The client has one of the largest agro-industrial productions in Ukraine, specializing in crop farming, poultry farming, and meat processing. In particular, the company produces and distributes chicken and cattle, hatching eggs, fodder, and finished goods.
Challenge
Reduce production costs by digitizing security, optimizing engineering supervision, transportation control, and distribution
The need to reconsider the approach to security first arose in poultry farms. One production area for poultry farming is a complex of buildings on a 100,000 square meters territory. There are dozens of such areas in an open field with distances of over a kilometer between them. Protecting such facilities poses a significant challenge.
There was a need for a future-proof technological solution to address all the security concerns. It would require a significant initial investment, but ultimately, it will save money in the long run. The solution should provide complex security measures, such as enhanced intrusion protection, and optimize security management. And just like that, the security reboot project for the poultry farms has started.
After implementing Ajax systems in poultry farms, there was a growing demand for security optimization in office buildings, elevators, stores, and transportation. With Ajax integration modules, company engineers can now use third-party devices to monitor the water supply in poultry houses.
Despite the diversity and remote location of the facilities, the security service of the company was looking for a solution that would help organize the monitoring process in a single monitoring center. The company wanted to digitize processes and synchronize Ajax systems with its software.
Solution
Thousands of wireless devices, hubs, range extenders, and professional monitoring software
The project implementation has led to a reduction in the number of security personnel. The Secur installers and the agri-industrial company’s security service have jointly developed three security perimeters for each production area. These boundaries help detect intruders when they enter the area, giving the response team enough time to arrive. Consequently, it is no longer necessary to maintain an armed guard staff at each poultry farm.
Inner perimeter
The inner perimeter protects the entrance to each poultry house. For that purpose, the MotionProtect Outdoor Jeweller detectors were installed. Devices perfectly withstand the challenging conditions of the entrance vestibule, which include high humidity, temperature fluctuations, and frequently used solutions for disinfection. With the IP55 enclosure, the detector maintains its efficiency even in an aggressive environment.
The StreetSiren Jeweller outdoor sirens are installed in the yards of poultry houses. If any detector at the facility is triggered, the sirens loudly notify about the alarm.
The Hub 2 Jeweller control panels and the ReX Jeweller range extenders manage the detectors and sirens. Since the facilities have an unstable cell signal, each hub has two SIM cards inserted. If one of the SIM cards doesn’t provide proper communication, the system immediately switches to the other SIM card to ensure non-stop security monitoring.
Hub 2 Jeweller and ReX Jeweller are designed for indoor use, but the specifics of the location require an outdoor placement. For this, the installers used specially designed sealed radio-transparent boxes that save the heat generated by the power supply unit. These boxes provide the necessary temperature and humidity values for equipment to operate correctly.
Middle perimeter
The company’s security service uses outdoor security cameras for surveillance to monitor the inner territory around the production area, which is the middle perimeter. The Secur installers have suggested optimizing surveillance by reducing the number of cameras. To do this, they used only rotating cameras in pairs with Ajax Relay Jeweller and configured automation scenarios.
A rotating security camera has multiple dry contacts programmed for specific directions and angles of rotation. Each contact is connected to the Ajax relay programmed to rotate the camera in response to motion detected in designated sectors of the protected area.
Thus, the number of cameras was minimized: they are installed only at turns and in corners inside the perimeter.
Outer perimeter
When it comes to a poultry house, protecting the outer perimeter is the most complicated task. The main challenge is thermal interference. The ventilation system of each poultry house discharges excess warm and moist air into the passage between the fence and the wall. This makes it impractical to use an IR detector directed along the fence. Using a vibration optical fiber alarm cable along the entire fence is an expensive solution that is also challenging to maintain.
That’s where MotionCam Outdoor Jeweller came in handy. The detectors were installed not along the fence but in pairs for each passage between poultry houses opposite each other so they do not respond to any steam. When it comes to an actual intrusion, both detectors capture and send an animated series of photos to Ajax apps. The detectors provide informative images even in complete darkness with HDR technology and IR backlight.
Photo verification helps avoid using a wide channel connection and reduces internet traffic. Considering the remoteness of the facilities and sometimes the lack of fiber-optic communications, this solution easily replaces video surveillance while providing the same informativeness of alarms.
Single monitoring center
Ajax Cloud helps fully synchronize all the security systems installed at the facilities. Thus, all security information has been analyzed in a single monitoring center that operates 24/7 with two on-site operators. When an alarm is triggered, the operator receives the alarm notification and information about the detector’s name, location, and time of triggering. Additionally, photo verification confirms whether the alarm is real or false. The addressability feature of each Ajax device helps to identify the exact location of the alarm, allowing for a rapid response unit to be dispatched to the right place. The standard time for the unit to reach the scene is up to 7 minutes.
Engineering supervision
Engineers installed pipes with third-party pressure detectors inside to maintain the necessary humidity level in poultry houses. Pressure drops in the pipes indicate a possible water leak, which means the chicken brood can be flooded.
Pressure detectors were integrated into the Ajax system via the Transmitter Jeweller and MultiTransmitter Jeweller integration modules. If the pressure drops inside the pipe, the monitoring operator receives an alarm and sends an engineer to the specific poultry house.
Protecting the stores
The company has an extensive distribution network. For example, there are over 150 stores that sell finished products only in Ukraine. Each new store is equipped with an Ajax system. The system configuration is selected individually to suit the specifics of the premises. Alarms are monitored by security companies that have rapid response units patrolling near the store. Thanks to the multi-subscription feature, several security companies can monitor one store simultaneously. And with the PRO Desktop app, the company’s security service monitors the work of both contractors and stores in real time.
Why Ajax
Effective cost optimization by replacing physical staff with professional security equipment. The renovation of security and monitoring by implementing Ajax systems started four years ago. This ongoing project is being done step by step, considering all production processes. By switching to Ajax, the agro-industrial company now saves approximately $215,000 annually on security costs.
Quick installation without interrupting production processes. Wireless devices minimize preparatory work, such as cable management or providing supporting infrastructure.
Enhancing security by using a future-proof system with regular updates and new features. With the constant development of the Ajax system and over-the-air updates received by all hubs, the company’s security service can continuously improve the protection of all objects. New software features become available without the need for equipment replacement. Continuous support from Ajax integrators and developers will also help scale the security project for other company business units.
24/7 technical support and maintenance without on-site visits. With the ability to configure the system remotely, the company can develop security with minimal resources.
