Keywords
Citation
(2003), "USDATA and Robotic Vision Systems form strategic alliance to provide end-to-end traceability solutions for manufacturers", Assembly Automation, Vol. 23 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2003.03323cab.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
USDATA and Robotic Vision Systems form strategic alliance to provide end-to-end traceability solutions for manufacturers
USDATA and Robotic Vision Systems form strategic alliance to provide end-to-end traceability solutions for manufacturers
Keywords: Machine vision
Goal: "cradle to grave" tracking for industrial components to reduce manufacturing and warranty costs.
USDATA Corporation, a leading supplier of industrial automation software solutions, and Robotic Vision Systems Inc., a world leader in machine vision systems and direct part marking, verification, and reading technology, have announced a strategic alliance to provide end-to-end traceability solutions for component manufacturers.
RVSI's direct-part-mark verification and reading technology will be integrated with USDATA's manufacturing execution system technology to provide customers with tightly coupled system solutions featuring component level traceability and genealogy.
Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will immediately commence joint marketing, sales and solution delivery initiatives targeted at industries that have heightened requirements for unit level traceability, principally the automotive and aerospace industries. Multiple factors are moving manufacturers to implement unit level traceability, including product liability issues, warranty costs, regulatory issues and cost avoidance. Companies need to be able to contain potential quality problems before and after the product leaves the plant and provide detailed product genealogy information to trading partners.
"Warranty costs in the automotive sector alone exceed $9 billion a year," said Jim Fleet, interim president and CEO of USDATA. "OEMs are beginning to require component and sub-component genealogy and traceability information from their suppliers. Our alliance with RVSI will allow us to deliver seamless systems that support this requirement. RVSI is the market leader in all aspects of the direct-part-mark reading technology necessary for component traceability applications. The technology they have developed represents a critical element of any complete traceability solution. Their presence in industries such as automotive and aerospace should immediately benefit customers as they begin to implement these types of systems."
"As the mandate for direct part marking grows, manufacturers are increasingly recognizing that component identification can lead to substantial processing savings if integrated with the right data management and reporting infrastructure," said Pat. V. Costa, Chairman and CEO of RVSI. "We believe USDATA's recognized expertise in manufacturing execution systems and their rich set of shop floor application software will help customers progress faster to these benefits. By combining our innovative technologies, we will be able to help customers turn the cost of compliance into manufacturing savings."
The agreement also provides for ongoing collaborative solution development and technology integration between the two companies.
"Whether driven by increasing regulatory requirements such as the TREAD act, emerging standards such as ATA 2000, or the desire to better serve their customers, reduce costs, and avoid potential liability, it really makes good business sense for manufacturers to implement unit level traceability solutions," said Greg Gorbach, Service Director, Collaborative manufacturing and architecture at ARC Advisory Group. "Taking traceability and genealogy down to the component level with a tightly coupled solution will help manufacturers ensure quality during production, and reduce their post-production support costs."
For more information, visit our Web site at: http://www.usdata.com, http://www.rvsi.com