Discrete and continuous manufacturing processes, made possible by cheap data storage options, distributed computation power, and fast communication protocols, offer manufacturing insights. Digital manufacturing concepts can appear as vague visions lacking truly actionable implementations for common manufacturing operations due to a variety of digital strategies. Digital factory, smart manufacturing, industrial iot (iiot), and digital thread, as well as disparate implementations and complex analysis methodologies (Yuxin Zhang, 2022). Digital transformation in manufacturing offers businesses significant value by unlocking numerous benefits as digital technologies continue to grow (Mohd Javaid, 2022). Digital systems offer production systems that are dependable, adaptable, and user-customizable from a variety of angles (Damtew, and Yilma.Y,2024,Loaiza & Cloutier, 2022).
Such empowering advances will assist manufacturing industries in selecting their ideal offices and representatives, lower operational costs, improve efficiency and asset utilization, and give a picture of handle gaps that can be tended to (Mohd Javaid, 2022). Moreover, the computerized and digital string is commonly alluded to as the coordinate collection, capacity, and examination of spatial and transient data relating to a made component's lifecycle from support to grave (Thomas Feldhausen, 2021). In problems, the digital tread string has made noteworthy advances within the life cycle administration of the different segments, especially the U.S. Discuss Drive (Thomas Feldhausen, 2021; Bonham, 2020). “An extensible, configurable, and agency-level explanatory system that consistently assists the controlled exchange of definitive information, data, and information in undertaking data-information-knowledge frameworks, based on the computerized framework show layout, to educate decision-makers all through a system's life cycle" is how Yuxin Zhang (2022) portrays the common definition of advanced string considers. These are done by giving the capability to get to, coordinate, and change dissimilar information into significant data (Issam A. R. Moghrabi, 2023). Too digital thread allude to the communication system that permits an associated information stream and coordinates the asset's information all through its lifecycle over customarily soloed viewpoints from each partner (Bonham, 2020). Another ponder (Throb & Pelaez, 2021) appears to be that advanced innovation, digital thread, counting advanced string, is utilized to progress generation execution by creating high-quality items at the most reduced coherent fetched by coordination fabricating forms and enhancing production planning in manufacturing implementation.
Other than that, supportability guarantees the desires of the show without compromising the ability of future generations to attain their claimed desires. It incorporates programs of environment, financial advancement, appropriate places from neighborhood to worldwide, and education of government, nonstop respectful society, commerce, and industry to each extend their interface, trusts, and desires onto the standard of maintainable improvement (By Robert W. Kates, 2005). Economic advancement also concerns the substitutability of assets and financial development. This incorporates capital, social characteristics, and man-made. As well as economic advancement explained by distinctive analysts and researchers (Issam A. R. Moghrabi, 2023; Stoddart, 2011; Cerin, 2006; Dernbach, 2003; Dernbach, 1998).
The extreme point of sustainability is to realize the long-term soundness of financial advancement, asset utilization, and natural neighborliness through the integration of information, innovation, and asset foundations all through the organizational and fabricating forms. Be that as it may, the past ponder (Jeremy Faludi, 2015) shows that "manufacturing, especially conventional machining exercises, is capable of generating 19 percent of the world's nursery gas outflows, and 31 percent of the joined-together states add up to vitality usage." But numerous thinkers (Issam A. R. Moghrabi 1, 2023; Bonham, 2020) assume that advanced and maintainable fabricating has natural benefits compared to conventional fabricating forms. Maintainable manufacturing is characterized as connecting frameworks and forms to create high-quality administrations and goods while also being more feasible in item utilization and minimizing squander, which leads to natural debasement (Issam A. R. Moghrabi, 2023).
Indeed, computer numerical control (CNC) machines are said to pose striking wellbeing and natural dangers; they are ordinarily naphthenic or paraffinic oil with different emulsifiers and added substances such as biocides, and they are marginally antacid (Jeremy Faludi, 2015). To overcome natural challenges, production industry ought to lock in their productions forms inside green, clear, and economical production systems. The goal of this research was designed to investigate the effects of digital thread on sustainable manufacturing and smart production systems.
