Today, with the rapid development of science and technology, you have probably heard of the concept of cloud manufacturing, whether you work in the manufacturing industry or elsewhere. Therefore, there are many reasons to familiarize yourself with it comprehensively.
How it works? How does this help manufacturers? Why will this lead to a major change in the manufacturing industry? Let's explore this together here.
What is cloud manufacturing?
Cloud manufacturing is a new concept based on the idea of “manufacturing as a service” and takes up the idea of cloud computing. Cloud manufacturing is the integrated product of advanced information technology, manufacturing technology and the emerging technology of the Internet of Things, which is the embodiment of the concept of manufacturing as a service. Cloud Manufacturing adopts cutting-edge concepts of modern information technology to help the manufacturing industry provide high-quality, cost-effective and global product manufacturing in large-scale network resource environments.
Who presents the concept?
In 2009, Bohu Li Chinese, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Professor Lin Zhang, associate dean of the School of Automation Science and Electrical Engineering at Beijing Aerospace and Space University, who led the research team, were well aware of The deep integration of modern information and production technology such as cloud computing and IoT would bring profound changes to modern manufacturing industry. They have taken the lead internationally in developing the concept of “cloud manufacturing”.
The introduction of the cloud manufacturing concept immediately attracted widespread attention in academic and business circles. It appears to offer hope to China's struggling manufacturing industry. People think about the importance of this in the development of China's manufacturing industry from a large manufacturing country to a manufacturing powerhouse, and hope that it will have a great impact on the pattern and shape of China's manufacturing industry.
This is how cloud manufacturing works
Cloud manufacturing aims to avoid wasting resources. It adopts the idea of cloud manufacturing and uses information technology to achieve a high level of manufacturing resource sharing. Enterprises do not need to spend high costs on purchasing machinery equipment and advice on renting production capacity through public platforms to acquire production capacity.
If there were no more obstacles, cloud manufacturing would integrate all full lifecycle resources such as product development, production, usage and sales, etc., and provide standardized, specific and shareable manufacturing modes. This type of production mode allows industrial customers to use various services with the same ease such as water, electricity and gas.
7 Typical Cloud Manufacturing Features
There are a wide variety of cloud vendors to choose from these days. Therefore, it is important to find a reliable partner that offers all the features that meet your factory's production needs. If you want to make a prototype, it seems good to find a company that has done a project or worked for similar companies. At this time, you can directly visit the factory and check its production equipment and facilities, as well as its warehouse. This will help you avoid some trivial things and focus on production.
Instant Deals
Cloud manufacturing significantly increases instant quoting efficiency and optimizes resource allocation. You no longer need to sit in front of your computer waiting for an email offer. Engineers can reduce the time spent communicating and creating technical drawings. All you need to do is find a manufacturer that offers real deals online, upload all your files and clarify your desired requirements. For example, you can directly ask your potential partner to demonstrate prototype management and quote and management software to you. Engineers can put their energy into value-adding activities.
At the same time, smart quoting systems constantly collect accurate data to further improve the pricing process.
Transparent online project management tracking
Thanks to Cloud Manufacturing, your project status is fully visible. You can easily make changes and review results at any time. Powerful reports can help you evaluate suppliers. It's easy to use and available on any device.
Storage and inventory management
Some cloud manufacturing companies also offer storage and inventory management services. Once your product is configured, your partner will store it for you. You don't have to worry about storage space until delivery as it can track your inventory over long distances.
Flexible
Cloud manufacturing brings together a wide variety of functions in one place, depending on different manufacturing platforms.
Parts are typically distributed to manufacturers responsible for fulfilling orders. Therefore, a supply chain is highly configured and unstable, reducing dependence on specific linkages and partnerships.
Additionally, automatic systems can select the best quality production partner and reduce delivery times for goods to minimize costs and environmental impact.
Production system
Quality is one of the most important factors when customers look for a manufacturer. However, finding great suppliers is not easy. Some cloud vendors simply bring together more partners. In contrast, others try to do some research and do a lot of contract testing.
Manufacturing capacity
All that is needed to create instant offers is a complex system that can evaluate the uploaded files. This also means the platform can create a budget for parts that cannot be edited.
Some parts can be easily made using CAD, but this cannot be done using bending.
When evaluating manufacturability, geometry must be taken into account. If the results are positive, the platform can only display the price.
In the current development phase, cloud manufacturing still has some limitations. The questions above are not definitive answers.
Shared accounts
Anyone can access purchasing information for free. In traditional back-and-forth email workflows, information is not transparent to everyone involved. However, if we have a cloud manufacturing system, anyone involved in the project can view the designs at any time.
This allows the entire team to work on a project without needing to constantly stay updated.
The Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing for Manufacturing
Is it worth switching to the cloud production platform? Of course, there are no 100% accurate answers, as each company has its own needs and objectives. Therefore, before making the final decision, we must familiarize ourselves with the benefits and risks.
Per
External management
- A third party may operate the online store elsewhere
- Secure storage can prevent unpredictable fires or other physical threats
- You don't need to hire a dedicated IT team to monitor the network
Instant Connections
- Data can be shared and accessed anytime, anywhere and on any device
- No hassles or worries about different time zones and geographic locations
speed
- Ability to recover data instantly no matter where you are in the factory or in front of your computer
Rapid deployment
- Ignoring the mundane tasks of assessing data needs, investing in data centers, and maintaining systems
Scalability
- Almost unlimited capacity
- Just pay and you can order whatever you want or need
- Can add additional storage space even in the off-season
Lower costs
- Customers can pay monthly
- You don't need to invest additional energy in maintenance or rely on in-house technical staff
Environmentally friendly
- Low energy consumption and reduced carbon footprint.
