Entrance terminal: a tool to better manage your flows in quarry

Within a quarry of aggregates, the management of the flow of delivery trucks is a major challenge. 

Fortunately, the evolution of information and communication technologies has created tools that cannot be ignored. In particular, the entrance terminal allows to gain in fluidity and security. 

But how does it work? What are its advantages? Find out everything you need to know about this essential solution for optimizing your distribution process. 

What is an input terminal?

Before considering the advantages of a kiosk, let's look at the problems it addresses and how it proposes to solve them.

A problem: the management of flows on the site

Flow management refers to the control of materials, components and products throughout the manufacturing and distribution chain. In a quarry of aggregates, it mainly concerns the flow of delivery trucks.

Today, the quarry industry faces two major issues in their flow management strategy.

Firstly, delivery trucks spend too much time on the site, especially during the weighing and loading process. Let's imagine: you welcome 10 trucks on your site every day. You spend 3 minutes welcoming them. On their side, they lose 2 minutes to orient themselves, 10 minutes to load and 5 minutes to validate the delivery. In the end, you could save 200 minutes (or 3 hours and 20 minutes) each day, which could be used for higher value-added missions.

Secondly, the movements of the drivers and employees are multiple and represent a risk for their safety: collision with a machine, exposure to dust, back problems... Moreover, soliciting two people (the driver and the weighing agent) represents a waste of time.

Better flow management allows you to deliver faster to your customer, ensure the safety of your employees and maintain production rates.

A solution: the entry point

The entry terminal welcomes vehicles at quarry, directs them to the right loading docks and validates their departure from the site. Technically, it is a watertight metal cabinet (the "hardware") combined with software (the "software"). 

Technical features may vary depending on the model. However, a kiosk generally includes the following essentials:

• capacity : 2000 tickets ;
• industrial microprocessor motherboard ;
• backlit 7-inch TFT color display ;
• steel body with anti-corrosion treatment ;
• vehicle presence detector ;
• light button when the vehicle arrives;
• thermoventilated heating element.

Some options can also be added, for example:

• integrated IP camera ;
• RAL color of your choice ;
• Raised base for truck use;
• Mifare proximity reader or digicode for subscribers;
• digital or IP intercom system;
• license plate recognition ;
• transmission of technical alerts by SMS.

3 reasons to adopt the entrance terminal in your quarry

A control terminal allows you to stabilize the distribution and boost your activity. Zoom on the advantages of this type of installation.

1. Optimize the supply chain

Goodsupply chain management is a real competitive advantage for your quarry aggregates business. It helps you to guarantee the performance of your production line, to optimize your profitability... but also to improve the image of your company, since you can deliver faster!

Traffic management is a key element in this logistics chain. Drivers spend a great deal of time interacting with quarry staff throughout the site.

This interaction time becomes compressible thanks to the entry terminals, because they manage the arrivals and exits of the site, as well as the circulation in the quarry and the passage in tipping.

For example, upon arrival: the terminal automatically captures the license plate, the weighing agent validates the entry on site with a click from his computer, a loading slip is printed on the terminal for the driver.

So you reduce :

• movement of people on the site
• manual actions
• duplicate information

2. Reduce its impact on the environment

Imagine the carbon impact of dozens of truck engines running continuously.

The installation of a service station is an effective solution and fits perfectly into a CSR (corporate social responsibility) project.

Since the trucks no longer have to wait in line, they reduce the time it takes to fire up their engines.

There are two advantages to this:

• the reduction of CO2 emissions
• reduction of noise pollution for residents and employees

3. Provide better working conditions

Thanks to the entry terminal, the driver no longer has to get off the truck to physically meet the weighing agent. He goes directly to the terminal to check the delivery location, the customer's needs and the quantity of materials to be recovered.

By limiting the flow of traffic and walking, the checkpoint improves the safety of people on site.

With the exchange of information made more reliable, and even automated, employees can free up their time to devote to more relevant tasks... for example, those focused on skills development!

How does an entry point work? The example of Synaxe

The entry and exit terminal is a great asset for your quarry . But how does it work in practice? Without further ado, discover the solution Synaxe.

The Dune solution Borne de Synaxe

The main objective of Synaxe 's customers is to automate and optimize the logistics chain between the arrival of empty trucks at quarry and their departure loaded. 

Synaxe has therefore designed a complete business intelligence solution dedicated to production sites such as quarries : "Dune".

The latter is divided into 5 modules:

1. Dune Production, which allows to control the production of aggregates in an intelligent way.
2. Dune Loading, which transmits information to the extractors in order to perform an accurate loading.
3. Dune Efficiency, which collects data and analyzes performance and productivity indicators.
4. Dune Borne, which manages the flow of trucks.
5. SX Delivery, which sends a digitalized delivery note to the driver's smartphone.

If we return to the central subject, the input terminals...

Synaxe proposes an installation of monitoring, transmission and collection of information in real time. Here is a step-by-step example of how it works:

1. Using a camera, the kiosk detects the vehicle's license plate when it arrives at quarry.
2. It then broadcasts an automatic message, which allows the weighing agent to validate the arrival of the truck.
3. If he wants, the driver can print the map of quarry to find his way.
4. He then goes to the loading area.
5. The stock area receptionist receives the information on a digital tablet.
6. The truck is loaded.
7. Back at the weighing point, the plate and the weight are read automatically.
8. A message is sent to the tipping agent and the driver can print the delivery note.

This solution is tailor-made for each customer and can be connected to an ERP system.

An example: the Gennevilliers logistics area

What if we told you that the Synaxe terminal was involved in the 2024 Olympic Games? The objective: to automate and ensure the fluidity of traffic on the Gennevilliers logistics area. Located in the Hauts-de-Seine department, this area will host the Olympic and Paralympic infrastructures in 2024.

In collaboration with Colas, Aximum and Clauss Pesage, Synaxe is setting up a system to regulate the flow of heavy goods vehicles, including

• tactile access control terminals;
• a software developed by Synaxe ;
• ANPR cameras for license plate recognition;
• a reservation system via QR code;
• a giant screen to inform users.

A true consecration for our innovative solution!

If you want to understand how kiosks can be an asset to your site or simply receive a quote, contact us here!