The Plug and Play Virtual Factory

The framework proposed by ADVENTURE provides mechanisms and tools that facilitate the creation and operation of manufacturing processes in a modular way. ADVENTURE combines the power of individual factories to achieve complex manufacturing processes. It provides tools for partner-finding, process creation, process optimization, information exchange as well as real-time monitoring combined with the tracking of goods and linking them to Cloud services. As yet, no proven tools or technologies exist in the market that provide the creation of virtual factories applying end-to-end integrated Information and Communication Technology (ICT). ADVENTURE is aiming to provide such tools and processes that will help to facilitate information exchange between factories and move beyond the boundaries of the individual enterprises involved. The collaborative manufacturing process will be optimised by enabling the integration of factory selection, forecasting, monitoring, and collaboration during runtime. ADVENTURE builds on concepts and methods of Service-oriented Computing and benefits from the advancements in this field. The monitoring and governance of the collaborative processes will be supported by technologies from the Internet of Things such as wireless sensors. Existing tools and services that can be integrated will be considered during the development of the platform for ADVENTURE. The increased degree of flexibility provided through ADVENTURE will benefit SMEs especially as it helps them to react quickly to changes and to participate in larger, cross-organizational manufacturing processes. Furthermore, ADVENTURE will help manufacturers in assessing the environmental friendliness of actual manufacturing processes and resulting products and services. Other objectives of ADVENTURE include research in areas such as service-based manufacturing processes, adaptive process management, process compliance, and end-to-end-integration of ICT solutions.