Reliable Entry and Exit: Robust Emergency Power Solutions for Intelligent Access Gates

Our Success Story with Wanzl GmbH & Co. KGaA

The retail sector is facing constant challenges, with rising customer expectations and technological innovations making security more crucial than ever. Modern shopfitting solutions, such as the "SlidingDoor" access gate by Wanzl, play a central pillar in this transformation. To provide a space-saving and barrier-free entrance design, these automatic systems must be precise, durable, and, above all, safe. A joint project with Bicker Elektronik demonstrates how a significant technical hurdle was overcome: ensuring a maintenance-free emergency power supply that guarantees the doors open reliably during a power failure or fire.

The Challenge: Uninterruptible Power Supply for Emergency Operation
To achieve the most effective flow of people, the "SlidingDoor" must operate with absolute reliability. A sudden power failure—whether due to a technical defect or an emergency—can result in doors remaining closed, potentially blocking vital escape routes. The problem? Traditional battery solutions were out of the question due to their maintenance requirements and limited service life. The system required a UPS solution that could fit into the compact columns of the gate, provide a 5 A peak current for safety tests, and ensure that enough energy is stored at all times to trigger an emergency opening.

The Solution: 24V DC UPS Module with Maintenance-Free Supercap Buffering
Bicker Elektronik’s engineers met these requirements with the customized UPSIC-2403-B3 DC UPS module. The core of the system is built around high-performance ultracapacitors, also known as Supercaps, which operate on electrophysical principles rather than chemical reactions.

Technical Highlights:
• Maintenance-Free Energy Storage: With a high cycle stability of up to 500,000 charging and discharging cycles, the Supercaps offer a service life up to 10 times longer than classic lead-acid batteries.

• Compact High Power Density: The modules are integrated directly into the narrow gate columns, providing an uninterrupted and regulated 24 VDC output even when the input voltage drops.

• Rapid Readiness: Unlike chemical batteries, Supercaps are charged and ready for use within a very short time, ensuring the system is prepared for emergency operation almost immediately after installation or power restoration.

• Extended Temperature Resilience: While the application operates between +5 °C and +50 °C, the UPS components are designed for a range of -20 °C to +70 °C, providing significant system reserves and long-term stability.

Conclusion and Benefits
This collaboration resulted in a sustainable and future-proof solution that significantly reduces maintenance costs while maximizing public safety. By ensuring that escape routes remain unblocked during power disturbances, the system sets new standards in reliability for modern entrance areas.

"This partnership combines our expertise in access solutions with Bicker’s energy management know-how and sets new standards in reliability and sustainability." — Marcel Engelmohr, Global Product Manager Access at Wanzl

This project highlights that the success of modern access systems depends not only on advanced drive technology but also on intelligent, ruggedised power solutions that ensure safety remains fluid and reliable when it matters most.