The process is similar in many mechanical engineering companies. The design team works under tight deadlines, the software must be completed at the same time, and changes keep coming in from various sources right up until the last minute. Once the machine is finally in place, the exciting step of commissioning begins. Now it becomes clear whether all processes function smoothly, sensors respond correctly, and operations run stably. If errors occur at this stage, costs quickly escalate. Corrections must be made, deadlines cannot be met, and follow-up projects must be put on hold.
By this point at the latest, many companies are asking themselves whether they really have to wait until the actual machine is built to determine what works and what doesn’t.
Virtual commissioning provides a clear answer to this question. Machines and systems are tested virtually even before installation, and control programs, motion sequences, material flow, and operating concepts can be simulated in a realistic environment. Errors are no longer only visible after installation at the customer’s site, but already during development. This not only saves time but also reduces risks and ensures reliability.
When does virtual commissioning start to pay off?
The economic benefits become apparent much sooner than expected. Not just in projects involving large-scale plants or international corporations, but also in situations where traditional commissioning consistently results in high costs.
This applies to companies where employees spend several weeks on-site for commissioning, travel must be organized, or experts are tied up for long periods troubleshooting. Every additional day costs money, including due to delayed acceptance, tied-up resources, and postponed follow-up projects.
A clear advantage also quickly emerges with recurring machine designs. Existing systems are regularly adapted, new features integrated, or customer-specific variants developed. This allows digital models to be reused multiple times.
The potential of virtual commissioning is particularly evident as the complexity of machines increases. As soon as multiple axes, robots, conveyor systems, and safety functions interact, the risk of collisions, synchronization issues, or errors in the control logic grows. With the consistent implementation of virtual commissioning, these errors can be identified early in development and quickly avoided.
Why Many Companies Want to Quantify the Benefits
These days, most companies no longer ask whether virtual commissioning makes sense in principle. Instead, they want to know what savings they can expect. How much faster can a machine be commissioned? How much does quality improve when errors are detected earlier? How many additional projects does this make possible? How quickly does the investment pay for itself?
That is precisely the key point. Virtual commissioning only becomes relevant for companies once the benefits become measurable. That is why many machine builders want to reliably quantify the economic effects before making a decision—naturally based on their own projects, processes, and resources.
machineering’s potential analysis shows that virtual commissioning unlocks significant potential. This includes higher productivity, shorter lead times, and improved quality. In specific customer projects, this has already led to significant economic success.
A Look at Real-World Applications ...
The mechanical engineering firm Strama MPS is leading the way: They have fully integrated the iPhysics simulation software into their engineering processes and actively utilize the digital twin in their project work.
For whom is it particularly worthwhile to get started?
Virtual commissioning is therefore not only worthwhile for specific types of companies or large-scale projects. It offers economic benefits to every machine manufacturer. The only question is in which area these benefits will first become apparent. For one company, it might be shorter commissioning times; for another, lower error costs, increased engineering capacity, faster project execution, or reduced workload for service teams. Depending on the business model, machine portfolio, and organizational structure, the greatest levers may differ, but the fundamental potential remains the same. Therefore, the decisive factor is not whether virtual commissioning is worthwhile, but which benefits can be realized most quickly within your own company.
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Verlinkungen zur Website
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Allgemeine Verlinkung:
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