Q: What is the state of the digital factory concept in manufacturing? How do you define it? A: The concept of the digital factory basically derives from the application of digital manufacturing technology and solutions, including robust 3D modeling and simulation capabilities, to the production/factory floor environment. This entails building a 3D virtual representation of the physical factory: equipment, machines, robotic work cells, production systems, and the physical facilities. The idea is to accurately and virtually validate that the equipment and production systems will work when physically installed and commissioned. Today, virtual commissioning is one of the applications providing manufacturers with a real value proposition. Q: Which technologies are essential for digitally linking product design and development to production? A: An important aspect of digital manufacturing is the capability to build a digital/virtual production environment and then place the digital model of the product (parts, assemblies, sub-assemblies, etc.) directly into this virtual environment. From this perspective, PLM suppliers that offer digital manufacturing solutions (Dassault/Delmia, Siemens PLM/Tecnomatix) are completely integrated with their product design (CAD) environments. This allows for a merging of product design models with digital manufacturing models and simulation tools. Q: What are some of the top business drivers behind the digital factory concept? A: Manufacturers must be able to launch new products and models in a very cost-effective and timely manner in order to remain competitive and in some cases, like the automotive sector, to even survive. They need to be able to significantly reduce the product launch lifecycle from concept to production. Using digital manufacturing technology and tools enables companies to drastically reduce or even eliminate the time-consuming and costly process of physically commissioning their production systems. Moreover, virtual simulation enables manufacturers to optimize their production processes and equipment. Q: What are the business barriers? A: Some of the constraints to the adoption of digital manufacturing technology are direct costs for the application platforms, manufacturing engineering resources that must be able to build 3D models and simulation, and the ability to manage the large size and amount of digital models required. There is also the issue of the engineering staff's having to sell upper management on the benefits and value of digital manufacturing. Q: Are there differences between large companies and small/medium-sized businesses in their ability to implement digital factory processes? Is the concept better suited to certain vertical industries than others? A: There is a definite advantage for large companies with more expansive engineering resources to adopt digital manufacturing. Mid-sized to smaller companies have more difficulty justifying the cost of the application platforms and the dedicated engineering staff required. Some vertical industries, such as automotive, have been the leaders in adopting the technology. They can realize immediate benefits from applications like virtual commissioning. Aerospace is also adopting digital manufacturing for pre-assembly and large-scale automation projects that are virtually validated before physical implementation. The CPG and food and beverage industries also are looking at digital manufacturing for the virtual design and validation of packaging machines and production lines. Q: Where will the digital factory stand three years from now? A: While the adoption of the technology did not grow as fast as the analyst community forecasted in the beginning, more and more companies are adopting portions of the technology, and the benefits of virtual commissioning, in particular, are becoming apparent. As manufacturers are forced to become more efficient in terms of time to market, production costs, and overall market presence, they will take a closer look at enabling technologies like digital manufacturing. Even in a tough global economy, companies will be looking for ways to get their products to market faster, better, and cheaper. As such, digital manufacturing will probably experience steady and sustained growth in the next three years.