Cloud Manufacturing: Innovation in Production

In production, combining several emerged technologies such as cloud computing, service-oriented technologies, and the Internet of Things, a new manufacturing system is introduced. Cloud Manufacturing is a form of decentralized and networked manufacturing paradigm, and it could be represent the evolution of other relevant manufacturing systems such as web-manufacturing and agent-based manufacturing. The research community debates on several aspects of CM such as definitions, key characteristics, requirements, operational processes. One question, in particular, has often been raised among the researchers: if cloud manufacturing can be considered as an innovation in manufacturing. Based on the state of the art of the academic research about the definition of CM, the requirements that an ideal CM system should satisfy, and the discussion of its characteristics, the concept of CM is discussed in this paper, including strategic aspects and the key technologies, with specific reference to Additive Manufacturing