Unlock innovation and introduce new products
The Microsoft approach to help manufacturers unlock innovation and introduce new products integrates Digital Engineering principles that revolutionize how new products are conceived, designed, and delivered. Digital Engineering becomes a key asset in our toolbox to drive down costs and enhance quality by encompassing computer-aided design, simulation, manufacturing process management, and performance analytics.
Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing helps to evolve your technology roadmap to adopt capabilities like AI, mixed reality, digital twins, and edge-to-cloud. This approach establishes a comprehensive digital loop of your assets and operations, incorporating every stage from design to delivery.
The following scenarios offer a set of solutions that help manufacturers ideate, design, prototype, test, manage and validate their products digitally, collaboratively, efficiently, and transparently.
Digital Twins and Simulation
Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing empowers the manufacturing industry with advanced capabilities in Digital Twins and Simulation. These capabilities enable the creation of data representations for physical products, assets, and factories. Manufacturers can harness the power of Azure and simulate various scenarios to optimize product design, improve processes, and make informed factory set up decisions with greater speed and reduced data sampling. With the ability to create and manage product digital twins, manufacturers can use high-performance computing in the cloud to conduct sophisticated experiments, such as computational fluid dynamics and mixing simulations.
The top Digital Twins & Simulation use cases supported by Microsoft include:
Digital Twins: Digital twin technology allows manufacturers to design and simulate products, machines, and processes by utilizing near real-time data. The technology creates a digital representation of the object - from simple twins like dashboards to complex 3-D models. Additionally, by using machine learning, Digital Twins can anticipate outcomes based on historical data and algorithms specific to parts, systems, and assemblies. Microsoft Azure streamlines the development and utilization of Digital Twins by helping manufacturers consolidate various data sources such as PLM, ERP, MES, MDM, ALM, and other Line of Business (LOB) systems, establishing an authoritative source of truth. By migrating these sources to Azure, data that was previously isolated on-premises can be integrated to power Digital Twins, unlocking valuable insights.
Simulation on Azure: Azure high-performance computing capabilities enable more comprehensive assessments and optimization of product designs under a range of conditions, contributing to a more efficient and accurate development process. These simulations are instrumental in identifying potential risk issues, allowing for preemptive solutions and improvements before moving into physical prototyping - resulting in significant time and resource savings. Azure's high-performance computing capabilities offer scalable resources to handle complex simulations. Azure facilitates more efficient collaboration among global design and engineering teams, as shared access to simulations can be achieved in real-time, regardless of location. Microsoft AppSource showcases several simulation solutions optimized for Azure.
Digital Threads: A Digital Thread is a framework that establishes a closed-loop communication system between the physical and digital worlds to optimize products, people, processes, and places. A Digital Thread facilitates knowledge sharing across all stages of a product's lifecycle, effectively "closing the loop”. This communication results in improved data continuity, cross-department collaboration, and overall enhanced processes. Azure provides world-class security, edge technology, IoT support, and high-performance and confidential computing. Its AI and ML capabilities unlock insights from the data processed in the Digital Thread.
The key Microsoft technologies that support Digital Twins and Simulation are:
The following partner solutions certified for Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing support the Digital Twins and Simulations use cases described earlier and are available on Microsoft AppSource.
These solutions are certified with the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and meet the Microsoft standards of data accessibility specific to the manufacturing industry. To learn more about the partner solutions certified for Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing and the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, see Appendix: Certified partner solutions for Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing.
Don't see your solution here? Check out Microsoft AppSource for the full list of ISV solutions.
Product Lifecycle and Design
Product lifecycle and design solutions on the cloud are transforming the way manufacturers design, produce, and bring products to market. By using the power of cloud-based design tools and collaboration platforms, manufacturers can optimize their product development processes, reduce time-to-market, and improve overall product quality. Azure cloud-based environment integrated with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Computer-Aided Design (CAD), and Simulation tools from our ISV partners provide a comprehensive, connected, and highly efficient approach to manufacturing design and product lifecycle management.
The top Product Lifecycle and Design use cases supported by Microsoft include:
PLM on Azure: PLM solutions help manufacturers manage their digital product definition and configuration across the manufacturing lifecycle from a single source of truth. It enables greater engineering collaboration during the product development phases and boosts operational efficiency with increased speed to market. Manufacturers can migrate on-premises PLM solutions to Azure and use advanced analytics, while reducing overall infrastructure and maintenance costs. The scalability and flexibility of Azure allows organizations to easily manage product data and workflows, integrate with other business systems, and adapt to changing business needs.
CAD on Azure: The integration of PLM systems on Azure also streamlines the management of design assets throughout their lifecycle, from initial design to end-of-life. This integrated approach streamlines workflows, accelerates product development, and fosters innovation, demonstrating the value of using Design on Azure in manufacturing. Microsoft Azure provides all necessary cloud infrastructure, tools, and services that enhance manufacturing design. Its compatibility with various CAD software means you can choose the tools best suited to your specific needs and preferences. High-performance GPUs available on Azure can significantly speed up rendering and simulation tasks within CAD applications. Additionally, powerful cloud-based collaboration tools from Azure enable real-time sharing and modification of CAD models among distributed teams enhancing collaboration and efficiency.
Azure Database Migration : Transitioning to full stack Azure SQL databases with Azure SQL Managed Instance is a transformative move for organizations, offering a highly scalable, secure, and cost-effective platform for running business-critical applications. The shift to Azure SQL databases eliminates the need for significant hardware investments, diminishes maintenance costs, and boosts overall application performance. Azure SQL databases are recognized for their security measures and reliable performance when operating applications. They're designed to offer solid protection for your data against both unauthorized access and various cybersecurity threats. The migration process to Azure SQL databases is highly flexible and can be easily tailored to cater to the unique needs of your organization, ensuring minimal downtime and disruption. For more information, see Azure Database Migration Guides.
The key Microsoft technologies that support Product Lifecycle and Design are:
The following partner solutions certified for Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing support the Product Lifecycle & Design use cases described earlier and are available on Microsoft AppSource.
These solutions are certified with the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and meet the Microsoft standards of data accessibility specific to the manufacturing industry. To learn more about the Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing certified partner solutions and the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, see Appendix: Certified partner solutions for Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing.
Don't see your solution here? Check out Microsoft AppSource for the full list of ISV solutions.