The VSG system (Virtual Safety Gate) is a virtual gate that warns drivers and pedestrians that passage is not allowed in certain areas or intersections by means of an alert system that projects a red line on the ground.

The virtual safety gate has been providing Claitec’s customers with valuable assistance and it’s becoming a great ally in improving safety and preventing work accidents in industrial corridors.

The VSG system can be easily placed at the entrance point of any aisle to notify forklift drivers when other vehicles or operators are circulating along the same aisle. The gates can be fitted either with an RGB pilot light on the post or with a traffic light that indicates whether passage is allowed or otherwise.

If there are no vehicles in the corridor, the VSG will project a green line on the ground. If a vehicle enters the corridor, it will automatically change the projection to red until the vehicle leaves the area, making it easy for the drivers to determine whether they can advance or whether they must wait.

There are several options to help detect if a forklift is circulating along the aisle:

• VSG – Internal configuration.

Configuring the VSG itself will help detect a vehicle as it enters or leaves an aisle, and automatically proceed to activate the line projectors: red when it detects the presence of a forklift that has not yet left, green when there is no forklift and /or has already left.

• VSG + PAS System.

The VSG is connected to an MT-50 and in the forklift, we have installed a PAS kit. So, when the MT-50 of the VSG detects the vehicle, it directly changes the projection colour to red, changing it to green only when the vehicle leaves the corridor.

• VSG + LSA System.

In this case, the VSG is connected to an LSA control unit, and the forklifts incorporate coded reflective bands. When a vehicle passes through the VSG, the VSG automatically reads its coded reflective stripes and changes the projection from green to red, alerting of the presence of a vehicle in the aisle.

• VSG + CAS-G2 System:

The VSG is connected to a CAS-G2 and in the forklift we have installed a CAS-G2 system. When the CAS-G2 detects the vehicle, it directly changes the projection colour to red, changing it to only when the vehicle leaves the corridor.

Should you have any questions and require our advice, please, do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help!

The collision between forklifts is a very real risk in many industrial plants. At Claitec, we have observed that our customers’ warehouses and the warehouses of those who ask for our opinion, consistently experience very heavy traffic, and as such, the risk of collision is significantly increased.

We have also noticed corners or areas where forklift drivers lose visibility, either because they are 90-degree bends, or because there are doors that prevent them from seeing another truck on the other side.

How can this type of risks be minimized?

Collision Avoidance system (CAS-G2)

The Collision Avoidance System is a solution that warns the forklift driver when it detects other vehicles in a 25-meter range. So, whether the other truck is circulating in the “blind spot” of a curve, or whether it’s on the other side of an automatic gate, the CAS-G2 system will alert the driver so that he or she is aware of the presence of another vehicle is in its vicinity and thus use the appropriate caution.

It works as an extension of the PAS system which, must be requested from the factory. A PAS activator AC-50 is placed on the forklifts so that they can detect each other. When a forklift detects another one in its safety zone, the system alerts the driver of the imminent risk. The system also allows for some variations in the configuration – for instance, it is possible to make the truck slow down when it detects the presence of another vehicle in their immediate vicinity.

What are benefits of the CAS-G2 system for you?

First and foremost, the safety of your workers. By dramatically reducing collisions in heavy traffic areas and in areas of poor visibility, the risk of accidents decreases. The design of the CAS-G2 solution also allows the driver to notice immediately when another truck is in the same area of ​​work, warning him or her of a possible collision.

Not only that – the CAS-G2 system also delivers increased productivity as forklift drivers can focus on their work without having to worry about their safety. Thus, not only will you achieve a higher level of efficiency, you will also notice a significant reduction in the stress levels of your workers.

What are the main areas of application of this solution?

As we mentioned above, the CAS-G2 system is ideally suited to areas with heavy forklift traffic and low driver visibility. For instance, in:

• Docks
• Goods’ loading and unloading areas
• Store aisles’ exits
  
  

The CAS-G2 system is also very useful in places where large forklifts coexist with smaller trucks.


If you are keen to find out more about this system or would like further information about any of our products, don’t hesitate to contact us.

As you know, our goal at Claitec is to develop solutions that adapt to the needs of our clients and that contribute to generating safer work spaces, preventing or reducing the chances of workplace accidents. This article introduces three of such practical and innovative solutions to improve safety at a critical point in any industrial space: pedestrian crossings.

The PSG Solution (Pedestrian Safety Gate) is a door designed to reduce risk situations in high-activity environments. This system has two key functions: to create safe pedestrian crossings and to restrict the entry of unduly protected personnel. It is designed to interact with the TCS Traffic Control System, automatically interacting with Claitec’s devices to block any pedestrian from crossing if a forklift is detected in the vicinity.

