The digital twin, the simulation model in real time, will accompany every machine from the planning stage through to ongoing operation. This applies not only to developments at the major players, but especially to the work processes at small and medium-sized companies. These companies in particular are often reluctant to tackle the subject of simulation models. But this is completely unnecessary.
Regardless of the size of the company, the digital transformation can be implemented quickly and cost-effectively. No company will be able to ignore the digital transformation in the future. This is the only way to cope with ever shorter lead times, more complex requirements and competitive pressure. The use of the digital twin is the big step towards Industry 4.0 that every company must take in order to survive on the market. No one will be able to afford to rely on real commissioning only to have to make lengthy and cost-intensive changes that could have been avoided by a prior simulation. The digital twin provides a perfect virtual representation of the (planned) machine. The manufacturer thus offers greater efficiency in development, virtual commissioning, production and service – including after sales.
Only with the help of the digital twin will it be possible to optimize the entire value creation process in the future: From the efficient planning phase to uncomplicated virtual commissioning and short maintenance times through to smooth operation, the simulation model will be available in real time.
Machineering has been relying on the holistic engineering approach for some time now. The digital twin takes on a completely new role in system development that goes far beyond a mere verification function. The digital twin also supports the maintenance process.
Maintenance with the digital twin
With the digital twin in the control cabinet, a virtual real-time model of the running system is available at all times. All adjustments or optimizations can be implemented quickly and safely. Simply test the planned change on the digital twin in advance and only when the optimum solution has been found is everything transferred to the real system. This not only saves time, but also money for otherwise costly changes. A field study conducted by machineering revealed the following competitive advantages for companies:
- Reduction in commissioning time of up to 75 percent
- Reduction of the total throughput time by approx. 15 percent
- Increase in software quality by more than 40 percent
- Reduction in costs
Development process with the digital twin
The simulation is available as a cross-departmental platform on which the current development status can be verified at any time and checked for feasibility with other areas. Immediate feedback is always guaranteed via tests in a simulation model that realistically depicts the behavior of the system – without the need for time-consuming saving, reformatting and loading of data models. The mechanical, electrical and software departments simultaneously access the same models, which they each edit in their native development environment, develop further together and immediately test in interaction using the simulation.
In this way, the current development status in mechatronics development is tested in an interdisciplinary manner in the earliest phases of the development process. Ultimately, this continuous commissioning process significantly reduces the time and effort required compared to the usual final commissioning process – both in terms of time and costs. This is because the permanent comparison of the work status means that the feasibility and achievability of the objectives can be checked at any time.
Virtual reality and the digital twin
In the meantime, development has gone one step further. Not only is the exact model of the real machine available to users as a digital twin, but with the connection of VR/AR glasses to industrialPhysics, users can immerse themselves even deeper in the simulated system – in the machine in virtual reality. With the goggles, machineering is breaking new ground. Whether completely separated from the outside world with the VR version or as a hologram based on real data with augmented reality – every user will find the right solution for them.
