OREANDA-NEWS. Fujitsu announced that it has expanded and enhanced its automated identification technology (AIT)(1) solution for aircraft parts suppliers worldwide, offering management of individual parts and accurate traceability of RFID and other AIT tags that are affixed to aircraft parts.

The Fujitsu solution is comprised of AIT tags, readers/writers, middleware, and applications, and complies with the aviation industry's rigorous environmental resistance standards as well as with ATA Spec 2000 Chapter 9-5(2), a standard data format in the aviation industry.

By affixing tags to parts during the manufacturing process, aircraft parts suppliers can capture data about parts, such as manufacture date, configuration, and even maintenance service records, using the standards-compliant format demanded by the industry. This makes it possible to accurately trace a part's lifecycle from manufacture to maintenance.

The solution results in more accurate and more efficient management of parts in the safety-oriented aviation industry, as well as a faster delivery cycle and reduced stock shortages thanks to greater visibility of the parts supply chain. It can also help maximize cash flow by reducing inventory – including channel inventory – and work-in-process.

Since the development in 2008 of a 64KB RFID tag - the world's highest capacity, reflecting the demands of aerospace customers - Fujitsu has been leading the way in RFID technology in the aviation industry. AIT is increasingly being used throughout the industry for traceability and maintenance log management. Major air framers have started using RFID for maintenance operations and parts management.

Fujitsu has been providing a major air framer with a solution utilizing AIT, and is now expanding the solution to aircraft parts suppliers by affixing AIT tags during production to record and store part information and maintenance logs. The solution delivers enhanced management of individual parts and accurate traceability throughout each part's lifecycle.