatmap, People Counting, Loitering, Safety Helmet Detection and On Duty Detection, all confirmed per model, firmware, software version and project configuration.
- One overview camera per work cell or line segment, framed on the operator and the material in and out.
- One camera on each tool crib, chemical cage and maintenance store door, close enough to read a face.
- Cameras on every exit from the floor, so a part that leaves is seen leaving.
- A lens-cleaning line in the service agreement; oil mist cuts night performance.
Shipping and receiving: what do the docks, yard and gate need?
Shrinkage claims and damage disputes are settled on dock video weeks after the truck left. Inside, mount a varifocal camera beside each dock door at 12 to 14 ft (3.7 to 4.3 m), turned 30 to 45° across the door line so the dock plate, trailer floor and forklift path share the frame with the bright opening at the edge. The 120dB True WDR (TWDR) of the CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm is why it takes this position; Warehouse Security Cameras covers the angle rules.
Outside, a camera looking along the dock face records trailer numbers and tractor colors at night. The CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm prints IR 262 ft (80 m) and no white light, so identification relies on IR and the yard lighting. The gate gets a fixed camera at vehicle height for the driver and cab. Plate reading is not a feature you add to that camera: it is a dedicated LPR camera, positioned for plate height and angle, quoted and confirmed per project.
Keep dock, gate and shipping office cameras on a longer retention than the floor; 60 to 90 days is a common starting point. Yard runs usually pass the 328 ft (100 m) Ethernet limit, so plan fiber or PoE extension before the quote.
Hazardous areas: when does the CASE Project Series come in?
Paint and solvent rooms, mixing areas, dust collectors, grain handling, battery charging rooms and gas storage can be classified hazardous locations. In the US, NEC Articles 500–503 use Class and Division (Class I gases and vapors, Class II combustible dust, Class III fibers; Division 1 or 2), and NEC Articles 505 and 506 also permit the Zone system. In Canada, CEC Section 18 uses the Zone system (Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gases; 20, 21 and 22 for dust), and some existing sites still carry Class and Division drawings; verify the local code. The classification is the owner’s engineering document: ask for the hazardous area classification drawing before you quote, and never classify an area yourself.
Inside a classified area a standard camera is not an option. The CASE Project Series CSP-I8PS EX-I-2.7-13.5mm prints 8MP (3840×2160@20fps), a 2.7–13.5 mm lens, IR 262 ft (80 m), 120dB wide dynamic range, audio 1/1, alarm 2/1, a Stainless Steel 304 or 316L housing, IP66, IP68 (6.6 ft (2 m) for 2 h) and IP69, and ATEX and IECEx certification: DNV 22 ATEX 51565X and IECEx DNV 22.0097X, marking Ex db IIC T6 Gb / Ex tb IIIC T80°C Db.
Three rules apply to every Project Series line. A catalog certificate is not acceptance by the authority having jurisdiction: an ATEX or IECEx certificate does not by itself satisfy an NEC Class/Division or CEC Zone installation, and the AHJ decides what it accepts. Project Series items are quoted per project; availability, certificates, lead time and warranty term are confirmed in writing by Anabon before you promise any of them. The installation (glands, conduit seals, bonding) follows the hazardous location rules of the NEC (CEC in Canada), usually by a licensed electrician. Explosion-Proof Cameras: Class/Division vs Zone and the CASE Project Series Overview go deeper.
Safety analytics are not safety systems: what can you promise?
The AI rows of the CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm and the CSP-I8PS EX-I-2.7-13.5mm print Safety Helmet Detection and On Duty Detection. These are review and alert analytics for the security system; they are not machine guarding, not a presence-sensing device and not part of the plant’s safety program under OSHA (US) or the provincial occupational health and safety regulations (Canada). Write that sentence into the proposal: the camera records what happened; it does not prevent an injury.
Workplace monitoring also has a notice side. US state laws on workplace surveillance and audio recording vary; in Canada, PIPEDA and the provincial privacy laws (Quebec Law 25, Alberta PIPA, BC PIPA) expect a documented purpose, notice to employees and limited access to footage. Both cameras print a built-in microphone: leave audio off unless counsel has confirmed the rule for that site.
