A Framework for Integrating Multiple Manufacturing Clouds

Cloud Manufacturing (CMfg) adopts and extends the concept of cloud computing to make mass Manufacturing Resources and Capabilities (MR/Cs) more widely integrated and accessible to users through the Internet. However, a single manufacturing cloud (MC) only has relatively limited scalability and elasticity. Using the aggregated MR/Cs from multiple MCs is a natural evolution. To address this requirement, we propose an integration framework for multiple MCs, so that MCs can collaboratively cope with peak user demands for MR/Cs. The key functional modules and the business model of the proposed framework are presented to guide future integration of multiple MCs. The enabling technologies, such as semantic web and ontologies, intelligent agents, service oriented architecture, and material handling and logistics technologies are also discussed. An application example is given, showing the feasibility and rationality of the proposed approach.