Easing manufacturing complexities

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Manufacturing is a complex domain that is going through constant evolution. Digitisation has been part of that transformation but the benefits of this have not been fully realised. Using a microservices architecture for manufacturing will help to realise this promise of digitalisation by skewing the monolithic structures of yesteryear and allowing for the agile adaptability of a modern cloud native computing environment.

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ZDMP is technical project involving over 12 technical partners integrating a wide variety of functionality, from platform generic tools, for integration, marketplaces and app development, to zero-defect focused manufacturing applications like Digital Twins, Non-Intrusive Inspection, and Process and Product quality control.

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Thus, the ZDMP needed an architecture that could integrate a wide variety of concepts, partners, and technologies for both InCloud on and OnPremise systems. It uses a multi-sided marketplace along with re-sellable components called zApps. To provide the basic functionality of the ZDMP platform and the zApps the platform is filled with a set of core components, platform building components, and components focused on Product and Process quality. As well as specific user functionality in the form of zApps for detecting anomalies, raising alarms, and managing digital twins.

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To manage this complexity and diversity the project has used some key technologies to mitigate integration issues. These are Docker containers, Rest APIs, and a Message Bus.