In aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul processes are embedded into complex and global business processes. In order to support the process between dismantling and installation of high value spare parts the industry is using complex information systems spanning a large variety of companies. Airlines, MRO organizations, smaller repair shops, manufacturers, logistical service providers etc. have to be linked. Due to the high complexity and the often unregulated and uncontrolled growth of the necessary information and communication systems optimization and performance enhancement is a permanent task especially for the IT departments inside the companies of global MRO networks. Here media breaches are the most important issue. One emerging technology which could improve the situation significantly is RFID. Microelectronic tags attached to spare parts could carry not only an identification number but also a part's history and additional information and documentation. Using that technology media breaches will decrease significantly and the quality of the data in ERP and other information systems will increase. During the last five years companies like Lufthansa, Airbus and Boeing started comprehensive activities concerning the application of RFID-tags to high value spare parts. Idea was to use the innovative technology in logistical as well as in MRO processes. Certified RFID-tags have been developed and are available on the market right now. Lufthansa for example attached the first tag to the first spare part during summer 2010. The paper describes Lufthansa's solution from the technological and the economical point of view. It shows pitfalls and best practices as well. Based on this description we develop a vision for a global information system and information service which bypasses existing IT architectures and makes absolutely sure that information on a given spare part is of highest quality and absolutely accessible for the different protagonist inside the MRO network. A special focus will be on the support of NDT.
Optimization of MRO processing using radio frequency identification
Optimierung der Prozesse von Erhaltung, Reparatur und Renovierung mittels Radiofrequenzidentifikation
2010
9 Seiten, 5 Bilder, 1 Tabelle, 5 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Datenträger
Englisch