The local deployment of IXM Titan was handled by South Africa-based integration specialists, Bluewhale Digital. Bluewhale Digital has 35 years experience in the South Africa mining sector, and after assessing a number of products, chose IXM Titan for its specifications, build quality and ability to handle the unique challenges posed at the mine.

Mining operations like Crocodile River Mine require extremely rugged security equipment. Invixium’s IXM Titan is crafted with an all-aluminum body and a Corning Gorilla Glass LCD screen to withstand the harshest environmental conditions, from exposure to dust and sand, to high impacts caused by nearby mine blasts. With an existing HRMS installed, Eastplats requires full feature integration with their time and attendance access control hardware. Shift schedules and breathalyser results need to be checked to enter the mine, and Titan’s time tracking data would be used to calculate payroll. Further, Eastplats’s Covid-19 response demands that temperature screening and mask detection be added to its access control protocol for thousands of employees and visitors at every shift, adding complexity to an already-intricate integration.

IXM TITAN with Enhancement Kit can touchlessly authenticate and temperature-screen 12 to 15 users per minute. Thousands of employees and the overall business risk monumental financial losses from delays in entry; thus, speed is a top factor in biometric hardware selection.

“Our concern was for the safety and wellbeing of the Eastplats employees as well as addressing the large amount of time spent on collation and reporting for regulatory requirements,” said Matthew Simpson, Director at Bluewhale Digital. “In the midst of a global pandemic, we needed a way to safely and reliably move 500 people through turnstiles during shift change. We needed to do it with no physical contact, and in line with South Africa’s lockdown regulations.”

Using IXM Titan Bluewhale Digital was able to integrate employee identification and touchless core body temperature scanning, with Eastplats’ existing time and attendance system and their multilayered security infrastructure. This, along with an automated system for restricting access until a COVID-19 declaration statement was signed by all those entering the mine, ensured Eastplats received a fully integrated solution that reduced paperwork and reporting time, and prioritised the health and safety of all mine employees.

Following a successful proof of concept trial with four IXM TITAN with Enhancement Kit units, Eastplats plans to add additional Invixium solutions at more entry points to Crocodile River Mine. Due to the ease of installation and integration with their existing system, Eastplats is highly satisfied with the increase in productivity and peace of mind provided by the Invixium solution.

Invixium is represented by its authorised distributor Pyro-Tech Security Suppliers, located in Johannesburg, and Invixium’s presence in South Africa has grown significantly since its regional launch in 2019.