Digital twins can be used in many areas of engineering. "Machine and system manufacturers will increasingly demand digital twins in order to be able to develop their machines and systems faster and make fewer mistakes," explains Gerhard Borho, Chief Digitalization Officer at Festo. The "digital first" principle is developing step by step: components and machines are being developed virtually as far as possible before the first hardware is manufactured - this extends to testing and system integration. Analogous developments can be seen in factory planning.

Project duration decreases, productivity increases

Shorter development times require machine manufacturers to parallelize development steps. Digital twins shorten them. Even before a machine developer has assembled the machine as hardware, he can simulate, test and modify it again using a digital twin. For example, handling systems can already be designed and programmed optimally and efficiently on the virtual model. Errors can be found and rectified at an early stage, which contributes significantly to efficient operation. Customers' project lead times are reduced and productivity increases.

More than just 3D models

Digital twins of automation components are much more than just 3D models that move virtually. They are digital images with information about components, including a clear description of their capabilities, documentation, behavior - for example, simulation of their kinematics and kinetics - and communication with them. The Industry 4.0 machine architecture is based entirely on digital twins that make life easier with standardized communication interfaces throughout the entire life cycle of a machine: from virtual commissioning and machine control to data collection and the resulting value-added services such as maintenance or diagnostics.

Festo is working on break-free communication technology such as OPC-UA

Previously, a large amount of data was available for each automation component in different formats such as CAD, PDF or even paper manuals. Data management was therefore cumbersome, and the lack of digital consistency made it difficult to fully network all objects. Festo is therefore working on a seamless and consistent communication technology such as OPC-UA. Ultimately, the asset administration shell is used as a central information object in order to use digital twins throughout the life cycle. Digital twins already facilitate the planning and concrete preparation of quotations. "Intelligent algorithms allow the components to be designed and configured in an optimal and energy-efficient way," adds Festo's Chief Digitalization Officer.

Advantages during commissioning

In the virtual model, the developer can view process data or sensor signals, for example. If he wants to create the machine's control sequences, the developer has access to component capabilities such as extending, turning or gripping, which he can use to define a desired sequence.

Further value-added services can be implemented on the basis of digital twins. Before components reach the end of their service life, for example, condition monitoring reports this: the digital twin could then automatically order spare parts. In addition, condition monitoring can interact with the simulation models of the digital twins to create predictive maintenance plans. Customers can also use digital twins to develop subsequent changes, optimizations or reconfigurations to the machine in advance on the virtual model and thus implement them more quickly.