A digital thread-enabled framework for manufacturing data integration

With the increasing applications of digital technologies in the manufacturing industry, a huge amount of data is generated throughout the product lifecycle. However, common practices show that it is difficult to share available information between different systems due to the diversity and fragmentation of manufacturing data. The “Digital Thread”, a concept proposed in the context of “Industry 4.0”, provides a theory and solution for data integration problem in the product lifecycle. This paper discusses the concept and applications of the digital thread. Focusing on the data linking and integrating across the mechanical product lifecycle, a digital thread enabled framework is proposed for manufacturing data integration, which applies a series of information communication technologies and services. The framework aims to provide consistent, complete and accurate manufacturing data and knowledge for heterogeneous systems in the product lifecycle. Also, the main key technologies in the framework are further discussed.