Airbus Issues RFID Requirements, Expands RFID Usage

Tool Tracking in Filton
During the past nine months, Airbus has conducted several industrial tool-tracking pilots. As a result, the firm has decided to begin RFID tool tracking at its manufacturing facility in Filton.

The aircraft manufacturer wanted to reduce the time it takes workers to "book in" and "book out" the tools they need. At present, employees go to the tool room, stand in a line and request the items they need for a given day's work. A staff member behind the service window retrieves the necessary tools and writes down what is being checked out. When items are returned, a tool-room employee then records what is being checked back in.

Once the RFID implementation is finished, employees running the tool room will pass RFID-tagged items across a table under which a reader is mounted. The system will identify the tool through the unique number on its tag, and associate that information to the worker, via his RFID badge (employees already have such badges). The interrogator under the table will comply with the EPC Gen 2 standard and ETSI regulations. Airbus expects to tag several thousand handheld tools in order to reduce the time required to check them in and out.

"Now that we will get more accurate information about the number of times a tool is booked in and booked out," Nizam states, "we will have more reliable information about the number of cycles tools are being used. This will help us improve the calibration process."

At present, Airbus calibrates tools based on pre-set fixed times. However, if it can reliably and accurately determine how often a tool has been used, the company can extend the calibration period and potentially cut down on unnecessary work. The manufacturer determined that the tool-tracking application will pay for itself within 12 months, and has chosen to roll out the system in Filton by the end of this year.