Nissan Introduces Die Inventory Management System Featuring Stacked-

JCNN News Summaries - Japan Corporate News Network, Jul 4, 2005 by Aki Tsukioka

Tokyo, July 4, 2005 - (JCN) - Nissan Motor announced on July 4 that it has deployed a die inventory management system based on stacked-type RFID tags at its Yokohama engine plant. The new system is expected to improve the efficiency of die management, streamline the manufacturing process, and reduce Nissan's die inventory by half to 3,500 units in 2007.

Under the system, each drivetrain part die is issued an IC tag, which contains information about the die's production status, location, repair record and history log. By placing the tag in a special RFID tag reading tray, workers can instantly read information about the die on a nearby computer screen without having to operate the computer. The system's stacked reading capability also enables workers to read the tags even when they are stacked on top of each other.

Nissan and NTT DATA, joint developers of the solution, will carry out on-site verification of the effectiveness of the system over the next six months. The companies plan to enhance the system's functions to include process production management of engine parts and the automatic ordering of dies. Nissan hopes to deploy the system to other plants in Japan.