PinPoint, a US-based technology company, has launched a line of tool and asset management systems for aerospace manufacturers, maintainers and operators.

AeroMASTER, AeroCREW and AeroRACK tool and asset management systems use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and GPS tracking to improve accountability and control of tools, ground support equipment and other devices.

PinPoint managing director Peter Fuchs said that the system is the first to integrate RFID and GPS technologies, offering aerospace customers a complete tracking solution.

"AeroMASTER, AeroCREW and AeroRACK tool and asset management systems use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and GPS tracking to improve accountability and control of tools, ground support equipment and other devices."

"Our system makes 100 percent tool accountability possible and will significantly reduce Foreign Object Damage (FOD) risk.

"Fully compatible with customers’ existing tools, it provides many advanced capabilities that will help reduce the maintenance burden on our customers worldwide," Fuchs said.

The company, which partnered with IDZ Technologies, developed the technology through a four-year pilot programme and received inputs from civil and military aircraft mechanics and maintenance managers.

With the help of pocket-level control features, the technology can differentiate identical tools and analyse when a tool is not in its allotted pocket, which in turn allows asset managers to monitor the usage, ascertain real-time inventory status, and set up access permissions.

RFID and GPS signals enable users to track the path of an asset in a hangar or on a flight line.

In addition to enabling tracking of the tool calibration cycles and battery charge levels, the system allows technicians to determine when a tool requires service, which is helpful in managing the inventory by streamlining tool forecasting and provisioning processes.

It is easy to operate as the system features universally recognised symbols, PinPoint claimed.

IDZ Technologies CEO Adalberto Turan said that the RFID and GPS components integrated into the systems represent more than five years of R&D and are the most advanced technologies available in tool control.

"They are ideal for use in the aerospace industry where the consequences of tool-related Foreign Object Debris (FOD) are so high," Turan said.

PinPoint, a subsidiary of United Technologies, develops asset management systems for aerospace industry, while IDZ Technologies develops radio frequency identification (RFID) and other identification technologies for military and aerospace sectors.