aCon & Southco: Intelligent Locks Improve Parcel Locker Security
Southco recently partnered with aCon, a Denmark-based supplier of self-service solutions for the postal sector, to design an enhanced security solution for its new indoor postal delivery locker unit, Swipbox. The Swipbox model was designed specifically for Internet retailers, allowing customers to pick up high-value items purchased online from a network of indoor postal locker terminals.
“With Swipbox, we wanted to offer retailers a completely secure delivery concept where they could be confident that high-value items purchased by their customers were not at risk of theft or vandalism,” said aCon Founder Allan Kaczmarek.
Ensuring that customer parcels were properly secured until retrieved from the Swipbox terminal was crucial to aCon’s design. Additionally, aCon required a solution that could also provide traceability and accountability when accessing the parcels.
Southco’s R4-EM Electronic Rotary Latch was chosen for its ability to provide secure electronic locking and access control to multiple compartments within a parcel locker. Installed within an enclosure, the R4-EM is concealed from view, providing an exterior free of pry points, which can deter thieves and vandals.“
Previous locks failed us on durability and we wasted money on repair and maintenance costs,” said Kaczmarek. “The Southco lock is extremely durable, which has minimized our service costs dramatically. The quality and reliability of the product and the Southco service has made it easy to offer a real value-added product to e-retailers’ customers.”
The intelligent R4-EM features an embedded microprocessor that enables signal conditioning for added security. It also accepts signals from access control devices such as pin pads, card readers, biometric devices and remote computers. When accessed, the intelligent locking mechanism also generates output that can be used to provide traceability for each compartment, an added feature that allows aCon to provide additional peace of mind to e-retailers by tracking when each package is delivered and picked up. An optional, convenient mechanical override feature enables manual or emergency release in the event of a power failure.
An optimum latching system was absolutely crucial to this security, and Southco, which was already a supplier to self-service giants including NCR and Wincor Nixdorf, provided us with the R4-EM Electronic Rotary Latch, the perfect latching system to meet our demands,” he said.Swipbox has been well received in Denmark, installed in public hot spots such as universities and supermarkets. Moving into the future, minimal delivery costs and free shipping will be the norm for online purchases. aCon, supported by global specialist suppliers like Southco, is poised as a key player in new developments that drive the self-service industry forward.