1.2. Statement of the Problems
During the Industrial Revolution, environmental degradation became a major problem due to waste and poor production issues (Issam A. R. Moghrabi, 2023). The traditional way of production can create significant demand and limited production capacity in environments where solutions are needed but not enough. Also, one of the biggest challenges of traditional production is the need to increase efficiency and productivity while reducing costs and environmental impact (Mohammed Balubaid and Naif Alsaadi, 2023). These industries also face a number of environmental challenges, such as the need to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, and reduce waste and pollution. However, aspects such as environmental protection, energy savings, waste, and sustainable consumption of natural resources are emphasized in digital and sustainable production.
Digitization, including industry 4.0, offers integration through value networks, enabling collaboration between suppliers, customers, and other external stakeholders (Awwal Sanusi Abubakar, 2022). The growth and improvement of information management technologies have led to radical changes in the production process and business methods (Loaiza and Cloutier, 2022). However, most developing economies have traditional, fragmented, and out-dated production processes. This creates a bottleneck for sustainable and smart manufacturing practices. In addition, the introduction and application of digital technology, including the digital twin, industry 4.o, in the production process is also a great challenge for the manufacturing industry (Mohammed Balubaid 1 and Naif Alsaadi 2, 2023). Although economic sustainability is important, emerging digital technologies can lead the transition to a more sustainable circular economy, a digital sharing economy, and sustainable manufacturing and infrastructure design (Mohd Javaid, 2022; Loaiza and Cloutier, 2022).
Some industries in developed countries, for example, in the context of Norway, are very aware of sustainability and sustainable production processes (Olena Klymenko, 2021). For example, the digitized supply chain of marine equipment, which is in the planning stage, will extend the accounting of sustainable development to the supply chain level, including information on product components, materials, and emissions. Other companies are starting with RFID in the design phase. This RFID application provides an opportunity to extend sustainable accounting to the supply chain level by incorporating information from suppliers into end-of-life management practices (Olena Klymenko, 2021). However, other emerging businesses have not yet considered these digital enabling technologies (Issam A. R. Moghrabi, 2023). So far, industries have adopted smart manufacturing technologies to focus mainly on the development of smart manufacturing infrastructures that use advanced technologies to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the manufacturing industry (Mohd Javaid *, 2022), (Awwal Sanusi) Abubakar 1, 2022), (Bonham, 2020), and (Issam A.R. Moghrabi, 2023). However, a fundamental obstacle for companies striving for digitization and sustainable thinking is the lack of an accurate understanding of the process by which digitization technologies enable sustainable production (Ng Tan Ching, 2020).
Lack of process robustness, flexibility, stability, and reproducibility considered as the main challenges for traditional manufacturing. Due to the unresolved complex relationships between the manufacturing process, product design, durability, sustainability, process signatures, and product quality, this has significantly hindered its widespread adoption in emerging industries. Despite the fact that the application of digital thread in industries other than the aircraft industry is still relatively small, the application of digital thread in real industrial scenarios is mainly in the frame design stage (Yuxin Zhang, 2022). However, real-time computing can help monitor, process, and even predict events to improve manufacturing processes and machine life cycles (Mohd Javaid, 2022, Agorasti Toka, 2013). There is also a gap in understanding the requirements, applicability, security, and sustainability of the digital thread and related technologies in implementing sustainable production processes and practices (Pang and Pelaez, 2021). These shortcomings lead to digital transformation, which can lead to more problems and affect the life cycle of the production system (Loaiza and Cloutier, 2022). The production process is under increasing pressure to be more socially responsible and accountable.
Manufacturing industry must consider these challenges and act to solve them. These systems supporting digital thread strategies for production have been designed and integrated in collaboration with sustainable manufacturing processes and collaborative product lifecycle management practices. The main objective of this study is to investigate the impacts of digital thread technology applications on sustainable manufacturing and smart production systems. Based on these investigations, the digital thread model was developed to improve the performance and sustainability of manufacturing industries.