Digital Thread: Implementation

There are opportunities throughout the design process of any product to make significant changes, and ultimately impact the future of manufacturing, by embracing the digital thread. In this course, you will dig into the transformation taking place in how products are designed and manufactured throughout the world. It is the second of two courses that focuses on the "digital thread" – the stream that starts at the creation of a product concept and continues to accumulate information and data throughout the product life cycle. Hear about the realities of implementing the digital thread, directly from someone responsible for making it happen at a company. Learn how the digital thread can fit into product development processes in an office, on a shop floor, and even across an enterprise. Be prepared to talk about the benefits, and limitations, of enacting it. Main concepts of this course will be delivered through lectures, readings, discussions and various videos. This is the third course in the Digital Manufacturing & Design Technology specialization that explores the many facets of manufacturing’s “Fourth Revolution,” aka Industry 4.0, and features a culminating project involving creation of a roadmap to achieve a self-established DMD-related professional goal. To learn more about the Digital Manufacturing and Design Technology specialization, please watch the overview video by copying and pasting the following link into your web browser: https://youtu.be/wETK1O9c-CA

• Strategic issues in implementing the digital thread
• The purpose of this module is to outline the strategies, barriers, and business factors related to the implementation of a digital thread approach. Details of individual lessons in this module are provided below.
• Cyberinfrastructure Components of the Digital Thread
• The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the Information Technology components supporting the digital thread. Details of individual lessons in this module are provided below.
• Technologies used in the Design Process
• The purpose of this module is to discuss individual digital analysis tools used in the design process. Details of individual lessons in this module are provided below.
• Digital Thread on the Shop Floor
• The purpose of this module is to introduce the growing number of digital tools available to support manufacturing operations. Details of individual lessons in this module are provided below.
• Digital Thread and the Manufacturing Enterprise
• The purpose of this module is to introduce how a digital thread implementation impacts the design and manufacturing enterprise. Details of individual lessons in this module are provided below.