Automotive

Data Exchange Procedures Between the Supplier and the Car Manufacturer during Production

During production, large amounts of data are exchanged between the supplier and Audi. In the past, this exchange was handled using the Odette File Transfer Protocol (OFTP), a globally trusted and safe procedure for the automotive industry. In the year 2000, Audi introduced acceleration sensors to further improve the safety of its cars. The sensors are integrated into the front end and send signals to the airbag in the case of an accident, helping to open the life-saving airbags in time.

There are two sensors per front end. Faurecia must supply details such as the serial number to document the correct assembly of the acceleration sensors. This information is transferred to Audi at the time of assembly, allowing the carmaker to process the data for quality assurance. All this information accompanies the vehicle during the entire production phase and beyond. This process is necessary to help identify faulty sensors, or to tell whether the left or right one is causing trouble in the event of product returns. For this reason, Faurecia needed a product able to guarantee reliable data exchange. Audi recommended the rvs® computer network system, which they themselves use for their file transfers.

For four years now, Faurecia Ingolstadt has been successfully using rvsNT, the rvs® version for Microsoft operating systems. This is an automated, secure and reliable solution for data exchange that is easy to integrate into existing complex IT environments. rvs® enables the secure, global exchange of data across all industries and operating system platforms regardless of its size and content.

The rvs® solution makes certain that no information is lost – one of the key needs of Faurecia and Audi. Should the data transfer nevertheless be interrupted for any reason, this must be documented. In rvs® the administrator takes care of this by sending so-called log files. These log files contain information about all files sent and received. Faurecia’s Head of EDP, Jürgen Kreitmeier, lists the software user interface and T-Systems’ Support Center as major advantages. “Any user can learn the ropes of rvs® in just one hour,” explains Kreitmeier. He also recalls that there have been only two minor database problems, both late in the evening. “The support center was able to sort these out without a glitch, and quickly at that,” says Kreitmeier, who stresses that the Faurecia staff was able to carry out the installation themselves. Special enquiries about the installation were answered immediately and satisfactorily.

The Solution Operates Reliably at all Times