FOD prevented. Tools accounted for. Maintenance turns measured.
TRACIO delivers AS9100D-aware tool-lifecycle programmes for aerospace MRO. UWB precision where it counts (hangar, line, dispatch) and Passive RFID where it scales (tool crib, GSE, stores).
Aerospace & MRO: the use case, and the numbers it moves.
The right radio for each job — chosen, never sold — mapped to your use case. That is what makes the ROI fast.
1 · Account
Every tool is tagged for 100% accountability across the hangar.
2 · Locate
UWB pinpoints tools and assemblies to sub-metre, in real time.
3 · Prevent
Tools left out of zone raise FOD alerts before the aircraft moves.
UWB → tool control · Passive RFID → parts · BLE → zones
What we keep seeing in Aerospace programmes.
FOD risk on the line
One missing tool grounds an aircraft. The cost dwarfs the entire RTLS programme. But human-only audit at shift end isn't enough.
Tool calibration drift
Tools rotate between bays. Calibration windows slip without a system enforcing them.
Heavy Maintenance Visit overruns
HMV is expensive. Days saved compound across the fleet. Visibility on technician location, tool location, and parts location compresses the cycle.
GSE chaos on the apron
Ground support equipment scattered, often misplaced. Tugs, belt loaders, GPUs — high-value mobile assets without continuous visibility.
The use cases that consistently pay back.
Tool-lifecycle control
UWB-tagged tools with audit-grade check-out / check-in. Every tool, every shift, accounted for or flagged.
FOD prevention
Sub-metre tool location across the hangar. Tool last seen aircraft-side at end of shift triggers an investigation in minutes.
GSE tracking
BLE / GPS-hybrid tags on tugs, belt loaders, kits. Apron-wide visibility for ground operations.
HMV choreography
RTLS-driven HMV planning. Technician, tool, and part location feeding the planning system. Visible bottlenecks, faster turns.
Line maintenance teams
Real-time crew location during turnarounds. Diversion, delay, and shift-handover reduction.
Parts traceability
Item-level RFID through receiving, kitting, install. ATA Spec 2000 Chapter 9 conformant.
Hardware & software ecosystem
Impinj · Zebra · Ubisense · Sewio · Identec · Iridium / Astrocast for apron-wide GPS-hybrid · MiR / Otto for materials movement
Where we plug in
SAP S/4HANA · Trax / AMOS / Ramco MRO · GE Digital aviation · Maximo for fleet maintenance
We control thousands of tools across heavy maintenance, and a single missing item can ground an aircraft. UWB tool control gave us zero recorded FOD events in 18 months and took about six days off the average heavy-maintenance-visit cycle. It stuck because TRACIO tied it straight into our SAP and AS9100 tool-lifecycle process, so engineers didn’t have to change how they work.Tooling & FOD Lead · aerospace heavy-maintenance operator · EMEAAnonymised at the client’s request. Reference available on request.
What we design and document to
AS9100D · AS9120 · ATA Spec 2000 Chapter 9 · MIL-STD-129R · MIL-STD-130N · ISO 9001
Aerospace & MRO — where the payback shows up.
Tool control & FOD prevention
AS9100 tool-for-tool accountability on the line and the apron; foreign-object-debris incidents cut by around 71%.
Ground support equipment (GSE)
Locate tugs, ground power units and stairs across the apron — utilisation up, search time and idle assets down.
MRO parts & rotable traceability
Rotable and AOG-critical parts tracked through heavy maintenance visits, integrated with SAP — HMV cycle cut by days.
Common use cases — what we keep seeing.
AOG (Aircraft on Ground) parts kitting & dispatch
Problem: An AOG event grounds an aircraft and costs $100k+ per day; spares teams need to find, kit, and dispatch parts in minutes.
Tech mix: Passive RFID on every kit container + bin location, UWB or BLE-AoA on staff for kit-pick attribution, integration with parts inventory and dispatch.
Outcome: Kit-pick time reduced 60-80%, on-time AOG response within SLA, dispatch errors eliminated, full chain-of-custody for the dispatched part.
Engine MRO teardown traceability
Problem: Engine overhaul moves 5,000+ parts through teardown, inspection, repair and rebuild; lost or mis-matched parts cause re-work and certification delays.
Tech mix: Passive RFID on every part at teardown station, fixed readers at workstation gates, MES/ERP integration into the work order, optical signage for parts location.
Outcome: Part loss eliminated, teardown-to-rebuild time reduced 15-25%, parts genealogy fully traceable for FAA/EASA certification.
Composite cure-cycle and autoclave parts tracking
Problem: Composite repair parts must follow a precise cure cycle (temperature, pressure, time) and parts moved out of sequence become scrap.
Tech mix: Passive RFID or ruggedised UHF tags on every layup, autoclave-zone fixed reader, MES integration into cure cycle work instruction.
Outcome: Cure-cycle compliance verified part-by-part, scrap rate from sequencing errors eliminated, AS9100 audit-ready records.
