The Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH goes for the security of VERSO CLIQ offers us the greatest flexibility and double protection”

Munich – As a global group and world leader in manufacture of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles, at Knorr-Bremse a flexible and secure locking system forms an essential part of the company security: With the IKON locking system VERSO CLIQ, the Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH is going for an intelligent mechatronic system that combines highly developed microelectronics with intelligent data encryption. Thus not only is security guaranteed but also flexibility and cost-effectiveness: For changes of access authorizations or loss of keys the relevant locking cylinders can be reprogrammed in the shortest time.

Knorr-Bremse is the leading manufacturer worldwide of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles. Furthermore Knorr-Bremse has also achieved an internationally significant market position in the area of on-board systems for rail vehicles, particularly for door systems, air-conditioning technology and power supply systems. In the commercial vehicle sector the product portfolio of the company with Head Office in Munich also includes, alongside braking systems, torsional vibration dampers for combustion engines that are similarly used worldwide. The control of the group which employs over 13 000 people is carried out over the Europe, North and South America regions and also Asia/Australia for which respective market and customer demands the global development of the group caters.  This regional organizational structure is tailored to be able to offer the customers worldwide uniform technical platforms while taking account of local conditions. Furthermore it guarantees the supply of regional customers with globally tried and tested systems and components. “For a company with such an enormous development, sales and production network throughout the world, a comprehensive security concept including a high-quality locking system is a basic prerequisite,” explains Harald Voce Departmental Head of Security & General Office at Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH.

Restructuring cost-effectively and securely

Above all at the Knorr-Bremse Head Office in Munich where large parts of the worldwide data processing centre of the group is accommodated, a high level of security must be guaranteed. “The VERSO CLIQ locking system from the ASSA ABLOY Sicherheitstechnik GmbH forms an essential part of our total security concept in this,” according to Voce. At the same time – because of a new building project at the Head Office in Munich – 800 jobs were relocated into the new premises in a first phase. “Further relocations will follow,” Harald Voce knows. “For this we are dependent on a highly flexible locking system, which VERSO CLIQ offers us.”

The aspect of cost-effectiveness also plays a significant part in this: “The VERSO CLIQ system has already paid for itself in 13 months. Because of the relocations and restructuring of the departments the layout has changed again and again. Because of this we would have had not only to dismantle the old locking systems completely but also constantly replace the locking cylinders." With VERSO CLIQ access authorizations can now be newly assigned by simple reprogramming within the shortest time. Authorized access to a lost key can also be immediately removed by reprogramming the cylinders. “The reprogramming time and effort is really small," assures Harald Voce.

Flexible access rules with highly developed microelectronics

Before security was provided at Knorr-Bremse with VERSO CLIQ, two mechanical locking systems and an access control system were used. “The locking systems were outdated,” says Harald Voce, “on the one hand there was a lack of flexible access rules, and on the other hand we detected a loss of data that was promoted by the old systems.” Grounds for the security specialist at Knorr-Bremse to change to a mechatronic locking system. “It was clear to us that we needed access restriction for certain areas; for others however access control - VERSO CLIQ meets these requirements for flexibility and security.” Harald Voce is also convinced by the technology behind it: “The combination of highly developed microelectronics with intelligent data encryption in a secure, mechanical cylinder locking system offers us double security and with it the protection that we need.”

Everything with one key

A further decision criterion for the ASSA ABLOY Sicherheitstechnik GmbH IKON locking system was the input of time slots. With VERSO CLIQ the access authorizations can be temporarily activated – for example for short term contracts or external service providers. “Further advantages are the design of VERSO CLIQ that has no projecting parts on the locks, the power supply that goes to the key and does not need any complicated expensive wiring and also the simple handling of the software user surface,” Voce is pleased. Also the fact that ASSA ABLOY Sicherheitstechnik GmbH supplies VERSO CLIQ for all areas of use was the crucial factor in the decision: “In the management area of our business everything is now operated with one key – from the doors to the cupboards and the desk drawers – and it is programmed individually for each member of the management.”

Global partner for uniform implementation

In the choice of the locking system the Münchener Schlüsseldienst [Munich Key Service] was helpful as together with Knorr-Bremse it drew up a service specification and carried out a product comparison. “We looked for a standard that we could use worldwide in our factories. With ASSA ABLOY as a worldwide group we have gone for an international partner that can offer us tailor-made system solutions for our requirements as a globally active company worldwide. We are more than satisfied with our choice,” confirms Voce.