With features such as the electro-mechanical meter, the direction rotation sensor and a user-friendly design according to university specifications, the turnstiles were also chosen for their high throughput capacity. Each turnstile allows one person to pass every two seconds—a very important feature during rush hours when lines grow long quickly as students try to get to class on time and employees want to reach their offices.

The University of Antioquia was the first campus in Colombia to be declared of Cultural Interest on the National Level by the Office of Property of the Columbian Ministry of Culture. It is also the second oldest university in the country, founded back in 1803.

In order to enter the campus, students, staff and other members of the community use a “TIP” (an RFID smart card or Tarjeta de Identificación Personal) to verify their identity. Hueiman Montoya, from the security integrator company, Segurtec Limitada, explained, “The basic requirements at the university were very clear: they wanted to control who entered the campus using the TIP, which was adopted by university authorities some years ago and also works as a pass card for the Metro train system.”

Rubén Vélez, leader of the university’s Security Department, recounted how Boon Edam met the specific requirements of the institution as the turnstiles “are designed to handle high traffic robustly, which is important because sometimes certain protests and other high-volume gatherings occur inside the campus. In addition, they complied with the specifications of the public bid, such as how many users the equipment must handle per minute, the warranties and servicing periods.”

The C-Cure9000 is the access control software used at the University, which integrates seamlessly with Boon Edam’s turnstiles and is also capable of managing many other security systems simultaneously. Regarding the access control system, the software can manage the access level of each TIP card, from the highest clearance level granting access to all areas to basic access, granting entry only through turnstiles at the main entrances.

The turnstiles have been working non-stop since 2010, from 5:45 AM to 10 PM, with only short preventive maintenance service breaks requiring minimal replacement or repair.

Installation of the Boon Edam turnstiles has created fundamental, positive change for the university. Before installation, long rush hour lines at the entrances were a regular sight, and something students, staff and visitors had to suffer every day. The previous method to verify everyone’s identity was to show a paper card and wait for the security staff to check every bag and briefcase before granting access. Now, long lines are a thing of the past: people just touch their TIP to the installed turnstile reader and the system quickly authorises access.