Packaging
RFID TAGS FROM UPM RAFLATAC STREAMLINE FERRY TRAFFIC TO HAILUOTO
Friday 12. December 2008 - UPM Raflatac is supplying RFID tags to the Finnish Road Administrations vehicle identification pilot for car ferry traffic to and from Hailuoto island. The pilot aims to ensure a smooth passage for all travellers, but especially for professional traffic and local residents. Before the pilot, misuse of a priority driving lane was a continual hindrance to these two groups.
In the Hailuoto area, a licence with an embedded RFID tag has been sent to all drivers entitled to use the priority lane to the ferry. When boarding the ferry, drivers hold the RFID licence to the side windows of their vehicles, and the system automatically identifies appropriate licences and grants access. Readers can identify RFID-tagged licences through a window even from a distance of several metres. As a result, access control to the ferry has significantly improved.
In the automated access control used in Hailuoto the readers are connected to a server program via a mobile network (GPRS). Administrators can follow and control the ferry traffic in real time and from any location with a web browser. The complete RFID solution has been developed by Vilant Systems.
Thanks to encapsulation, the year-round RFID solution endures challenging outdoor conditions like rain and frost – an essential requirement due to Hailuotos location in Bothnia, in the northern Baltic Sea. UPM Raflatacs inlays were selected for the pilot based on reliable performance and an excellent read range.
“UHF RFID technology offers an automated, reliable and robust means for personnel and vehicle tracking. The pilot uses cost-effective passive RFID tags in vehicle identification, and is thus a remarkable opening even on the larger scale,” says Jari Ovaskainen, Business Development Director, UPM Raflatac RFID.
The Finnish Road Administrations RFID pilot began in June 2008.