Covestro is one of the world’s largest polymer companies, with 46 production sites worldwide that employ the latest, most cost-efficient and ecologically compatible technologies. Its business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in our daily lives. They serve the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, as well as electrical, electronics, and household appliances industries and support sports and leisure, telecommunications, health and the chemical industry.
The first global adopter of Rockwell’s Ethernet/IP™ In‑cabinet Solution cut panel build time by more than half, consolidated an aging infrastructure, and improved maintainability across critical boiler and chilled water systems in its Pittsburgh polyurethane facility.
Innovative solution was needed to reduce panel wiring time
The boiler room at Covestro’s production facility housed a patchwork of aging NEMA motor starters, scattered across seven separate enclosures with remote push buttons. Over years of continuous 24/7 operation, the extreme ambient temperatures – 80-90°F in winter and up to 120°F in summer – took a toll on electrical components, often requiring the engineering team to rely on ad‑hoc fixes to keep equipment running.
In addition, the distributed layout created maintenance complexity. Remote push buttons, long wire runs, and cluttered conduit systems contributed to downtime risk and slowed troubleshooting.
The Covestro team needed a modern, consolidated solution to build its control panels that would reduce wiring effort, simplify maintenance, and provide a cleaner, safer, more reliable infrastructure.
An improved build experience
When principal PCT engineer Chris McCartney learned about Rockwell’s new EtherNet/IP In‑Cabinet Solution, he immediately saw potential. The ability to replace large bundles of control wiring with simple ribbon cables and Ethernet connectivity promised substantial time savings and improved diagnostics.
Covestro became the first customer globally to adopt and implement the technology.
Working alongside Rockwell’s product managers and engineers, Covesto’s engineering team designed a new consolidated control panel to run:
The new panel replaced all seven legacy enclosures and eliminated a significant amount of outdated hardware. It also offered a safer option for a high temperature location that was at risk for flooding due to cavitation with pumps.
For Bill Polichio, Covestro’s industrial electrical technician who worked on the project, the difference was immediate and dramatic. Instead of wiring 3+ wires per push button, 2+ wires per light, remote I/O connections, and long home-run cables, he installed a single ribbon cable that linked all push buttons and indicators.
“Running that ribbon cable saved me days of work. The entire cabinet took maybe 16 hours to build, and traditionally it would have been 40 or more,” said Bill.
Even the overload wiring, usually a tedious process, was simplified to just two wires per device.
The overall build was completed in only two days, including drilling, panel layout, DIN rail installation, Panduit routing, and device mounting.
“If we can put this together, anyone can,” said Chris. “That alone makes the cost of the EtherNet/IP hardware worth it.”
Covestro implemented a new EtherNet/IP In‑Cabinet Solution that allowed them to replace large bundles of control wiring with simple ribbon cables and Ethernet connectivity. The new panel replaced all seven legacy enclosures, eliminated outdated hardware and provided the engineering team a 60% reduction in wiring time.
A cleaner, safer, more reliable panel design
The Covestro engineering team estimated that it saved more than 60% of the time it would have taken traditionally to assemble the control panel, which would have necessitated weekend work. All pump starters were consolidated into one modern enclosure, and the innovative EtherNet/IP solution reduced wiring bulk and eliminated heat-damaged hardware. Programming was straightforward and the layout in the boiler room was made cleaner and more accessible for maintenance teams.
Looking ahead
The modular design allows new devices to be added with minimal programming. Covestro will also evaluate next-generation E100 electronic overload relay components, which add current monitoring, remote reset, and additional diagnostic capabilities, features the team expressed interest in for future upgrades.
Published April 22, 2026
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