RFID Tracking of Grape Bins in Wine Cellars
The Winzergemeinschaft Franken eG (GWF) is one of the six largest winegrowers' cooperatives in Germany. 2,100 winegrowers are members of the GWF and grow grapes on 1200 hectares of vineyards. The yield is 1,200 tons of grapes per year.
The grapes from the individual winegrowers and their vineyards reach the GWF winery in Kitzingen, Franconia, by delivery in 600kg containers. The GWF needed a solution for storing and managing the 2,000 containers of grapes delivered each harvest season. The aim of the winegrowers' cooperative is to track each container of grapes in the cellar warehouse and to efficiently control its transport to the various stations such as the storage yard, the mash storage vat or the grape press.
(Image Sources: GWF, deister electronic)
Process Requirements
The GWF winery produces red and white wine from a total of 25 different grape varieties. The production processes of the different wines vary depending on the grape variety. Precise identification of each grape container and its contents, origin and the intended processing of the grapes ensures the correct assignment to the respective production process and a high wine quality.
The transport of the grape containers in the warehouse is carried out with forklifts. The goal of the GWF is to control this transport within the winery using a central software application by directly transmitting transport orders to the forklift drivers. When picking up each individual container, a quick recognition of grape quantity, origin and grape variety is required to retrieve the transport order and to display the storage location.
Objectives of the Winzergemeinschaft Franken eG
- To accurately identify each container of grapes, including grape quantity, origin, and grape variety, and to track them in the cellar warehouse
- To quickly communicate driving orders and storage locations of each grape bin to forklift drivers
- To reduce the workload for forklift truck drivers in warehouse logistics
- To control transports within the warehouse via a central software application
The GWF Solution
All grape containers are equipped with four RFID tags each, which contain information on grape quantity, origin and grape variety. The grape containers are picked up by forklifts equipped with an RFID wide-range reader and equipped with an ENTIAC COM box and tablet.
When the grape containers are picked up, the RFID wide-range reader captures the labels and reads them out. The data read out is transmitted via WLAN to the warehouse control software via the COM box. The transport order and destination storage location of the respective wine container is retrieved and displayed on a tablet on the forklift. Each container is transported to a designated storage location in the winery. Manual recording and documentation of the grape containers, their contents and their storage locations is no longer necessary.
Technology Partner
Hardware & Software
- deister electronic – TSU 200 Weitbereichsleser (logIdent®)
- ENTIAC – Control Hard- and Software
Advantages
- Each grape container including grape quantity, origin and grape variety is precisely identified and tracked in the cellar warehouse
- Driving orders and storage locations of each grape bin are quickly transmitted to forklift drivers
- Workload for forklift drivers in warehouse logistics is reduced
- Transports within the warehouse are controlled via a central software application
- Each grape is assigned to the correct winemaking process
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