Surgere, a Pioneer in IoT Supply Chain Management, Brings Automotive Supply Chain Visibility to ABC INOAC Exterior Systems

ABC INOAC Exterior Systems LLC, a joint venture between ABC Technologies and INOAC Corporation that provides automotive exterior products to Japanese and US OEM manufacturers, has procured Surgere’s patented RFID technology to use in their manufacturing process, to gain visibility on production. This is the first time Surgere has deployed a supply chain solution inside the production facility.

The strategy launched November 9th at ABC INOAC’s plant in Fremont, Ohio, integrates the Surgere RFID system with internal systems to capture necessary metrics during the production of components. Through the RFID centralized data repository the facility is able to capture, in a singular location, these metrics and easily leverage them throughout the production process. Through this process the facility realizes substantial benefits including improved productivity, part traceability, asset tracking and improved inventory visibility. 

Previously, ABC INOAC’s inventory management was manually driven and required non-value-added time. The company was limited by visibility and reporting structures to ensure quality and compliance. By implementing Surgere’s patented tracking system, ABC INOAC will improve inventory management through the reduction of indirect labor, decreased cycle count times, and reduction of variances. 

“We are excited to be introducing Surgere’s solutions into our facility,” said Daniel Whiting, IT Systems Analyst at ABC INOAC.  “The ability of this company to integrate with our existing systems has been paramount in the project’s initial success. The Surgere team has been tremendous to partner with and the drive and knowledge displayed by the team is second to none. One of the most critical components to a successful project is a shared vision among all stakeholders and this team has been undoubtedly one of the best with which I have had the privilege to work.” Stacy Powers, project co-manager and Senior Quality Engineer states, “By utilizing their innovative system we are better able to monitor quality metrics in real-time and modify our production processes accordingly. This allows us to continuously align our business practices with evolving customer requirements. Implementing this system is allowing us to be on the cutting edge of automation while enhancing customer satisfaction.”

Surgere provides full part traceability through the entire production process using an automated data collection system enabled by Ultra High-Frequency RFID tags. Each tagged part is autonomously read via an RFID antenna at multiple inflection points throughout the production process. The tag has been tested at high temperatures to ensure it can withstand the heat of the paint line and in various UAT environments. 

“RFID technology is an extremely useful solution for scenarios such as these where human-readable information becomes hidden during production,” said William Wappler, founder and CEO of Surgere. “It is not always feasible to make a tag visible throughout the entirety of the manufacturing process, but the data is still vitally important for product visibility and line efficiency. Our tags have been tested in many different environments, and performing with layers of paint coverage adds to the list of capabilities to capture information in increasingly complex environments that different industries bring.”