Boeing, Airbus to use RFID for parts management

Boeing, Airbus to use RFID for parts management    Aircraft manufacturing rivals Boeing Corp. and Airbus Industries are joining forces to promote the standardized use of Radio Frequency Identification tags to keep track of parts during production and after-market maintenance.
   The companies have agreed to develop a common system for marking parts and automated data collection requirements.
   The two companies will hold seminars in Atlanta, Hong Kong and Munich, Germany this year to discuss the demonstrated feasibility and benefits of embedding RFID tags throughout an aircraft. The tags will store data about a specific part, including part and serial numbers, manufacturer codes, country of origin, date of installation and maintenance and inspection information.
   The short-range radio technology will help aircraft makers trace parts and help minimize inventories, Boeing said on its Web site.
   Airlines, aviation suppliers, regulatory agencies and maintenance vendors are encouraged to attend. For more information, visit: https://www.globalaviationrfidforum.com