With seven inspection lanes and a daily capacity of 650 vehicles, the facility performs tasks that are comparable with an official vehicle inspection in Germany. The inspection center sets new standards in traffic safety and vehicle management and meets stringent standards according to ARS 1355, the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO).

 

Four Partners, One Solution

The project resulted from a collaboration between MAHA, Applus, DKT Deutsche Kennzeichen Technik GmbH (DKT), and Schreiner PrinTrust (SPR). MAHA supplied the inspection technology, Applus was responsible for quality assurance and inspection processes, and DKT provided the digital platform including app solutions. The basis for reliable vehicle identification is also provided by the RFID/NFC label known as the “third license plate” from Schreiner PrinTrust. Bernhard Gött, CEO of DKT, explained, “With the labels from Schreiner PrinTrust, we securely identify vehicles, thus creating the basis for a smart inspection and tracking system.” Dr. Kai Schnapauff, Director of Schreiner PrinTrust, added, “Our technology with UHF and NFC enables flexible RFID reading on both short and long ranges and can easily be expanded with additional functions in the future.” The label can thus not only be read when entering the inspection facility but also serve additional purposes such as future issuing of driver’s licenses or the administration of taxi permits.

A Project with a Signal Effect

The inspection facility in Zanzibar shows how smart technology and international partnerships can substantially advance traffic safety and digital vehicle management. For Schreiner PrinTrust, it is further proof of how versatile and robust the third license plate can be applied worldwide and what potential it may still be able to tap.

A classic stamp that for a long time used to be the standard way of marking the documents can be faked—but what about a seal that reacts to heat? Due to the utilization of thermochromic ink, a simple test can confirm the authenticity of the seal. “One swipe with a finger is all it takes for the color to change,” explains Dr. Kai Schnapauff, Director, Schreiner PrinTrust. “That’s an unmistakable feature showing very quickly and easily whether or not a document is authentic.”

However, the adhesive seal was not only developed to prevent counterfeiting. “Thanks to the tab patented by Schreiner, using the seal is as easy as child’s play, fast, and precise,” says Manfred Hammerschmidt from Behördenverlag Jüngling, a publishing house for government forms. “Directly interfacing with the government agencies applying the seal it’s obviously important for us as a publishing house to deliver a high-grade product to our customers that’s easy to use as well,” Hammerschmidt adds. The seal is already in use by various counties and government offices including the Berlin state office for matters pertaining to citizens and public order.

The adhesive document seal, by the way, is not only used in conjunction with vehicle documents but increasingly also for other sensitive items such as official certificates, inspection documents, or for signatures.

 

Moving Forward with Counterfeit Protection

For Schreiner PrinTrust the further development of security solutions remains a central goal. Describing the current situation, Dr. Schnappauf says, “This is a very dynamic field we operate in and which constantly calls for new technologies and solutions to satisfy the growing security needs.” Going forward, a combination of digital and physical security features could deliver even more extensive protection especially in the case of the adhesive seal by combining several protection levels. With their expertise and innovative prowess, Schreiner PrinTrust and Behördenverlag Jüngling are already working on meeting the requirements today and continuing to ensure the security of documents on the highest level.

Founded as a printing business for specialty forms, PAV has recently established itself in the marketplace as a producer of plastic cards, especially contactless cards such as employee and company ID cards. In a total area of 12,000 square meters, the third-generation family business operates all production processes at its Lütjensee location. The connect cards for a major German automaker are produced here in North Germany as well. “Every new vehicle is provided with this special card upon delivery and sale. At the beginning of the process,” explains PAV Key Account Manager Frank Güldenpfennig, “it is an ‘ignorant’ card. It has no chip but gradually receives several functions. Ultimately, the card will have a QR code on it providing a link to the manufacturer’s login page, a sticker with the VIN (vehicle identification number), and a related PIN on the back.” That’s where the PIN Scratch Label comes into play. Because the security of vehicle connectivity systems frequently requires additional protective mechanisms the PIN code that is necessary for authentication and access to sensitive in-vehicle functions is located underneath a scratch field. By simply scratching off the top layer the vehicle owner can expose and use the code. By the way, using a light source to penetrate the scratch layer and view the PIN is fruitless because the scratch layer of the Schreiner label is absolutely opaque.

The successful collaboration between PAV and Schreiner PrinTrust in this area already looks back on a five-year history. Obviously, the volume is oriented to an automobile production of more than one million new vehicles with a corresponding number of connect cards per year. “As special as the automotive industry may be at times: the fact that particularly in such areas longterm agreements are frequently concluded is an advantage. Obviously, that’s a dream for planners and suppliers,” Güldenpfennig adds. “Of course, in that case, it’s also important to have a reliable partner like Schreiner PrinTrust.”

