Mid-sized companies in Virtual Factories
Virtual factories as a foundational concept to future manufacturing allow the flexible amalgamation of manufacturing resources in multiple organisations. Industry 4.0 initiatives introduced by Germany provide the realization of how a future factory will transform enterprise businesses using cloud, Internet of Things, Cyber Physical Systems, Virtual Reality, big data, and the opportunities and challenges that will pose enterprises including SMEs. The article first reviews relevant concepts and relationships among the concepts. The challenges and opportunities for SMEs are discussed for participating in virtual factories.