A complete guide to digital twin technology
Digital twin technology combines multiple devices, software and machines together to gather valuable data insights about the performance of products, systems or business functions. Although implementing this Industry 4.0 technology can take significant time and financial investment, companies that do can enjoy huge benefits.
This article will outline exactly what digital twins are, how they can be used within businesses and what advantages they can bring now and in the future.
What is a digital twin?
How does digital twin technology work?
What are the benefits of using digital twins?
What are digital twins used for?
How are digital twins are used in components manufacturing?
What will the future of digital twins look like?
What is a digital twin?
A digital twin is a computer-based version of a physical machine, system or product. The 'twin' aspect comes from[ linking the physical and computer-based entities through different devices and data systems. This is made possible by the combination of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and software which can collect, analyse and output data insights.
Once linked to the physical object, the digital representation can be used in simulations, testing or have analyse performance with real-time data. This enables businesses to optimise their product quality and functionality.
Creating virtual twins of physical objects can hold huge advantages for innovation and growth.
How does digital twin technology work?
A digital twin works thanks to a system of advanced technologies that link a virtual model with its physical counterpart. The exact digital twin function will vary depending on the type of virtual representation being created and the specific technologies being used.
However, there are two main types of digital twins. A digital version of a specific object or product. Or a virtual environment that replicates a whole physical operational system or business function.
Object digital twins
Developing a digital twin for an actual physical object will typically follow a process such as:
• Creating a virtual model of the physical product using computer-aided design (CAD) or other software
• If the physical object already exists, adding sensors or other devices that can collect relevant performance data
• Using systems to feed real-time data back into the software where the virtual model is hosted
• This information can then be used to run simulations of a product's performance in different environments and develop or test new iterations
• This can lead to the development of a new physical product which can be fitted with monitoring devices to create new product digital twins
With this process, product designers and developers can build a wealth of historical data that can be used to make better decisions during research and development. Plus, the thorough testing and prototyping possible through digital twins can significantly improve quality control.
Process digital twins
Similarly, creating digital system twins can help businesses fully leverage their operational data. Even complex systems, such as an entire manufacturing facility, can be recreated in a virtual environment. Feeding data via IoT technologies from physical machinery into virtual models means operational departments have complete insight into their system's performance.
This doesn't just allow them to plan in any maintenance or downtime but test out the efficiency of any adaptations they're planning to make within a process. For example, they can reorganise a distribution facility within the virtual environment. Then, using historical data, simulate its performance to see if the changes they're planning will achieve the results they want.
By feeding in data from enterprise resource planning (ERP) or manufacturing execution software (MES), digital system twins can help businesses optimise their functions, manage their assets effectively and adopt more agile methods of working.
What are the benefits of using digital twins?
Though they do require significant infrastructure to operate effectively, digital twin benefits are far-reaching.
Faster time to market
When it comes to product development, creating a digital twin prototype significantly speeds up the design iteration and testing process. Creating digital twins means product designers can place and recreate the performance of products in virtual versions of the physical world.
Using digital twin simulations, designers can collect the data insights they need to make informed decisions without having to pay or wait for a physical prototype to be constructed. This doesn't just minimise waste or costs but means new concepts and ideas can be tested and developed faster. So businesses that use digital twins can bring their new products to market quicker with less investment.
Greater innovation
Creating digital twins of new concepts also speeds up the research and development process. By collecting a wealth of performance data from digital twins, the outcomes of making changes to products or systems can be more accurately predicted. With this level of data-driven decision-making, ideas can be worked through more efficiently and easily.
Whether a product concept is discounted after simulation, or an operations manager is inspired to make his workflow more cost-effective. New ideas can be created, tested, and reiterated accurately before being implemented in a real-world counterpart. Leaving businesses to make any changes in full confidence that they will work.
Improved efficiency
Building digital system twins is a great way to test and optimise their performance. Putting IoT-enabled machinery in place means businesses can gather data on how effectively different assets are operating. By feeding this information into a virtual replica of the whole system, operations managers can actively identify inefficiencies and test potential solutions digitally.
This means process challenges can be fixed efficiently without any physical test and review process. Saving time, money, and minimising downtime.
Plus, if the equipment has machine-learning capabilities, there's the potential for digital system twins to collect, analyse and implement data-driven decisions automatically. In a world of smart factories and round-the-clock operations, this means proactive performance optimisation isn't limited to office hours.
