Airbus is to introduce radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for seats and life vests on all in-production aircraft models in 2013.
The manufacturer had previously asked suppliers for the A350 to install RFID tags in a wide range of components and subassemblies - including avionics, communication, electrical and cabin interior equipment - on the in-development type.
But the airframer has now also decided to gradually roll out the electronic part markings to the A320, A330 and A380 from next year.
RFID tagging on the existing models will be limited to seats and life vests, however.
The permanently-installed electronic tags store part details - such as maintenance history and part-life expiry dates - which can be automatically checked by handheld reader devices.
This should speed up maintenance processes, simplify inventory management and avoid potentially erroneous data entry associated with the manual checking of items, says Airbus.
The manufacturer estimates that every year around 160,000 items - 120,000 life vests and 40,000 seats - will be equipped with RFID tags for the three existing aircraft series.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
