RFID technology to track and trace aircraft parts
During the MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) process, aircraft parts – everything from the landing gear and avionic devices to the emergency equipment – pass through various stations. Up until now, paper versions of all the necessary documentation (such as certificates, repair orders and maintenance charts) have accompanied these parts on the workshop and back to the plane. The use of small RFID tags can help to avoid manual input errors occuring by manual paper documentation. Small transponders contain the information of the paper documents and may be stored on the aircraft parts themselves. By special handheld reading devices or gates the information can be read and transmitted directly to the data processing system. The entire route of spare parts is fully documented and details can be recovered without difficulties.
The implementation of RFID technology simplifies this process, improves documentation and lowers costs.
RFID technology in the production process
Aircraft manufacturers increasingly use RFID technology in the production process. They mark components and emergency equipment using RFID. One of the major challenges, besides the definition of a common standard for all users, is the architecture of these solutions. RFID systems are not purely IT projects - due to the fact that they involve new technologies and aspects such as tags and readers, the physical characteristics of the components and the conditions in and of buildings.
Mobile Asset Management by Lufthansa Systems
The aviation projects and their related operation models form the basis for a number of opportunities in other industries. Thanks to a long-standing expertise in this field, Lufthansa Systems is able to offer various options of project implementation and operational support as a central data storage provider. This applies to the medical and healthcare industries, production, maintenance and engineering. In these industries, RFID technology can be used to mark and identify objects as well as authenticity checks, theft protection, access control and environmental monitoring. Specific processes in certain industries present even more application options.
Lufthansa Systems is highly experienced in improving processes of several industries with Mobile Asset Management. As competition in the markets has increased significantly and the globalization offers new business opportunities, companies need to change their business processes and reduce costs. The intelligent use of RFID scenarios offers a wide range of solutions from which companies benefit. Lufthansa Systems has developed a set of Mobile Asset Management solutions, using RFID technology: real-time worldwide tracking, paperless automatic identification and data management intensify the use of complex assets and provide a competitive edge in the market.