The VSG Solution (Virtual Safety Gate) consists of a virtual gate operated by photocells. It’s activated by movement and when circulation is prohibited in a certain sector or intersection, the VSG activates a warning system that projects a red line on the ground.

If the gate detects a forklift, the projection on the ground warns that crossing is not allowed. If the pedestrian chooses to cross anyway, a pilot light and an audible alarm alert him/her of the danger. The gate also sends a signal to the forklift warning the driver about the person in the danger area. If the person is in the danger zone as the gate goes into alarm mode, s/he can retreat to the safe zone and no alarm is triggered, as the system is capable of detecting whether s/he leaves the safe zone (thus activating the alarm) or leaving the safe zone (thus leaving the alarm deactivated).

And, finally, it’s important to highlight the PAS System’s (Pedestrian Alert System) contribution in preserving the integrity of operators at intersections in our workspaces. As mentioned in previous posts, the PAS System is a solution that has shown great efficiency in improving industrial safety in all kinds of areas. Its contribution is great as it warns forklift drivers when it detects a person at a distance adjustable from 1 to 11 meters. It is a unique system capable of differentiating between people and objects, and it even detects operators who are behind a wall or a shelf, thus, adding safety and preventing accidents at crosswalks.

Do you have any doubts about these devices? Is there anything we can assist you with? Please, don’t hesitate to contact us!

The UK’s leading Intralogistics exhibition IMHX 2022 took place in Birmingham this week. An event that we didn’t want to miss and where we had the opportunity to be alongside Troax, the top company in the area of industrial safety.

During the 7th and 8th of September we presented Claitec’s safety solutions and our newest products, detailing the advantages of their functionality to all the people we welcomed to the stand.

If you have any doubts or queries before, during or after the event, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we are always happy to help!

Forklifts play a key role in our industries. Ensuring their safe, effective and accident free functioning is a constant challenge. At Claitec we always seek to take a step forward with our solutions developing improvements that create safer and more efficient work spaces. In this article, we’d like to introduce you to three of the tools developed by the Claitec team to enhance the operation of forklifts within industrial spaces:

The Roof Radar safety system automatically reduces the speed of a vehicle as it enters a building. As soon as the radar detects a ceiling, it immediately selects the low speed on the forklift until it leaves that space again.

Thus, the forklift can return from performing tasks in an open space without pedestrians – such as a merchandise loading and unloading area -, and return to the warehouse or a work area with pedestrians, to have its speed automatically modified without requiring any action from the driver. This prevents the possible adverse effects of forgetfulness or distraction of the operator in relation to the speed of movement of the machine.

The active inhibitor, on the other hand, is an electronic device that is installed next to the forklift’s driver’s seat to inhibit his/her key rings when entering the vehicle. This way, the drivers’ key rings are not detected and for the rest of the systems operating it appears that only the forklift is circulating, thus preventing problems or crossed detections that reduce the effectiveness and pace of work.

In other words, the way this tool operates allows the driver to drive the forklift safely and keeping the Pedestrian Detection system activated, in order to prevent accidents with other people who circulate in the work area or adjoining spaces.

Finally, the  HLS High Load Sensor warns forklift drivers as soon as it detects that the loads picked up exceed the permitted heights or predefined measurements. Specifically, the driver of a forklift that incorporates the HLS system gets a luminous and sound alert when taking on a load that exceeds the limited allowed, thus preventing him/her from moving in a way that would be unsafe and could lead to an accident.

Do you have any doubts about these devices? Is there anything we can assist you with? Please, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Accidents are bound to happen – whether we invest all our efforts in education or whether we broadcast key safety and prevention regulations. However, we can take measures to cushion the impact that unforeseen events may have on us, on our work team or on our machinery. At Claitec we work towards this goal.

The Fall Protection System (FPS) is one of our most helpful developments in this aspect – a true ally when working in dangerous areas. This development consists of a retractile safety device anchored to a fixed element and connected to the worker’s safety harness. When a fall occurs the system is responsible for stopping the functioning of the machine and prevent any possible risks and greater damages.

The system is simple to install, and it consists of an anchorage point, an anti-fall mechanism, a retractable steel cable and a safety harness. When working in dangerous areas, the person must hook his or her harness to the retractable cable at the fixed mooring point so that if a fall occurs the anti-fall device will detect the situation and instantly send the signal to stop the plant’s machinery preventing the worker from falling towards other areas that might injure him or her further.

The shape and structure of the fixed mooring point should be sufficient to prevent the automatic disconnection and sliding of the device. The use of marked and certified fixed mooring points is recommended as stated by the European standard EN795.

