Enabling the Digital Thread for Smart Manufacturing

Overview

The Digital Thread for Smart Manufacturing project (2013-2018) enabled the repurposing, reuse, and traceability of information throughout the product lifecycle. The project research focused on standards and implementation needs to exchange information between each phases of the lifecycle -- particularly between engineering, manufacturing, and quality functions. The project has enabled an extended digital thread for smart manufacturing by addressing some research projects that are described to the left.  Research results for those projects and others are shown below.

Research on the Digital Thread continues in this project started in 2021.

Resources

• All NIST Advanced Manufacturing Series reports
• All NIST reports tagged with: Manufacturing, Interoperability in manufacturing, Product data, Manufacturing systems design & analysis, Factory operations planning and control, Process improvement, Supply chain, Systems engineering, Systems integration, Sustainable manufacturing
• MBE Summit: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

STEP (ISO 10303)

• STEP at NIST
• STEP File Analyzer and Viewer
• Conformance Checking of PMI Representation in CAD Model STEP Data Exchange Files
• A portrait of an ISO STEP tolerancing standard as an enabler of smart manufacturing systems
• Recent Advances in Sharing Standardized STEP Composite Structure Design and Manufacturing Information
• STEP AP242 - Managed model based 3D engineering
• CAx Interoperability Forum (CAx-IF)
• CAE Interoperability Forum (CAE-IF)

Quality Information Framework (QIF)

• QIF PMI Report Software
• Validation for Downstream Computer Aided Manufacturing and Coordinate Metrology Processes
• Developing an Activity Model for Selecting Dimensional Metrology Systems in Inspection Planning
• End-to-End Quality Information Framework (QIF) Technology Survey
• End-to-end Demonstration of the Quality Information Framework (QIF) Standard at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2014
• Quality Information Framework

Smart Manufacturing Systems (SMS) Test Bed

• Smart Manufacturing Systems (SMS) Test Bed, GitHub
• Technical Data Packages
• Design and Configuration of the Smart Manufacturing Systems Testbed
• Even Small Factories Can Get Smarter
• New NIST Test Bed Makes the 'Digital Thread' Accessible
• Volatile Data Stream (VDS) for the Smart Manufacturing Systems (SMS) Test Bed using MTConnect
• Enabling Smart Manufacturing Research and Development using a Product Lifecycle Test Bed

PMI (Product and Manufacturing Information), MBE (Model-based Engineering), CAD (Computer-aided Design), CAM (Computer-aided Manufacturing)

• MBE PMI Validation and Conformance Testing Project
• Design to Manufacturing and Inspection (D2MI)
• Validation for Downstream CAM and Coordinate Metrology Processes
• Tolerancing Standards and Associated Modeling Challenges
• Testing the Digital Thread

Digital Trust

• Trustworthiness and Traceability in Supply Chain Data
• Digital Manufacturing Certificate Toolkit: Adding Trust and Traceability to Product Data
• Embedding X.509 Digital Certificates in Three-Dimensional Models for Authentication, Authorization, and Traceability of Product Data
• Digital Manufacturing Certificate (DMC) Toolkit

Disclaimers

These results were developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology by employees of the Federal Government in the course of their official duties.  Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code the results are not subject to copyright protection and are in the public domain. NIST assumes no responsibility for the results for use by other parties and makes no guarantees, expressed or implied, about their quality, reliability, or any other characteristic.

The use of any software or hardware by the projects does not imply a recommendation or endorsement by NIST.

The use of the results in other software or hardware products does not imply a recommendation or endorsement by NIST of those products.

We would appreciate acknowledgement if any of the results are used, however, the use of the NIST logo is not allowed.

NIST Disclaimer