Testing the Digital Thread in Support of Model-Based Manufacturing and Inspection

TLDR

Manufacturing firms report anecdotal benefits of Model‑Based Enterprise (MBE), prompting industry leaders to pursue a unified digital thread that integrates model‑based definition, manufacturing, and inspection for real‑time design, collaboration, and traceability. This study evaluates current industry approaches to MBE implementation, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and data‑exchange gaps between manufacturing processes. Measured comparisons show that model‑based processes outperform drawing‑based ones, providing empirical support for the industry’s anecdotal claims and the envisioned digital thread.

Abstract

A number of manufacturing companies have reported anecdotal evidence describing the benefits of Model-Based Enterprise (MBE). Based on this evidence, major players in industry have embraced a vision to deploy MBE. In our view, the best chance of realizing this vision is the creation of a single "digital thread." Under MBE, there exists a Model-Based Definition (MBD), created by the Engineering function, that downstream functions reuse to complete Model-Based Manufacturing and Model-Based Inspection activities. The ensemble of data that enables the combination of model-based definition, manufacturing, and inspection defines this digital thread. Such a digital thread would enable real-time design and analysis, collaborative process-flow development, automated artifact creation, and full-process traceability in a seamless real-time collaborative development among project participants. This paper documents the strengths and weaknesses in the current, industry strategies for implementing MBE. It also identifies gaps in the transition and/or exchange of data between various manufacturing processes. Lastly, this paper presents measured results from a study of model-based processes compared to drawing-based processes and provides evidence to support the anecdotal evidence and vision made by industry.