Blockchain technology facilitates the establishment of a decentralized system of shared manufacturing, which enables the interconnection of individual mechatronic devices within a global network of providers and consumers of production services. The primary aim of this interconnection is to enhance the flexibility of global production and boost the utilization of production capabilities. However, the selection and development of suitable information technology and hardware present the main challenge. The introduction of blockchain technology introduces limitations to the system that have not been witnessed in existing production systems. This doctoral thesis presents a new approach for upgrading a mechatronic device into an autonomous production unit, which can be controlled using blockchain technology. Furthermore, a framework has been developed for connecting autonomous production units in a shared production system that accounts for the scalability limitations of blockchain technology. An experimental method was devised to verify the impact of blockchain technology scalability solutions on the shared manufacturing system's operation. Based on the developed approach, a chosen mechatronic device (3D printer) was successfully transformed into an autonomous production unit. The verification of the framework showed that the use of sidechains, can reduce transaction costs and increase the number of transactions executed in the system. An examination of the effects of scalability solutions demonstrated that it is possible to increase the number of production units that can be incorporated into the shared manufacturing system by utilizing these solutions, contingent upon the premise that the majority of users exhibit non-malicious behavior.
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