Cost savings
Alongside the efficiencies made because of scenario testing or product simulation in digital environments, digital twins help businesses to make more profitable decisions too. Costs won't just be cut by testing product prototypes and operational changes in digital environments. Savings will also be made because of not having to fix or recover from taking the wrong approach.
Instead, companies can back up their proofs of concept with accurate data. This helps businesses to make confident and objective decisions about how different assets, budgets and investments are managed.
Increased resilience
By gathering data from across the business and using the predictive capabilities of digital twin technology, companies can start to plan and prepare for any scenario. From testing the maximum capacity of a production line to forecasting planning, developing digital twins means a huge amount of real-world data can be leveraged to future-proof a business.
What are digital twins used for?
Digital twin technology can be adapted to leverage the full potential of a range of business functions and operations.
Design and prototyping
From the retail to the automotive industry, designing and testing a digital twin concept means a new product idea can be built and reviewed thoroughly and accurately in a virtual environment. This not only reduces the cost of product development but significantly speeds up the process.
Digital twin simulations also enable product designers to make data-based decisions about which elements to keep. This data can also be presented to a customer as an objective proof of concept, giving them extra confidence in a business's product development capabilities.
Process optimisation
The supply chain, manufacturing processes or distribution methods can all be measured and optimised using digital twin technology. Once a system has been IoT-enabled, any device, machine or sensor data can be fed back into the process twin's digital environment. With this data, adaptations can be tested, problems proactively solved and improved resilience established.
Digital twin systems also make key metrics easier to monitor and report on. From distribution and delivery times to tolerance levels on a product or levels of material wastage. A digital process twin means continuous improvements can be made and tracked across an entire workflow.
Equipment maintenance
By collecting and analysing data feedback from sensors and IoT-connected devices, the output quality, energy efficiency and workflow placement of each machine can be analysed in real-time. This doesn't just mean any drops in performance can be picked up but predicted in advance. Based on historical data, digital models can track and forecast the outcomes of each business asset that's connected to it.
If this is linked to an ERP system, then any required maintenance or repairs can be planned automatically in advance. This means any issues can be resolved before they develop into major problems. In addition, the resilience of a system can be tested virtually before a business takes on new orders or customers. This will tell them whether they can deliver on an agreement effectively before they make the final commitment.
In short, a digital twin of a physical system helps a business get the best equipment ROI without overestimating its capacity or capabilities.
Product lifecycle analysis
From its initial concept through to its production and end-of-use processes, the whole life of a product can be replicated using a digital model. This means the entire lifecycle can be predicted, planned, and mapped out. From this, businesses can identify and fix any weaknesses in their product before they become major problems.
The total lifecycle cost, production cycle times and environmental impact of a product are just a few metrics that can be tracked. This will help businesses ensure maximum profitability and efficiency from every product.
Customer experience
Digital twins aren't just helpful for manufacturers but for retailers too. By building a digital twin that connects to as many customer-facing systems as possible, businesses can innovate ahead of market trends, forecast demand, and optimise their delivery schedules or store layouts.
This brings huge benefits for customers, including:
• Better quality products that closely meet their needs
• More efficient delivery of products
• An easier, more enjoyable online and offline shopping experience
• A seamless customer experience across all channels and touchpoints
In short, by creating a digital twin of their customer experience, businesses can provide better service to their buyers.
How are digital twins are used in components manufacturing?
As in many other manufacturing businesses, components producers can use digital twins applications to improve their operations and products by:
• Developing virtual concepts for testing or iterating new ideas for customers
• Creating a digital replica of their manufacturing process that can be optimised and tested for its resilience
• Developing a virtual factory floor that ensures any machinery is performing optimally, with any maintenance or repairs scheduled to minimise downtime
• Optimising their distribution and supply chain by gaining total visibility over real-time data and conducting scenario or resilience tests in a replica virtual environment
• Integrating a virtual environment with ERP software to make informed, data-driven decisions about investments, digital transformation and forecasting planning.
By investing in digital twin technologies, components manufacturers like Essentra Components can deliver better quality products and hassle-free service for their customers.
What will the future of digital twins look like?
The future of the digital twin market looks bright with an expected growth from $10 billion in 2023 to $110 billion in 2028.
With some industries already starting a widespread implementation of digital twin technologies, businesses that have made the investment are already starting to enjoy the benefits. They're not only future proofing their businesses with greater resilience, profitability and efficiency but are creating virtual environments that will be ready for the metaverse.