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RFID Solutions for Aerospace Manufacturing
The Challenge: Traceability at Every Stage
Aerospace manufacturing operates under some of the strictest quality and safety standards in any industry. Every part, tool, and material must be accounted for at every stage of production. A single untracked tool left inside an aircraft assembly becomes a Foreign Object Debris (FOD) incident, potentially grounding a fleet and costing millions in inspection and remediation. Manual tracking methods using paper logs and barcode scans struggle to keep pace with the volume of assets moving through a modern aerospace facility.
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Regulatory frameworks including AS9100, NADCAP, and FAA requirements demand full traceability from raw material receipt through final assembly and delivery. Defense contractors face additional mandates under MIL-STD-129R and DFARS 252.211-7003, requiring RFID tagging on all shipments to the Department of Defense. The cost of non-compliance is not just financial. Late deliveries, failed audits, and FOD incidents can result in lost contracts worth tens of millions of dollars.
How RFID Transforms Aerospace Operations
RFID provides the automated, real-time visibility that aerospace manufacturers need across their entire operation.
Tool Tracking and FOD Prevention
Every hand tool, drill bit, fixture, and piece of ground support equipment can be tagged with a durable RFID label or embedded ceramic tag. RFID-enabled tool cribs automatically log each checkout and return, associating tools with specific technicians, work orders, and aircraft zones. When a shift ends, a quick zone scan confirms every tool is accounted for. If a wrench is missing from a wing assembly area, the system flags the discrepancy before the panel is closed, preventing FOD events that would otherwise go undetected until costly inspection cycles.
Aerospace facilities using RFID tool tracking report FOD incident reductions of 80% or more. The time spent on tool inventory audits drops from hours per shift to minutes.
Work-In-Progress Tracking
Aircraft assemblies, engine components, and sub-assemblies move through dozens of workstations across weeks or months of production. RFID tags attached to traveler documents, parts bins, or the assemblies themselves are read at each station, automatically updating the MES or ERP system with real-time location and status. Production managers gain instant visibility into bottlenecks, station throughput, and order status without walking the floor or relying on manual data entry.
Parts and Materials Traceability
Every rivet, fastener, sealant batch, and composite layup requires traceability back to the source material lot. RFID tags on incoming materials capture supplier, lot number, expiration date, and receiving inspection status. As materials are consumed in production, the system links each part to the specific aircraft serial number, creating a digital thread that satisfies AS9100 traceability requirements and accelerates root cause analysis when quality issues arise.
Calibrated Equipment Management
Torque wrenches, pressure gauges, and measurement instruments must be calibrated on strict schedules. A single out-of-calibration tool used on a flight-critical assembly can trigger a mandatory recall of every unit it touched. RFID automates calibration tracking by logging each tool's last calibration date, next due date, and usage history. When a technician checks out a tool, the system verifies its calibration status before authorizing use, preventing out-of-calibration events before they happen.
MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul)
MRO facilities process dozens of aircraft simultaneously, each with hundreds of associated tools, parts, and consumables. RFID-enabled dock door portals track parts and toolboxes entering and leaving each bay. Handheld RFID scanners allow mechanics to verify parts against work orders in seconds rather than manually cross-referencing part numbers. MRO facilities using RFID report 30-40% reductions in turnaround time on routine maintenance events.
DoD and Defense Contractor Compliance
Defense aerospace manufacturers face specific RFID mandates. DFARS clause 252.211-7006 requires passive RFID tags on all shipments to DoD facilities. Items valued over $5,000 require Item Unique Identification (IUID) marking under MIL-STD-130N. Rocket RFID's Prime2Defense solution is built specifically for defense RFID compliance, handling tag encoding, WAWF submission, and IUID registry integration.
Assets Tracked in Aerospace Manufacturing
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Hand tools and power tools (FOD prevention)
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Fixtures, jigs, and ground support equipment
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Raw materials and consumable lots
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Workin-progress assemblies and sub-assemblies
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Calibrated measurement instruments
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Rotable and repairable components
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Shipping containers and packaging for DoD shipments
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Technician badges and access credentials
Why aerospace manufacturers choose Rocket RFID
Rocket RFID provides a turnkey solution combining our Rocket Tracked software platform with the RFID readers, antennas, and tags selected for your specific facility layout. Our engineering team has experience deploying RFID systems in manufacturing environments where rugged tags, high read accuracy, and integration with existing MES and ERP systems are non-negotiable. Whether you need tool tracking in a single MRO bay or full WIP traceability across a multi-building production campus, we design, install, and support the complete system.​