In the facilities of one of the world’s leading automotive parts manufacturers, we implemented a UWB-based Active Safety and Deceleration System to minimize operational risks arising from high business volume and heavy traffic. The project succeeded in preventing material damage and occupational accidents by creating a hardware-level protection shield independent of operator initiative in intra-factory logistics processes.

Operational Process Challenges

• Equipment and Infrastructure Damage: Chronic door damage caused by forklifts and similar heavy machinery attempting to pass through partially opened doors due to fast pacing and operator distraction.
• Business Continuity Interruptions: Stoppage of production and logistics flow during the repair processes of broken doors, alongside losses in thermal efficiency.
• Collision Risks: Heavy machinery approaching each other at dangerous distances.
• Dependency on Operator Initiative: Safety protocols being limited to signs or training, with no physical barrier against momentary lapses in concentration.

What Have We Achieved?

1. Smart Door Protection

By monitoring the physical status of doors (open/closed) in real-time, all heavy machinery approaching while a door is closed was automatically slowed down or stopped; door-crashing incidents were completely eliminated.

2. Machine-to-Machine Interaction

Protection was established not only for fixed points but also for mobile assets against each other. If two machines approached at a risky distance, the system prevented collisions through automatic intervention.

3. Parametric Safety Zones

Site supervisors were given the flexibility to instantly set different “deceleration” and “stopping” distances for each door or vehicle via a mobile application.

4. Cost Savings

A radical reduction in maintenance and repair expenses was achieved, while occupational health and safety (OHS) standards were raised to the highest level.

Implemented Solution

We built the system architecture on UWB (Ultra-Wideband) technology, which provides centimeter-precision distance measurement, and an active safety network where objects communicate directly with one another. The Zone Unit (Safe Zone Antenna) integrated into factory doors activates automatically upon receiving a “closed” signal from the door sensor, creating a digital protection shield around the door.

The Dangerous Proximity Detection Module positioned on the heavy machinery communicates with the Zone Unit within milliseconds upon entering this area, directly intervening in the vehicle’s control unit. Through this interaction, the system autonomously reduces the vehicle’s speed or takes full stopping action when necessary, based on pre-defined graduated distance parameters. When the door is fully opened, the Zone Unit switches to passive mode, allowing the vehicle to pass at its normal operational speed. By using the same technological infrastructure for inter-vehicle interaction, we prevented mobile assets from approaching each other beyond safe limits and established a zero-accident discipline throughout the facility.