Cyber-Physical Manufacturing Systems

Cyber-physical systems, in which computation and networking technologies interact with physical systems, have made great strides into manufacturing systems. From the early days, when electromechanical relays were used to automate conveyors and machines, through the introduction of programmable logic controllers and computer numerical control, computing and networking have become pervasive in manufacturing systems. By increasing the amount of automation at multiple levels within a factory and across the enterprise, cyber-physical manufacturing systems enable higher productivity and higher quality as well as lower costs.