Collaborative and Integrated Platform to Support Distributed Manufacturing System Using a Service-Oriented Approach Based On Cloud Computing Paradigm

Increasing interest in distributed manufacturing systems is a result of the dynamic nature of today's business environment and with that comes the popularity of their use. This has given rise in the interest in distributed manufacturing systems. The indirect consequence of this has led to much higher use of distributed manufacturing systems. A large number of production processes, dispersed across a multitude of locations geographically separate, must be controlled and integrated in order to achieve production agility, flexibility and efficiency of costs. In our most recent project, we developed an integrated, collaborative manufacturing platform, the centerpiece of which was LAYMOD. To address the issues posed by such systems, this research presents a collateral and integrated platform based on a service oriented approach that can operate within the cloud computing paradigm. These systems present problems which the study is conducted in order to solve. Utilising the features of cloud computing, it aims to serve as a platform in solving process coordination and hence improving efficiency and scalability of distant manufacturing processes and potential real time communications among various stake holders. Furthermore, statistical research on the rates of platform module adoption in different settings provides specifics of (a) use patterns of some platform modules and (b) what capabilities are provided by some platform modules. When extrapolated to a wider size, our work is applied towards the creation of collaborative and integrated platforms for a number of the various manufacturing processes which are currently in use.