Digital Twin-Assisted Capacity Sharing and Reciprocity Optimization in Smart Factories
Keywords:
Digital twin, capacity sharing, smart manufacturing, reciprocity optimization, industrial interoperability, manufacturing commons, cyber-physical production systemsAbstract
The increasing volatility of global demand and the rising complexity of production systems are compelling smart factories to explore collaborative capacity sharing as a fundamental strategy for improving asset utilization and operational resilience. This paper presents an interdisciplinary study on the convergence of digital twin technology and reciprocity-based governance models to enable optimized capacity sharing across federated manufacturing networks. Departing from conventional transactional resource allocation, the proposed framework leverages high-fidelity virtual representations to enable real-time visibility of machine states, predictive synchronization of capacity surpluses and deficits, and the formulation of dynamic sharing agreements governed by reciprocity principles. We examine system-level architectural trade-offs involving edge-cloud orchestration, industrial interoperability standards, and the integration of legacy equipment. A detailed analysis of reciprocal mechanisms is provided, highlighting how direct and indirect reciprocity, encoded through smart contracts and tokenized reputation systems, transforms distributed capacity sharing into a self-sustaining cooperative equilibrium. The discussion is extended to infrastructure scalability, sustainability outcomes, algorithmic fairness, and the policy implications of cross-enterprise data governance. By synthesizing insights from industrial informatics, behavioral economics, and distributed systems, the paper outlines a comprehensive socio-technical roadmap for digital twin-assisted manufacturing commons. The work underscores that technical capability alone is insufficient; long-term viability depends on embedding robust reciprocity structures that align individual firm rationality with collective welfare, thereby redefining competition and cooperation in the era of hyperconnected production.
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This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
