Chrysler Corp in Detroit has opted to use Motorola Inc’s 88000 RISC-base Delta Series 8000 systems to control material handling and inventory in 19 of its automobile parts manufacturing plants, in a multi-million dollar deal. The new systems, which replace existing proprietary machines, will run inventory control, bar code recognition and printing, receiving and shipping, weighing and measuring, and production counts. They will also support Chrysler’s Just-in-Time inventory control programmme. Motorola’s Computer Systems Division will begin shipping the Delta 8000 Model 8640s, including 900 terminals and 300 printers, in December. It will help move Chysler’s customised manufacturing software over to the new machines, and will provide software including SNZ communication, Cobol compiler and word processing, as well as training. The project should be complete by May next year. The motor industry appears to have a weakness for Motorola’s 88000 RISC chip – Ford Motor Co recently chose a variant of the part as its standard microcontroller for engine timings and such, in a contract which should see some 6m parts shipped annually by the end of the decade.
