Book excerpt: Cyber-Physical and Gentelligent Systems in Manufacturing and Life Cycle explores the latest technologies resulting from the integration of sensing components throughout the production supply chain, and the resulting possibilities to improve efficiency, flexibility, and product quality. The authors present cutting edge research into data storage in components, communication devices, data acquisition, as well as new industrial applications. Detailed technical descriptions of the tools are presented in addition to discussions of how these systems have been used, the benefits they provide, and what industry problems they could tackle in the future. This is essential reading for researchers and production engineers interested in the potential of cyber physical systems to optimize all parts of the supply chain. - Addresses applications of cyber physical systems throughout the product lifecycle, including design, manufacture, and maintenance - Features five industry case studies examining tools in different stages of the production chain - Provides an invaluable recap of 12 years of advances in digitization of production processes and the implementation of intelligent systems - Explores how these technologies could be used to solve problems in the future