Reference architecture for the industrial implementation of Zero-Defect Manufacturing strategies

In recent years, digitalization has enhanced the implementation of more complex architectures for the management and control of manufacturing systems. In particular, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) acquired relevance as central software module for the application of advanced Zero-Defect Manufacturing (ZDM) strategies, aiming at achieving improved production quality performance at industrial level. ZDM-strategies ground on the gathering of production and quality data from heterogeneous sources and on their integration with information at multiple factory levels. This paper presents a reference architecture and the related software modules to properly support the implementation of advanced ZDM strategies in complex industrial contexts.