Sample camera schedule: a 120,000 sq ft (11,000 m²) plant
The sample is a single-story plant: eight production cells, two assembly lines, a tool crib, a maintenance shop, four dock doors with a shipping office, a fenced yard with one gate, and a classified paint mixing room.
| ID | Position | CASE SKU | Mount and height | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M01–M08 | Production cells 1–8 | CS-I8WS S-2.8mm | Column, 18 ft (5.5 m) | Operator and material flow |
| M09–M12 | Assembly lines, both ends | CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm | Building steel, 20 ft (6 m) | Lens set to line length |
| M13–M16 | Tool crib, maintenance shop, floor exits | CS-I8WS S-2.8mm | Wall, 10 ft (3 m) | Face at the door |
| S01–S04 | Dock doors 1–4, interior | CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm | Beside door, 12–14 ft (3.7–4.3 m), 30–45° across | TWDR against daylight |
| S05–S06 | Dock face, exterior | CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm | Wall, 16 ft (4.9 m) | IR 262 ft (80 m) |
| S07 | Gate, inbound lane | CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm | Pole, 10 ft (3 m) | Driver and cab; plates per project |
| S08 | Shipping office | CS-I8WS S-2.8mm | Ceiling, 9 ft (2.7 m) | Paperwork and keys |
| X01–X02 | Paint mixing room (classified) | CSP-I8PS EX-I-2.7-13.5mm | Per the classification drawing | Project-quoted; certificates confirmed in writing |
That is 24 standard cameras plus two Project Series units. A 40-channel recorder such as the CS-N440 M-AI (40CH, bandwidth 400Mbps / 400Mbps, 200Mbps / 200Mbps with AI on, 4×10TB HDD, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, no PoE ports) leaves room for a second phase. At commissioning, walk each dock camera with a trailer in the door at midday, verify time sync on every camera, and file the classification drawing and the Project Series written confirmation with the handover pack.
What to tell your customer
“We spec the plant as three environments. The floor gets sealed metal cameras on the building steel with wide dynamic range at the bay doors. Shipping gets varifocal cameras across each dock door and long-range IR on the dock face, kept longer because claims arrive late. Any classified room gets an explosion-proof camera from the CASE Project Series, quoted per project once certificates and lead time are confirmed in writing. CASE cameras and CASE NVRs carry a 6-year warranty. The system is a security record, not part of your safety program.”
FAQ
Can a standard camera be installed near ovens, furnaces or heat-treat lines?
Only if the air temperature at the bracket stays inside the printed operating range: −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C) on the CS-I8WS S-2.8mm, −31 °F to 149 °F (−35 °C to 65 °C) on the CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm. Measure at the mounting point with the process running; if it is higher, move the camera or bring the position to Anabon as a project item.
Does a paint booth or solvent room need an explosion-proof camera?
If the owner’s hazardous area classification drawing marks the room as a Class I Division 1 or 2 location or a Zone 0, 1 or 2 location (NEC in the US, CEC in Canada), a standard camera cannot go there. The CSP-I8PS EX-I-2.7-13.5mm is the CASE Project Series option, quoted per project with certificates, availability and lead time confirmed in writing; the AHJ decides what it accepts.
Can the cameras enforce hard-hat or safety-vest rules on the floor?
Safety Helmet Detection and On Duty Detection are printed in the AI rows of the CS-I8TS I-2.7-13.5mm and CSP-I8PS EX-I-2.7-13.5mm and are confirmed per model, firmware, software version and project configuration. They flag events for review. They are not machine guarding or a safety system under OSHA or provincial regulations, and the proposal should say so.
How is a CASE Project Series camera quoted?
Per project. Send Anabon the classification drawing, the camera positions and the required certificates; Anabon confirms availability, lead time, the certificate documents and the warranty term in writing before the line goes into your proposal. Until then, state no warranty term and no delivery date for any Project Series item, even where a catalog page prints a badge.
