A Literature Review of the Digital Thread: Definition, Key Technologies, and Applications

Abstract

The digital thread, as a crucial technology for industrial digitization and the realization of smart manufacturing, has garnered extensive attention and research in recent years. Furthermore, there is a growing interest in the key technologies supporting the implementation of the digital thread. Given the diversity of product lifecycle models, various definitions, reference architectures, and implementation methods have been proposed to study the digital thread. Thus, this study systematically investigates the current definition, key technologies, and applications of the digital thread. A comprehensive analysis of 94 articles spanning from 2015 to 2023 was conducted, clarifying the definition of the digital thread and its relationship with related terms. Building upon this foundation, this study delves into the research methodologies concerning pivotal technologies in implementing the digital thread (such as authoritative sources of truth, data linkage, and model integration) and scrutinizes various application scenarios of the digital thread, providing a comprehensive summary. Finally, this study presents the research findings along with recommendations for future research endeavors.