Long service life
- You won't lose your data if you want to migrate your business
- Providers will continually update their technology
Security and recovery
- Your important files or information have backup copies in a remote location and you don't have to worry about them suddenly disappearing
Disadvantages
Lifetime costs
- As new technologies develop, vendors sometimes increase the price of the system, making the cost much higher than on-premises data
Security flaw
- The Internet is full of dangers and it is not possible to guarantee that your data is 100% secure.
- The occurrence of malware is inevitable and confidential data is not fully disclosed to third parties.
Limited speed
- The local Internet connection is not always fast. If it is slow, it would affect the customer experience
Risks of unexpected downtime
- Sudden failures can result in costly production downtime and affect performance
observance
- Everyone has their own temperament, sometimes you can't meet everyone's needs
Not customizable
- Sometimes some firmware controls its limitation when software update
- Providers are also tied – you cannot freely switch between services
Cloud Computing Applications in Manufacturing
Cloud Manufacturing allows us to offer different solutions for the processes of each part (from marketing to production) of the manufacturing industry. Incorporating cloud computing into various operational areas can increase its benefits. Here, let's take a look at common cloud manufacturing applications in the manufacturing industry:
Marketing in the cloud sector
As we know, cloud manufacturing is characterized by comprehensive leads that facilitate the development of complex marketing campaigns. Manufacturers use the cloud-based application to plan, execute, and manage marketing activities. Manufacturers also monitor the effectiveness of marketing activities based on the use of production and sales data.
Product development
In general, product planning and development are closely linked to production. Manufacturers can improve their operational readiness for full production by integrating product development and planning with supply chain data and communications. Through full integration, products can go from creative ideas, through design and prototyping, to small batch production, and finally to high volume production and faster delivery.
Production and inventory monitoring
Once production begins, cloud manufacturing can greatly simplify the product manufacturing and storage process. The company's ERP software allows Cloud Manufacturing to match production levels with available-for-sale inventory. This software can manage offers, incoming orders and customer inquiries. Using standard tracking products can minimize errors and reduce order turnaround time.
Production manager
Not all manufacturers are able to maintain the same level of production for all products throughout the year. To meet ever-changing market demands, manufacturers can use cloud-based applications to detect changes in production. Additionally, these software solutions enable communication across the entire supply chain, allowing manufacturers to verify quantities of raw materials required and easily update orders to adapt to future production levels.
Who Needs Cloud Manufacturing
The traditional manufacturing method is suitable for large companies that need more than 100 thousand products. However, it does not apply to small businesses, corporations, engineers, and hobbyists. This new hardware manufacturing method paves a path to success for previous groups.
Small business
Small businesses and expanding businesses often do not have the qualifications necessary to receive reasonable prices from large companies. They are also often under financial pressure, which makes large inventories a major problem while on-time delivery is required. Cloud manufacturing can meet the needs of small businesses, and transportation costs are also affordable. The best way to solve the problem is to provide warehousing and transportation services, as well as an API for fully automated ordering. Customers can purchase goods without relying on intentional agreements from companies. This creates a superior experience, reduces costs, and allows team members to focus more on the strategic needs of the business. In short, for small and medium-sized businesses, business growth based on cloud production is crucial.
Entrepreneur
Cloud manufacturing is known to play a notable role in reducing time to market. Today, some people who have an idea on their own are able to put it into practice without having a complex relationship with the previous industry. You can easily find the best pre-vetted suppliers from near or long distance depending on the final product delivery destination. Cloud manufacturing has helped you sell products around the world since the beginning. It allows anyone to open their online stores without any hassle. You no longer need to accumulate large stocks and transport these things from a distant warehouse. The way to quickly deliver products to customers is to have companies nearby and eliminate the idea of renting a warehouse. These modes cover the slightly higher costs of lower production volume and reduce the risks of large inventories.
Cloud manufacturing can support both final prototyping and product delivery, enabling modern businesses to bring their creative projects to life in a more cost-effective and cost-effective way.
Engineers
It is also sometimes more difficult for large institutions to produce prototypes intended to achieve great results at low cost once new product ideas have been developed. Some engineers also face these problems and need to outsource production. If you ordered just one unit, some big companies would ignore you, even if you were Foxconn, Google or Apple. However, cloud manufacturing can solve and avoid problems. This is because the quoting system – a pay-as-you-go system without “going anywhere” – is free in cloud manufacturing and helps companies and engineers optimize project costs to reduce costs by comparing materials, thicknesses and different layouts.
Most cloud vendors are happy to help you troubleshoot until you get the results you want.
Amateurs
The Make movement enables everyone to become inventors, designers and creators in all areas of life. Countless new and innovative ideas have become reality thanks to 3D printing. Likewise, cloud manufacturing helps hobbyists take their projects to new levels and enables automated assembly work.
You can only contact a supplier who can guarantee quality for a small, one-time order.
University Degree
Cloud manufacturing as a central part of the Industrial Internet of Things. The industrial cloud platform can flexibly realize the deployment and delivery of industrial information services across regions. Gradually, it became the focus of modern mechanical engineering competition. Some leading manufacturing companies have expanded their businesses into many areas of the Industrial Internet.