It is the successful collaboration between two family businesses: The integration of the PIN Scratch Labels in PAV’s proven cards helps maximize the security of vehicle connectivity systems while ensuring userfriendly authentication.

Insurance plates are indispensable for mopeds and scooters, etc. As inconspicuous as they may be, the small adhesive plates need to satisfy exacting requirements: They must be particularly rugged and weather-resistant. Higher-level UV protection and strong adhesion play a role just like ease of use by the insurance policy holder.

One of the objectives of the pilot project for proof of liability insurance for small motorbikes using film-based plates is to simplify the processes for vehicle owners and the insurance sector. The sticker is sent to the client, very easy to apply, and the inconvenience of having to remove and reinstall the plate is eliminated. In the case of the plastic carrier plate that can be ordered from Schreiner PrinTrust as well, the current film-based plate is exchanged once a year or a new one simply applied on top of the previous plate. That method has been proven in use on scooters for several years. Schreiner PrinTrust developed the innovative adhesive plate for the German Insurance Association (GDV).

Sustainability is another aspect of the project. Insurance plates become invalid after one year. At that time, metal plates need to be exchanged completely. In the case of the film-based plate, however, the basic carrier plate remains on the vehicle and only the top layer with the printed identification is replaced. Plus, the production process and transportation of the film-based plates entail far less emissions than those of a conventional insurance plate.

The experts from Schreiner Group were the development partner and supplier from the beginning of the project and the self-adhesive insurance plate from Schreiner is explicitly mentioned as an alternative to conventional metal plates in the relevant regulation of the German Federal Ministry of Transportation. Plus, the fact that the various insurance companies can now purchase the insurance plates and carrier plates for their clients also for small motorized bikes reflects the trust in the quality and reliability of this approved producer.

Dirty air started the joint project in 2006 when fine-dust aka particulate pollution in city centers was clearly too high and low-emission zones were created along with the “Regulation for Marking Motor Vehicles with Minimal Contribution to Pollution.” The regulation requires a standardized Germany-wide identification of cars, trucks, and buses featuring the three colors of a traffic light.

Behördenverlag Jüngling is a publishing house that is perfectly suited for providing the new mandatory marking. In nearly 90 years, Jüngling evolved from a publisher of forms to a specialist publishing house for government and related official documents. The business based in Unterschleissheim near Munich is not only a supplier to the public sector but also the go-to place for numerous institutions such as monitoring organizations and the federal association of the automotive trade. The fine-dust sticker is just one product of Jüngling’s extensive portfolio of products and services. Manfred Hammerschmidt, CEO of Behördenverlag Jüngling-gbb, looks back: “At that time, we were looking for a reliable partner that was able to satisfy all the requirements including the challenging security features and we soon realized that Schreiner PrinTrust was our first choice. Plus,” he laughs,” we’re practically neighbors.”

Aside from their geographic proximity the two companies share the pursuit of innovative products and professional expertise. “For us,” says Dr. Kai Schnapauff, Director Schreiner PrinTrust, “that was an exciting project back then because we had to deliver exceptional durability – across 10 years! – in special ambient conditions: The conditions behind the windshield entail heavily fluctuating temperatures and prolonged UV exposure. At the same time, quality must be ensured for years just like all the necessary sticker versions.”

Today, 56 low-emission zones exist throughout Germany. Only vehicles with a green sticker that stands for pollutant category 4 have a green light here. An extension of the range of colors is currently being discussed. “Let’s see,” says Manfred Hammerschmidt, “if there’ll be another sticker. It would serve to mark vehicles exceeding EURO 4, which means they’re cleaner than the green sticker requires. We’d no doubt be ready—and together with Schreiner PrinTrust we’re already a well-practiced team.”

The trade show presentation was centered on traffic management. Schreiner PrinTrust’s experts provided advice on tailored RFID solutions for registration, recognition, and marking of vehicles.

This trade show was a very special one: “I have to honestly admit that after a two-year ‘abstinence’ all of us had a certain feeling of suspense before the event,” said the president of Schreiner PrinTrust, Dr. Kai Schnapauff, “and it was great to see that our customers felt the same way!” Even though we managed to switch to digital meeting formats really fast and smoothly a personal face-to-face exchange is of a totally different quality.”

The turnout at the exhibition was excellent and international customers and partners from Europe, South America, Africa, and other regions visited the trade show booth for information. In-depth professional knowledge and outstanding innovative prowess are the basis of Schreiner PrinTrust’s business relations. “Our customers appreciate us as a reliable and innovative partner—they value the intensive exchange with us based on mutual trust for customized, perfect solutions,” Schnapauff added. This type of feedback inspires Schreiner PrinTrust to continue to strengthen and expand identification and authentication solutions such as the 3rd License Plate and the RFID-Windshield-Label.

