Digital Thread in Manufacturing 

To advance sustainability goals in manufacturing and the product lifecycle, we are using new framework called the digital thread. The digital thread in manufacturing connects digital information generated about a product from product inception and design through the product lifecycle stages of manufacturing, sales, use by the customer, field service, and end-of-life disposal/recycling. There are three driving factors to the digital thread:

1. The incorporation of ubiquitous sensors and data acquisition systems into highly instrumented manufacturing tools enables new datasets for feedback during production (traditional feedback control systems) and feedback between production operations or batches (process improvement and optimization). 

2. Suppliers and logistics providers should be involved in the digital thread as well by collecting and sharing data from their processes, especially data on the feedstock material or components they supply which will be later processed or assembled. 

3. Also, new microcontroller-enabled "smart" and internet of things (IoT) capabilities in consumer and business products enable data collection far beyond the point of sale to the use and end-of-life phases of the product lifecycle. 

The data generated and shared throughout the digital thread data can be collected and analyzed to improve several aspects of product development: better part designs, optimized manufacturing operations, reduced environmental impact, improved product recycling/reuse outcomes (landfill diversion).

We are developing the digital thread for automated manufacturing machines in our lab including 3D printers, milling machines, and heat treatment furnaces. We simulate the processes at the granular operation level. We have instrumented these machines with sensors and data acquisition systems. We also collect and integrate post-process inspection data of the produced parts from our 3D scanning and material characterization lab.