Likewise, the pieces that make up the FPS system stand out for their durability and robustness, ensuring its correct operation in intensive work spaces and industrial zones that may require its permanent use. The system can be perfectly used in a wide range of hazardous areas of work such as in spaces with presses, shredders and compactors working actively – among many other possibilities.

The FPS is a great ally for our customers’ daily work and increasingly more companies are requesting the installation of this system in their work spaces. In addition, the FPS has been successfully complemented with the hazardous areas solution, of which we have spoken in previous posts. It’s important not to forget that, although today there are several retractable safety systems, the FPS system developed by Claitec is the first to warn and completely stop the machinery to protect the worker.

If you are keen to find out more about this system or would like further information about any of our products, don’t hesitate to contact us.

In other posts we’ve referenced Claitec’s commitment to innovation as one of the core values ​​that guide our daily work. Innovation helps us improve the service we offer our customers, however, we also feel that sometimes innovation must pay lip service to a common goal for all which, in this case, is our care for the environment.

Claitec has been committed for a long time to becoming an increasingly ecofriendly company. That’s why our goal is to advance in that direction and that’s why we attained the ISO 14001 environmental management systems certification for our processes – so that our commitment goes beyond mere words.

Our next challenge, – and one we’ve already made some important strides in -, consists in implementing as many Ecodesign techniques in our products as possible. This way we will ensure we’re heading in the right direction to optimize the environmental impact of our products at each stage of their life cycle.

What does Ecodesign mean exactly?

To produce, use and dispose of products generates a flow of materials, many of which can have a negative impact on the environment, whether in the form of pollution or in the form of waste. The Ecodesign or Products Ecology is responsible for studying this flow of materials resulting from product manufacturing, and it develops methods to reduce the negative effects on the environment.

The main objectives of Eco-design include:

• To minimise the use of materials and energy,
• To replace other materials that demonstrate improved environmental performance,
• To recover materials that can be reused.

Ecodesign in the life cycle of an industrial product

In order to put the theory in practice, a breakdown of the Ecodesign goals in each of the stages in the typical life cycle of an industrial product was also created:

Design: While it appears that the design of a product cannot have a real environmental impact, it is in fact, the stage that decides the type of materials that will be used and their quantity. In other words, the designer will have a direct impact on all the other stages of the cycle as far as their level of environmental friendliness is concerned.

Manufacturing: The goal of this stage is to improve the knowledge and decisions on the use of materials, waste reduction and pollution prevention. It also aims to minimise the amount of waste generated during the manufacturing process, to facilitate as much as possible the reutilisation of the materials and, of course, to make energy consumption as efficient as possible.

Product use: There are two main dimensions as far as adopting the most environmentally friendly use of a product but both are achieved in the same way: using the product in a responsible and efficient manner. The first dimension consists in using the product the bare minimum so as not to process materials and consume energy in vain. The second is to take care of the product in order to extend its life to the maximum. The longer a product lasts, the less materials and energy will be needed to make a replacement.

Recycling: This is the ultimate goal of all products made ecologically, i.e. that the vast majority of their materials can be reused. As mentioned above, this stage depends directly on product design, but it is also important to respect, and ensure that we are effectively leveraging reusable materials.

Technology delivers endless benefits to all our industries and the three tools that we will be discussing in this post are proof of it. Three valuable tools that support the different tasks performed by operators at our workspaces, protecting them from absent-mindedness or distractions and ultimately improving job safety and reducing accidents at work.

1. The T-10 R Badge, an adaptation of the inventive T-10R tag with the additional feature of being a card holder. In other words, the operator only carries one single object which includes two key elements: the safety tag and the personal identification card. These help prevent errors caused by forgetfulness, loss or distraction which, in many cases are the main cause of accidents or related problems.
   
   
2. The LSA Solution, an electronic safety system designed to limit the speed at which forklifts circulate. It complements the safety tools of cargo vehicles, and it reduces their speed in areas with operators or pedestrians. This solution is installed on the forklift and it automatically detects where speed limitation signals are located, generating the corresponding change in the vehicle’s gear without the need for human action, and thus protecting pedestrians and preventing accidents.
   
   
3. The TCS Solution, a Traffic Control System which segregates pedestrians and forklifts in a joint workspace. The TCS System does not depend on batteries or mobile devices, and it works completely passively – it does not require human attention. The TZ2-Tag devices are installed in warehouses to detect vehicles equipped with the AC-50 Activator. Traffic lights, signal beacons, safety gates and railings are also installed to segregate pedestrians, achieving exceptionally good results in preventing accidents and improving occupational safety in industries.
   
   

Do you have any questions on this topic? On any other issue? Do you need our advice on matters pertaining to safety at work?

Don’t hesitate to contact us! We are here to help!