The 3rd License Plate is affixed to the inside of the windshield to complement the conventional, externally mounted metal license plates.

The advantages: The label is not only protected against theft in this way but, thanks to sophisticated security features such as guilloches, optically variable inks, and holograms, also against tampering and counterfeiting. The self-adhesive label bears the vehicle data issued by the registration authority and is therefore protected against illegal third-party use. An annually changing color code indicates the vehicle’s valid insurance status—a method that has previously been used successfully with vignette stickers.

Schreiner PrinTrust’s Kosovar partner personalizes and issues the 3rd License Plate at a total of 37 offices in the country—a network ensuring country-wide supply. The project was motivated by the currently more than 200,000 unregistered vehicles in the Republic of Kosovo resulting in massive economic losses. The 3rd License Plate is now helping police officers identify vehicles without registrations and without insurance easily and quickly, which enormously enhances road traffic safety.

Scratching off the permit sticker used to pose a problem with the previous solution. Once applied to the windshield, the electronic parking permit now no longer has to be scratched off. Due to the modern RFID chip, it can continue to be used after the owner has moved to another district or sold the car because multiple renewals of the permit can be read out because of the chip. The success story of this solution started seven years ago.

In November 2015, the pilot phase for an electronic parking sticker was launched in Vienna:
Together with the responsible municipal district office, Schreiner PrinTrust had developed the ((rfid))-Parking Chip required for on-street parking. A little less than a year later, the parking permit enabling police officers to automatically and easily identify vehicles by using a corresponding reader was rolled out across Vienna. The reading process is contactless from a distance of a few meters—without line of sight.

The electronic parking permit based on Schreiner PrinTrust’s ((rfid))-Windshield Label Global has reduced the administrative effort for the city of Vienna, for inspectors, and for drivers, and has proven its viability in several years of field use. “The extension of the parking sticker to all districts is a milestone achievement for climate protection and quality of life in our city,” says Vienna city council member for mobility Ulli Sima. “With this top-class offering of the Vienna Lines and the consistent expansion of public transportation, we offer affordable and attractive alternatives for switching to eco-friendly means of transportation. The revenue from the parking sticker goes to the expansion of public transportation. The parking sticker’s use across the board puts an end to the previous hodgepodge and displacement effects to neighboring districts. The traffic volume is reduced, finding a parking place has become easier for Vienna residents, and we create more space for the people in our city.”

The offering of the Schreiner PrinTrust business unit impresses particularly in terms of a secure production environment. In addition, extensive experience in manufacturing comparable products such as the vehicle fine-dust sticker, the electronic parking sticker of the city of Vienna, and various registration and official insurance stickers, arguably played a key role in winning the tender.

 

The vignette is applied to the inside of the windshield and has to withstand all environmental conditions such as cold, heat, and UV light. In addition, the vignette must resist tampering attempts and not be reusable after having been peeled off. In this context, Schreiner PrinTrust scored with its certifications in the areas of security and quality as well as with its experience in manufacturing comparable security products. Aside from the product features, guaranteed reliability and on-time production of the currently more than ten million vignettes per year were other key factors. Schreiner PrinTrust has the manufacturing capacities for producing large volumes of vignettes within a short period of time. Secure warehousing of the vignettes and their logistical distribution within Switzerland were requirements that Schreiner PrinTrust and FO-Security jointly meet superbly as well.

Schreiner PrinTrust has become the market leader with its PIN Safe product. PIN Safe features compelling characteristics such as personalization and opacity, which prevents information like the secret code for the user’s bank account from getting into the wrong hands.

However, the demands of the market keep growing and the new 2021 PIN portfolio is now available to satisfy them. The objectives for the upgrade were clearly defined: deliver at least the same level of security as before and make the product even more eco-friendly than the previous one.

Schreiner PrinTrust has been collaborating with leading security experts for many years, so that the latest professional crime-fighting knowledge is regularly fed into the product development process, culminating in the optimum PIN solution for any requirement.

In addition, the product is protected in several ways: a totally opaque scratch layer, the composition of a top and bottom layer providing all-around PIN protection like a safe, security slits, shrink effects, VOID effects, and an optional hologram.

PIN Safe’s unrivaled high level of security has been certified by three tests performed by independent institutes as well as by the FOGRA, SMITHERS and DEKRA certificates for ID card, banking and vehicle registration uses.

In addition, the new product generation is particularly eco-friendly because the use of solvents is largely avoided in the production process. As a result, Schreiner PrinTrust makes a significant contribution to sustainability without impairing quality.