Due to the current structure of digital factory, it is necessary to build the smart factory to upgrade the manufacturing industry. Smart factory adopts the combination of physical technology and cyber technology and deeply integrates previously independent discrete systems making the involved technologies more complex and precise than they are now. In this paper, a hierarchical architecture of the smart factory was proposed firstly, and then the key technologies were analyzed from the aspects of the physical resource layer, the network layer, and the data application layer. In addition, we discussed the major issues and potential solutions to key emerging technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and cloud computing, which are embedded in the manufacturing process. Finally, a candy packing line was used to verify the key technologies of smart factory, which showed that the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) of the equipment is significantly improved.

Edge computing extends the capabilities of computation, network connection, and storage from the cloud to the edge of the network. It enables the application of business logic between the downstream data of the cloud service and the upstream data of the Internet of Things (IoT). In the field of Industrial IoT, edge computing provides added benefits of agility, real-time processing, and autonomy to create value for intelligent manufacturing. With the focus on the concept of edge computing, this article proposes an architecture of edge computing for IoT-based manufacturing. It also analyzes the role of edge computing from four aspects including edge equipment, network communication, information fusion, and cooperative mechanism with cloud computing. Finally, we give a case study to implement the active maintenance based on a prototype platform. This article aims to provide a technical reference for the deployment of edge computing in the smart factory.

Due to the development of modern information technology, the emergence of the fog computing enhances equipment computational power and provides new solutions for traditional industrial applications. Generally, it is impossible to establish a quantitative energy-aware model with a smart meter for load balancing and scheduling optimization in smart factory. With the focus on complex energy consumption problems of manufacturing clusters, this paper proposes an energy-aware load balancing and scheduling (ELBS) method based on fog computing. First, an energy consumption model related to the workload is established on the fog node, and an optimization function aiming at the load balancing of manufacturing cluster is formulated. Then, the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to obtain an optimal solution, and the priority for achieving tasks is built toward the manufacturing cluster. Finally, a multiagent system is introduced to achieve the distributed scheduling of manufacturing cluster. The proposed ELBS method is verified by experiments with candy packing line, and experimental results showed that proposed method provides optimal scheduling and load balancing for the mixing work robots.

The cyber-physical production system (CPPS), which combines information communication technology, cyberspace virtual technology, and intelligent equipment technology, is accelerating the path of Industry 4.0 to transform manufacturing from traditional to intelligent. The Industrial Internet of Things integrates the key technologies of industrial communication, computing, and control, and is providing a new way for a wide range of manufacturing resources to optimize management and dynamic scheduling. In this article, OLE for process control technology, software defined industrial network, and device-to-device communication technology are proposed to achieve efficient dynamic resource interaction. Additionally, the integration of ontology modeling with multiagent technology is introduced to achieve dynamic management of resources. We propose a load balancing mechanism based on Jena reasoning and Contract-Net Protocol technology that focuses on intelligent equipment in the smart factory. Dynamic resources management for IoT-based manufacturing provides a solution for complex resource allocation problems in current manufacturing scenarios, and provides a technical reference point for the implementation of intelligent manufacturing in Industry 4.0.

Computer-integrated manufacturing is a notable feature of Industry 4.0. Integrating machine learning (ML) into edge intelligent Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a key enabling technology to achieve intelligent IIoT. To realize novel intelligent applications of edge-enhanced IIoT, ML methods are proposed to improve the cognitive ability of edge intelligent IIoT in this article. First, an ML-enabled framework of the cognitive IIoT is proposed. Second, the ML methods are presented to enhance the cognitive ability of IIoT including the ML model of IIoT, data-driven learning and reasoning, and coordination with cognitive methods. Finally, with a focus on the reconfigurable production line, a scenario-aware dynamic adaptive planning (DAP) with deep reinforcement learning (DRL) was conducted. The experimental results show that the DRL-based dynamic adaptive planning (DRL-based DAP) had good performance in an observable IIoT environment. The main purpose of this work is to point out the effects of ML-based optimization methods on the analysis of industrial IoT from the macroscopic view.

With the deep integration of cyber physical production systems in the era of Industry 4.0, smart workshop dramatically increases the amount of data collected by smart device. A key factor in achieving smart manufacturing is to use data analysis methods for evaluating the equipment reliability and for supporting the predictive maintenance of equipment. Based on these insights, this paper proposes a deep learning-based approach that uses time series data for equipment reliability analysis. First, a framework of the TensorFlow-enabled deep neural networks (DNN) model for equipment reliability analysis is presented. Secondly, using time series equipment data, an evaluation strategy of equipment reliability based on deep learning is proposed. Finally, the reliability of a cylinder, an important part of the small trolley in automobile assembly line, is evaluated in a case study. Compared with the traditional reliability analysis method such as PCA and HMM, the prediction results show a significant improvement in prediction accuracy. This work contributes to promoting artificial intelligence algorithms for realizing highly efficient manufacturing.