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The scene is Mexico, 10 July 2003. The last VW Beetle rolls off the production line - and with it a legend. A symbol of the German economic miracle, a film star and a cult object in its own right, the 'Bug' had a place in the hearts of whole generations. Today, the popular little car continues to fly the flag for the world's fourth biggest automotive manufacturer: Volkswagen. Nowadays the team from Wolfsburg offer a top-class mix of brands, from Volkswagen passenger cars and commercial vehicles, Škoda, Audi and SEAT to the start-studded names of Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Phaeton. All 44 production plants worldwide, whether at home in Europe or in far-off Asia, are subject to the same stringent security requirements. And Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH in Mosel, the centre of production for the Golf and Passat saloon and the manufacturer of car bodies for Bentley and Phaeton, is no exception. The 1,800,000 square metre site is now gradually being equipped with a digital locking system from SimonsVoss.
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It was in 1990 that Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH built its Zwickau-Mosel vehicle production plant in one of Germany's most traditional car manufacturing regions. Here, manpower and power cars are inseparable: through the efforts of the 6,200-strong workforce over 2.7 million Golfs and Passats have rolled off the production line to date.
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Security check in Saxony.
When you build up to 1,200 cars a day, security is a top priority. And at VW, it takes many forms: employees need to be protected against accidents, while buildings, equipment, technology and other facilities need to be protected against fire, theft, break-in and damage. In addition, many things in the plant are confidential. Plans, data and design documentation are not allowed to leave the site on any account. The only way to ensure this level of security is with an access control system that seamlessly controls who has access to which buildings and top-security areas. Since the 1990s access control at Mosel has been organised and managed by the plant security team's 'locksmith's shop'. Back then the VW plant consisted of just five buildings instead of today's 28 and was protected by a mechanical system of locks.
Jens Riedel, responsible for the locksmith's shop, recalls: "The plant grew quickly, and so did the challenges we faced. With a mechanical system you're limited in how you can react to changes in structure. A cylinder is always assigned to a certain structure. If it changes, the cylinder goes with it - and you quickly reach your limits." What do you do if master keys are lost? When cylinders don't fit new doors? Replace them, or just leave them as they are to cut down costs - and accept the protracted security risk? Not to mention the high levels of wear that occur on sensitive mechanical parts. A completely different solution was called for - in the form of a new system. At a trade fair in 2000, Riedel discovered what was then brand new digital locking technology from SimonsVoss.
The System 3060 has made SimonsVoss the market and technology leader for digital battery-operated locking and access control systems. This system enables the user to perform a wide range of tasks flexibly, securely and from the comfort of a PC, regardless of company size, number of cylinders and number of users. These tasks include locking, selective access control and restriction and the activation of alarm systems. Instead of a key, a small digital miracle-worker - the transponder - opens doors, cabinets and gates and controls lifts, machinery and lighting, all at the touch of a button.
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Passed with flying colours.
The managers were impressed with the concept of a keyless plant. Initially, the system was trialled for three months in VW Sachsen's testing hall. After it performed well in the test period, VW gave the green light in Mosel in 2002 and digital locking cylinders with a logging function and a complete door monitoring system were installed in one of the high-security areas, the Bentley/Phaeton production line. "This provides optimum protection for our top-security areas," says Riedel. "If an unauthorised person enters the zone, we can trace who was where and when in the blink of an eye. An automatic alarm also goes off to warn us and the plant security team." For additional protection, every radio transmission of data is encrypted to prevent electronic forgery and bugging. And because all the electronic components are housed securely inside the cylinder, they are protected against vandalism and manipulation.
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Simplify, simplify.
Because all the elements in the system have their own battery, not a single cable is required to install or refit a cylinder - or the other innovation from SimonsVoss, the digital Smart Relay. This makes assembly a breeze, as Riedel confirms: "It takes a matter of minutes." As an intelligent interface, the Smart Relay enables you to activate outer gates using a transponder. Just a click and you're through - so long as you have authorisation.
All access authorisation management and programming work takes place on a PC. Jens Riedel, who knows the site like the back of his hand, started by working out a systematic structure for the access control plan. "You have to do the groundwork properly." He recently began working with the Locking System Management software (LSM). The LSM offers even more features including filter, search and sorting functions. With just a click of the mouse he can view the floor plan of any building, check who is allowed to access which areas and where each type of cylinder is installed. "Even though the locks are operated more than 500 times a day, I always have a clear overview of the situation and can make all the necessary changes without even leaving my seat."
Overall, Riedel is impressed: "I no longer have to grapple with allocations like I did with the mechanical system. Nowadays, when the use of a room or the role of an employee changes, I just give the cylinder a different name." Lost keys are no longer a problem either. If a transponder is misplaced, it is simply blocked - and that's all there is to it.
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Developing along clean lines.
Whether it's the Golf GTI or the regal Bentley Continental GT, at Volkswagen, clean lines are essential. So in summer 2006, it was decided that Mosel would switch in the long run to a single access control system - the SimonsVoss system. Since then, the entire plant has been gradually 'digitalised'. Around 25% of all buildings on the site have already been equipped with the new technology. The user feedback is excellent: "Most of the staff and management are delighted because they don't have to carry around bunches of keys any more. And at the end of the day, it's for their own safety too."
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A successful journey.
The new system has required no repairs and has never broken down. For Jens Riedel, the System 3060 is great fun to run. "In big companies everything moves very quickly and things get restructured. So not only does the access control system have to be highly secure and flexible, it has to be well-designed from the outset and down to the last user. Digital technology is the perfect solution, and much more cost-effective." He also praises the fast, expert customer service.
Contact Information
Nicole Huffer
SimonsVoss Technologies AG
SimonsVoss Technologies AG
Feringastrasse 4
85774 Unterfoehring
Germany
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