Collision avoidance to enhance paper recycling facilities safety
Optimization of operational safety, with a reduction in the risk of collisions between material-handling vehicles and operators in paper-processing plants
Italian leader in paper collection and recycling
A major Italian industrial company specializing in the management, collection, sorting, and processing of paper through various recycling facilities located in Lombardy, primarily in the province of Milan. Separately collected paper and cardboard are sorted and packaged before being sent to paper mills to be transformed into new packaging. The company’s operations are spread across six sites.
Prevention of accidents involving vehicles and people, real-time monitoring, and risk reporting to improve safety at the plant.
The customer's aim was to enhance safety levels within the production site, minimizing the risk of collisions between operational vehicles and personnel, both indoors and outdoors.
In an environment characterized by high operational complexity and the presence of forklifts, wheel loaders, and trucks with variable traffic flows and dwell times, the need arose to implement advanced preventive measures capable of mitigating the risks associated with interactions between people and vehicles.
At the same time, it was essential to ensure real-time monitoring of operators and assets to guarantee that specific areas remained clear during critical operations or emergency situations.
The solution had to include the ability to extend functionality to the management of sensitive areas through personnel tracking, using a single integrated device for collision prevention, with the ultimate goal of creating a safer, more controlled, and more efficient work environment.
High-precision collision avoidance and location in critical areas.
The solution proposed by UBIQUICOM involved the implementation of an integrated security and tracking system based on advanced technologies, which has significantly improved operational control and risk prevention within work areas.
Specifically, all operational vehicles in the area were equipped with the UBIQUICOM PROXIMITY THIRDEYE system, based on Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology, which allowed for the custom configuration of safety zones according to the characteristics of each vehicle, thereby ensuring optimized performance and a high level of safety.
At the same time, operators have worn PROXIMITY tags equipped with UWB technology from the moment they entered the site, which have helped prevent potential collisions by allowing the systems installed on the vehicles to promptly detect the presence of people even under conditions of limited visibility, such as near blind spots or obstacles. Additional tags were also attached to vehicles granted temporary access to the work area, reducing the risk of interference with operational vehicles and improving alerts to operators when vehicles are approaching.
With regard to location tracking, in indoor (INDOOR) areas, operational vehicles equipped with the UBIQUICOM solution were monitored in real time via a network of fixed UWB antennas, which ensured high tracking accuracy.
In outdoor areas characterized by greater complexity (OUTDOOR)—particularly those prone to interference between people and vehicles or used for loading and unloading hazardous materials—accurate tracking of both personnel and outdoor vehicles was enabled via UWB technology, allowing for the automated management of events, alarms, and any evacuation procedures.
The antenna layout was designed and optimized based on the risk level of the various areas and the required degree of accuracy, ensuring effective coverage consistent with operational needs.
Finally, in outdoor areas, internal vehicles equipped with the UBIQUICOM solution were also tracked in real time using GNSS technologies, thus ensuring continuity in the monitoring and control of activities even outside indoor environments.
