Keeping production flowing at WineWorks

At WineWorks’ Marlborough site in New Zealand, around 45,000 bottles of wine can be bottled every hour. Keeping that operation running smoothly means every movement counts, including the trailers transporting products between buildings. When the wine bottling and distribution specialist expanded its site, it needed a secure, efficient way to manage access for these trailers and other vehicles. Nedap’s long-range UHF RFID identification technology helps authorised vehicles move through doors and gates without stopping, keeping products and production flowing.

Extending the site created a new access control challenge

Business growth brought a familiar challenge: WineWorks needed more space. The answer was an additional building beyond the existing site boundary but with a waterway separating the two, moving products between buildings required a practical solution.

WineWorks explored an automated conveyor system, but transporting pallets this way proved complex and costly. Instead, the team chose an electric tug towing trailers. That solved the transport challenge, but raised another question: how could authorized trailers and other vehicles move securely through the site without slowing down operations?

The challenge: Efficient access control for material handling equipment

Vehicle Access
WineWorks needed to ensure only authorised vehicles and trailers could access its buildings. The system had to maintain security, keep vehicles moving efficiently, and allow WineWorks to define the conditions for access.
Integration with an existing system
The solution also needed to work with the site’s existing access control and alarm system, including its automated gate and doors.

The solution: A convenient extension to access control

Long-range identification, from trailers to an electric scooter
WineWorks consulted their security partners, Advanced Security, who suggested using Nedap’s long-range UHF RFID identification technology. The solution combines uPASS Target readers with UHF heavy-duty tags fitted to the vehicles and trailers. The uPASS solution was supplied by Nedap’s longstanding distributor ISCS.

The readers identify the tags from a distance, allowing authorised access without drivers having to stop. Today, the technology supports the electric tug trailers, forklifts across the site, and even the infrastructure team’s electric scooter.
Seamless integration
Nedap uPASS Target long-range UHF RFID readers are integrated with the site’s existing access control and alarm system, managed by ICT Protégé GX. The readers are also integrated with traffic lights indicating when vehicles are operating in the area.

“Adding the Nedap uPASS system to our existing access control ensures fast, efficient movement of material handling equipment across our facility, while maintaining security and compliance. It’s allowed us to set up a solution that’s smooth, quiet, economical, and emissions-free, rather than using trucks for short haul movement.” Anthony Barnes, Project Manager, WineWorks

Raising a glass to a range of benefits

For WineWorks, the benefits are felt in everyday operations: smoother vehicle movements, controlled access, and fewer interruptions to the working day.

Streamlined access
When the trailers, forklifts, or scooters approach a door or gate, it opens smoothly, with no delay.
Improved security
Tags fixed to the equipment reduce the risk of identifiers being lost, left behind, or shared between vehicles. When equipment is replaced, the tags can be transferred to the replacement.
Increased efficiency
This system gives WineWorks a cost-effective way to quickly and securely identify vehicles at a distance, and keep production moving.
User friendly
There’s no need for drivers to stop or get out of the vehicle. If it has a tag fitted, they can continue on their way and get on with their work.

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