Mar 6th, 2012

Ubisense Location Solution drives UK car manufacturing productivity

Cambridge, UK - Ubisense Group Plc ("Ubisense" or the "Company") (LSE:UBI) announces that its real-time location system developed in collaboration with IBS AG ("IBS") has been deployed at a major UK car plant.

Under the global license agreement between the companies MINI Plant Oxford is the latest deployment in the BMW Group following installations in Europe, US and China. The implementation covers the whole of the final assembly line at the MINI Plant, and controls over 100 DC torque tools translating into over 100,000 tool/car matches in any one day. Automating the torque settings of the tool for each model variant is a key productivity driver for the system to deliver an impressively short return on investment.

The Location Information Solution (LIS), specially developed for BMW Group, combines real-time location from Ubisense with advanced quality management and traceability software from IBS, bringing the production process a step closer to Six Sigma and the vision of complete traceability. The system tracks individual vehicles through on-line and off-line final assembly. It determines the identity and location of each car in the assembly facility and, based on the proximity of the vehicles to both fixed and mobile equipment such as tools and scanners, programs and controls the devices. Delivering unprecedented levels of visibility, accuracy and reliability for an RTLS-based solution, the system improves quality, and enables line operatives to work more efficiently, achieving time-saving, process safeguarding, zero defects and cost reduction.

"The Location Information System (LIS) - developed and standardised by IBS, BMW Group and Ubisense - is unique worldwide. The solution presents us with a vital unique selling point. We are absolutely delighted that BMW AG has completed implementation at Plant Oxford," says Dr. Klaus-Juergen Schroeder, Chief Executive Officer of IBS AG.

Richard Green, CEO of Ubisense, said, "We are delighted to be working with BMW Group and IBS extending the frontiers of visibility and control to automotive manufacturing."

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About IBS

IBS AG, Hoehr-Grenzhausen, is a leading supplier of cross-company standard software systems and consulting services for industrial quality, production, traceability and compliance management. In keeping with the Company philosophy "The Productivity Advantage", IBS AG's Best Practice solutions achieve a sustainable increase in corporate productivity. IBS customers receive the support of a team of experienced consultants and specialists throughout each phase of the project and beyond. Founded in 1982, IBS AG employs approximately 200 personnel in Europe and the USA.

About Ubisense

Ubisense, a market leader in location solution technology, delivers mission-critical enterprise asset tracking and geospatial systems. The company's location technology provides more than 500 customers worldwide with unprecedented visibility of, and control over, previously intractable business processes. Ubisense is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with offices in the USA; Canada; France; Germany; Singapore; and Korea. For more information visit: www.ubisense.net. 

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