The Digital Thread Provides a Framework for Communication
The Digital Thread represents the sum of all data digitally linked to form a single, contiguous definition of all value-added decisions made during a product’s manufacturing journey. This includes the definition of a product, its configuration, manufacturing and repair processes, logistics, and operational support. For a manufacturer, the Digital Thread provides a single reference point for design, engineering, and manufacturing, ensuring they act in concert.
The digital thread provides a formal framework for controlled interplay of authoritative technical and as-built data with the ability to access, integrate, transform and analyze data from disparate systems throughout the product lifecycle into actionable information. The Digital Thread and Digital Twin concepts are the basis for connecting design, manufacturing and ERP in a closed loop.
Managing Complexity with the Digital Thread
Complex manufacturers working in industries like nuclear power, medical devices, and private space exploration are faced with complex supply chain challenges and often stringent regulations. A single design change can affect the manufacturing of multiple components, and keeping track of as-designed, as-built and as-maintained records at all stages of the process can quickly become impossible to manage with paper logs and repetitive processes. By providing a “single version of the truth,” the digital thread helps to manage this complexity.
Digital Thread in the Model-Based Enterprise
Today’s connected digital enterprise is all about leveraging 3-D models across all operations. In the model-based enterprise, there is much greater use of 3-D models and more structured handover of model-based definitions from one department to another in the Digital Thread. As this evolution continues, manufacturing is moving from illustrations to animations to augmented reality as a means of delivering information. As new technologies develop, these tools are increasingly practical to deploy and connect, using the Digital Thread.
