Nissan is installing the standards-based, active RFID system at its 4 million-square-foot assembly plant in Canton, Miss., and plans to use a single wireless architecture to run multiple WhereNet applications. Those applications include the WhereSoft Yard Management System and Vehicle Tracking and Management System (VTMS) and are designed to help the automaker improve productivity and vehicle quality.
The system is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2007, according to Gary Latham, director of industry solutions for WhereNet's automotive division. Nissan officials could not be reached for comment today.
The hardware consists of 1,500 active RFID WhereTag transmitters temporarily attached to new vehicles as they roll off the assembly line as part of the WhereNet VTMS system; 700 WhereTag transmitters that are permanently fixed to trailers belonging to Nissan's dedicated suppliers or temporarily attached to others as part of the yard management application; 120 WherePort magnetic "exciters" positioned between gates and at key choke points across the complex; and a local infrastructure of 80 wireless WhereLAN locating access points, according to WhereNet.
"The two systems will use the same technology infrastructurewise," Latham said. "The first is a yard management system that will make their inbound supply chain yards more efficient. The second is a vehicle tracking system that will help their delivery chain become more efficient."
Nissan is rolling out the two systems at the same time, Latham said.
"The yard management solution is a tool that gives a company like Nissan real-time visibility physically," he said. "We tag the trailers permanently, and when a trailer arrives on-site, it's authenticated and authorized to come in through the gates. So they roll through without having to stop, and the system tracks the trailers wherever they are on-site, and we record all the information -- dwell time, what time did it arrive, what time did it leave, where's it at now, is it full, is it empty, and what's inside. We're also deploying our business rules engine -- a tool that allows us to automate the movement of the trailer in the yard."
By automating the check-in/checkout procedures for the hundreds of truckloads and thousands of components arriving at the assembly facility every day, the WhereNet system will save Nissan several hours per day in processing deliveries; provide higher velocity and throughput in the yard; and increase flexibility in manufacturing through better utilization of equipment, facilities and labor, according to the statement.
Latham said Nissan will use the vehicle tracking system to manage postassembly verification and test processes. The system includes a business rules engine that manages the processing of every vehicle in accordance with its assigned status so that critical orders are processed before lower-priority units, he said.
When new vehicles roll off the Nissan assembly line, each vehicle will be assigned an active RFID WhereTag transmitter that is "married" to the vehicle identification number, Latham said. The WhereTag remains on the vehicle until it has been processed and is ready to ship to its final destination.
According to Latham, the vehicle tracking system will ensure that no vehicles with known quality defects get shipped. The system also enhances quality by ensuring that no process steps are missed and that every vehicle departs in accordance with dealer/customer specifications.
"The system immediately detects vehicles that may have quality issues, preventing them from inadvertently slipping into the delivery chain where rework costs at dealerships average more than five times the cost of a factory repair," according to the statement.