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Smart People Detection prevents collisions between forklifts and factory personnel in complex industrial environment requiring the handling of huge components for heavy trucks
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Driver Safety System helps forklift operators to combat fatigue and maintain their attentiveness in a busy environment with people and other vehicles in close proximity
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Reliable and scalable forklift safety system enables leading large-scale heavy truck manufacturer in China to optimize the safety of its heavy truck assembly processes
Blind spots and other hidden safety hazards are inevitable on the factory floor of many high-volume manufacturing enterprises where people, vehicles, and other heavy equipment operate in close proximity with each other. Combining support for AI-powered people detection and driver monitoring, the VIA Mobile360 Forklift Safety System can significantly increase operator safety by reducing blind spots as well as enhance protection for factory workers, vehicles, and materials.
Shaanxi Automotive Holdings
Shaanxi Automotive Holdings Group Ltd. was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Xian, Shaanxi Province. The company is the leading manufacturer of commercial heavy vehicles in the northwest of China and is playing an instrumental role in accelerating the transformation of the country’s automotive industry to advanced low-carbon, environmentally friendly manufacturing. With over 30,000 employees, Shaanxi Automotive Holdings Group is number 276 of China’s top 500 manufacturing enterprises. It produces a wide range of trucks, specialty vehicles, accessories, and aftermarket components.
Challenges
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Eliminating operator blind spots Shaanxi Automotive’s heavy truck assembly plant requires forklifts to handle large vehicle components that obstruct the front view of the operator and make driving the vehicle in reverse a necessity. As a result, eliminating operator blind spots is a key safety concern.
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Minimizing operator fatigue and stress The assembly plant requires 24/7 operations in order to meet ever increasing market demand. The safety risks for forklift operators include fatigue during night shifts, heavy traffic on the factory floor, people and vehicles straying from their safety lanes, and other hidden dangers. In such a complex operating environment, timely safety alerts are required to minimize the risk of accidents.
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Reducing risk of collisions The plant requires coordinated personnel and equipment movement, with forklifts operating in designated lanes to bring selected materials to pre-determined areas. However, there are always workers and other material transportation equipment around the designated forklift lanes and at the material offloading areas. As a result, precise and dynamic anti-collision measures are necessary.
Solution
Shaanxi Automotive’s heavy truck assembly plant assembly plant uses Heli CPD30 model forklifts, a number of which were test-fitted with the VIA Mobile360 Forklift Safety System featuring a people detection algorithm that monitors movements at the front and rear of the forklift. Whenever the system detects someone stepping within hazardous range of the vehicle, it issues an alert to the operator in time for them to take evasive action. This can markedly improve forklift operation safety and reduce forklift accidents.
Features
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Smart People Detection Smart People Detection through front and rear wide-angle cameras lowers the risk of pedestrian collisions, reduces operator blind spots, and minimizes the number of hidden hazards in areas where forklifts operate in proximity to workers and other vehicles and equipment.
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Driver Safety System The high-resolution driver camera combined with VIA Mobile360 Driver Safety System alerts reduces the risk of accidents by countering operator fatigue, mobile phone use, and smoking.
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Customized detect areas and alerts Because the Shaanxi Automotive heavy truck assembly plant has an environment entailing the movement of massive components with workers and transportation equipment in close proximity, the people detection zone of the VIA Mobile360 Forklift Safety System was customized to provide a three-meter front and rear red zone danger area and a four-meter yellow zone front and rear caution area. Distinctive sound alarms were also created for when pedestrians are detected in each area.
Conclusion
The VIA Mobile360 Forklift Safety System enables a significant improvement in operational safety in complex manufacturing environments like the Shaanxi Automotive heavy truck assembly plant. Combining advanced people detection and driver monitoring features with ultra-reliable operation and flexible customization options, the system provides a proven and scalable solution for combating pedestrian collisions and driver fatigue in factories, ports, warehouses, and other challenging industrial and logistics settings.
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