ELATEC RFID improves security for materials handling equipment

The customer provides telematics solutions for materials handling equipment such as forklifts and other powered industrial trucks. They integrate RFID into their telematics hardware for user identification and access control.

RFID provides a higher level of security than physical key or PIN systems and enables driver identities to be matched with equipment for behavioural tracking and compliance management. Their clients use the same corporate ID cards that employees use for front door access to enable access to industrial vehicles for authorised employees.

A customer needed a reliable RFID reader solution that could be integrated with their telematics system for forklifts and industrial trucks.

Simplifying inventory management 

The customer wanted a single reader that would work with all of the technologies used by their customers

Previously, they purchased RFID readers from two different companies to accommodate the different card technologies their clients were using. Using multiple readers created challenges for inventory management and did not accommodate all of the possible technologies their customers might use.

It also limited their ability to accommodate customers that used a mix of technologies at different locations or who changed technologies after implementation. The customer wanted a single reader that would work with all of the technologies used by their customers.

Challenges

• Readers/writers must provide secure and accurate user identification and access control to protect valuable equipment and ensure safety.
• Must read all of the card technologies their clients might be using.
• Must integrate with their existing telematics hardware and software.
• Must be easy to reconfigure for new technologies or functionality.

A robust access control solution in a small space

It has to be fast and easy to update to activate new card technologies or upgrade firmware

The reader had to provide secure, reliable user identification and access control to help their customers improve safety and compliance for their industrial fleets.

It also had to fit within the limited space inside their telematics hardware and connect to their backend software systems to enable driver behavioural management, safety, and compliance tracking. Finally, it has to be fast and easy to update to activate new card technologies or upgrade firmware to meet emerging functionality and security requirements.

Solutions

• The ELATEC TWN4 MultiTech 3 is robust enough to support high-security applications for user identification and access control.
• Configurable for more than 60 card technologies.
• Compact design easily fits the form factor of their telematics box.
• Easily reconfigurable for a “future proof” product solution.

The ELATEC TWN4 MultiTech 3 supports all of the card technologies used by their customers, enabling them to simplify inventory management, serve customers using multiple technologies and maximise their market opportunities.

Results

• The customer has deployed nearly 10,000 ELATEC readers in forklifts and industrial trucks to improve safety, security, and compliance for industrial fleets.
• They were able to replace the two readers they used previously with a single part number for streamlined inventory management.

TWN4 MultiTech 3: One reader that does it all

The TWN4 MultiTech 3 met all of their requirements with a robust, “future-proof” user identification and access control solution that provides superior security for industrial equipment.

The TWN4 MultiTech 3 is configurable for 60+ card technologies, maximising their market opportunities and helping them better serve customers using multiple technologies. The compact design fits easily into their existing telematics box; ELATEC created a custom wire harness and wrapped the unit in shock-absorbing foam. The readers are easily reconfigured with a contactless card.