The area where the plant is located is 400 hectare and it has the capacity to manufacture over 100 000 vehicles a year and currently produces the Mercedes B-class compact models. It is situated 90 kilometres outside the capital city, Budapest and has created employment for some 3 000 workers.
Motorola partner Fercom surpassed several major competitors to win the contract for a MOTOTRBO digital radio system with Neocom’s TRBOnet Enterprise dispatcher software to manage communications between security guards, the on-site fire department and maintenance teams. Radio users can be tracked and monitored in real time with a TRBOnet Indoor system, which uses beacons to locate personnel quickly and easily in an emergency.
The challenge:
The large buildings and extensive metal machinery used at the Mercedes-Benz factory can pose a challenge for wireless telecommunications, as they interfere with radio transmissions. Analogue radio is particularly susceptible and interference can result in inaudible communications and limited range.
Although digital radio is not immune to interference, it has the ability to reconstitute the original voice quality throughout the coverage area, delivering clearer communications over an extended range. To optimise communications throughout the plant, Fercom had to give careful consideration as to where to install the repeater and antenna system.
Additionally, GPS signals generally don’t work indoors, so an alternative solution had to be found for identifying the location of radio users. Neocom integrated a K-TERM70 beacon and option board developed by Kilchherr Elektronik to develop the TRBOnet Indoor tracking system. Each time a radio user passes a beacon in the plant, it transmits a unique ID which is detected by the option board in the radio and transmitted over the voice channel, back to the control room. This data is then transferred via the TRBOnet Enterprise dispatcher software onto a 2-D map to pinpoint the exact location of the user.
The solution:
Using a single DR 3000 repeater with full redundancy to cover the entire plant, Fercom was able to deliver reliable, integrated voice and data communications to Mercedes-Benz’s security, maintenance and emergency response personnel.
Motorola’s Repeater Diagnostics and Control (RDAC) software enables the repeater to be managed remotely, so the control room can react quickly if a technical problem arises. In the unlikely event of a failure on the primary repeater, the antenna commander system can be used to automatically switch over to a secondary repeater, to minimise any disruption to communications.
Mercedes-Benz’s staffare using DP 3600 portable display radios with full keypad, programmable buttons and text messaging capability, allowing them to choose the most efficient means of communicating. The battery provides up to 13 hours of talk time, keeping work groups in contact throughout extended shifts.
All voice and data messages are recorded by the TRBOnet Enterprise application, which helps dispatchers to monitor user activity, send scheduled text messages and identify whether a radio is switched on or off. In an emergency situation, the control room is able to respond quickly and effectively by linking multiple talkgroups at the touch of a button and using the one-call function to override all communications.
The benefit:
Whether they’re operating independently or interacting with other groups, the MOTOTRBO radio system delivers businesscritical communications to workers across the plant, enhancing co-operation and decision-making to promote efficiency and safety for Mercedes-Benz’s diverse work teams.
Security guards patrolling the plant have the reassurance of reliable, clear communications throughout the area and managers can react quickly to machine breakdowns, locate engineers more easily to minimize downtime and alert staff instantly if there is a safety risk.
The factory’s fire brigade also depends on the system to co-ordinate a rapid response in an emergency situation and is able to identify the exact location of personnel to aid rescue operations.
Product Name:
- 26 DP 3600 portable MOTOTRBO radios
- 36 active patrol control points (K-TERM70 Beacon)
- 1 DM 3600 MOTOTRBO dispatch radio
- TRBOnet Enterprise dispatcher application