Hangar bay aircraft and GSE positioning
Problem: Heavy-maintenance hangars host multiple aircraft and dozens of GSE units (GPUs, ASUs, tow tractors, stairs, lifts) — locating equipment costs 15-30 min per workforce-hour.
Tech mix: BLE-AoA or UWB on GSE, fixed anchors in the hangar, integration into maintenance work-order systems.
Outcome: GSE search time reduced 80%+, hangar-bay turnover faster, GSE utilisation up by 10-20%.
Heavy check (C-check, D-check) workflow
Problem: C/D checks take 4-8 weeks and involve thousands of work cards across multiple shifts; tracking technician location, parts arrival and work-card status manually creates bottlenecks.
Tech mix: BLE-AoA badges on technicians, UWB on critical kit, Passive RFID on staged parts, MES integration into work-card progression.
Outcome: Check turnaround reduced 10-20%, work-card status real-time, on-time delivery rate improved, planner workload reduced.
Time-controlled and life-limited parts (TCP/LLP) management
Problem: Life-limited parts must be replaced at strict flight-hour or cycle thresholds — missing the threshold can ground the fleet.
Tech mix: Passive RFID on every TCP/LLP at install, fixed readers at maintenance entry/exit, integration with MRO software for flight-hour accumulation.
Outcome: Zero LLP threshold breaches, full part genealogy for audit, faster part-search for time-critical replacements.
NDT (non-destructive testing) workflow and sample tracking
Problem: NDT samples (X-ray plates, eddy-current probes, dye-penetrant test pieces) must be tracked through inspection workflow; lost samples cause re-inspection.
Tech mix: Passive RFID on every sample container, BLE-AoA on NDT technicians, integration into inspection software for sample-to-report linkage.
Outcome: Sample loss eliminated, NDT throughput up 15-25%, inspection report integrity verifiable.
Calibrated tool lifecycle & smart cabinets
Problem: Calibrated tools must be tracked through issue, use, return and re-calibration; un-tracked tools delay maintenance and create AS9100 audit risk.
Tech mix: Passive RFID on every tool, smart-cabinet fixed readers, BLE-AoA on technicians for issue/return attribution, integration with calibration management software.
Outcome: Tool loss eliminated, calibration compliance 100%, technician tool-search time reduced 50%+, AS9100 audit-ready records.
Wheel & brake pool management
Problem: Airline wheel & brake pools at hub airports must rotate through inspection and maintenance — mis-tracked pool inventory grounds outbound flights.
Tech mix: Passive RFID on every wheel/brake assembly, fixed readers at pool-yard chokepoints, integration with rotable-asset management.
Outcome: Pool availability accuracy 99%+, dispatch reliability improved, capital tied up in pool reduced 10-15%.
Counterfeit / SUP (suspect unapproved parts) prevention
Problem: Counterfeit aerospace parts are a serious safety and regulatory issue — supply-chain visibility back to authorised distributors is mandatory.
Tech mix: GS1 SGTIN-encoded Passive RFID tags from authorised distributors only, fixed readers at receiving and at install workstation, EPCIS integration for full provenance.
Outcome: Counterfeit parts caught at receiving, full pedigree provenance for every install, FAA SUP-compliance audit-ready.
ITAR-compliant tracking for defence aerospace
Problem: Defence-aerospace MRO must comply with ITAR/EAR: tracking classified parts, restricting access by clearance level, full audit trail.
Tech mix: Passive RFID on every classified part, BLE-AoA on cleared personnel, restricted-zone access control, integration with classified-document management.
Outcome: ITAR audit-ready records, classified-parts handling compliance, zero unauthorised access events.
Tactical aircraft turnaround (defence)
Problem: Combat-aircraft turnaround on flightline is time-critical — fuel, weapons, maintenance and inspection all converge in minutes.
Tech mix: UWB on aircraft, fueller and weapons-loaders, BLE-AoA on technicians, integrated turnaround dashboard with safety interlocks.
Outcome: Turnaround time reduced 15-30%, safety-interlock compliance, mission-readiness rate improved.
Related reading.
Frequently asked questions
How does RTLS/RFID prevent FOD in aerospace?
Tagging and automatic check-in and out of every tool means a missing item is flagged before an aircraft or engine moves on - turning FOD prevention from a manual count into a system guarantee.
Does it support AS9100 and tool accountability?
Yes - automated, auditable custody and calibration records align with AS9100 and customer accountability requirements, replacing paper shadow-boards and logs.
What can we track beyond tools?
Work-in-progress, high-value parts and assemblies, ground equipment, and MRO turn times - so both compliance and throughput improve on one platform.
How does it integrate with our MRO and ERP systems?
Tool, part and WIP data feed your MRO, ERP and quality systems via API so accountability and turn-time metrics live where engineers work.
Are you tied to one hardware vendor?
No - we are vendor-neutral, so tool-control and RTLS recommendations are chosen for your hangar and its metal-rich environment, not a supplier relationship.