Honda Italia Industriale, the Italian subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, upgraded its manufacturing facility in Atessa, Italy, with specially designed RFID technology.

The implementation of RFID technology and infrastructure transformed the production process and allows Honda to achieve higher levels of efficiency and accuracy in managing its large motorcycle and scooter production, especially the Hornet 600 and CBF1000 bikes.

Honda Italy is the leading brand in the domestic market, with about 100,000 motorcycles, scooters, and on/off road bikes sold annually.

The design and development of the RFID implementation enables the real-time, automatic identification of each vehicle along the entire production chain. The RFID tags are also used on micro-lots of critical components like engines. The goal is to improve product quality by making sure the correct components are paired with the right chassis during production.

Project manager Nicola Marrone says, “We want to improve assembly processes and production times by tracking inventory and automating parts replenishment on the assembly line. Our plans are to extend RFID-based innovation to other areas such as the supply chain and after-sales services.”

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