Digital twin

A digital twin is a virtual model designed to accurately reflect a

physical object.
 Digital twin
An example of digital twin, a wind
turbine—is outfitted with various
sensors related to vital areas of
functionality.

These sensors produce data about

different aspects of the physical
object’s performance, such as energy
output, temperature, weather
conditions and more.

This data is then relayed to a processing

system and applied to the digital copy.
 A digital twin can also be defined as a virtual representation
of a real-world entity or process.
It is composed of the following three elements:
● a physical entity in real
space;
● the digital twin in software
form; and
● data that links the first two
elements together.
Difference between digital twin and simulations

❑ Although simulations and digital twins both utilize digital models to replicate a
system’s various processes, a digital twin is actually a virtual environment,
which makes it considerably richer for study.
❑ The difference between digital twin and simulation is largely a matter of scale:
While a simulation typically studies one particular process, a digital twin can
itself run any number of useful simulations in order to study multiple
processes..
❑ The differences don’t end there. For example, simulations usually don’t benefit
from having real-time data.
❑ But digital twins are designed around a two-way flow of information that first
occurs when object sensors provide relevant data to the system processor and
then happens again when insights created by the processor are shared back
with the original source object.
 Essential properties related to digital twin
● A digital twin functions as a proxy for the current
state of the thing it represents. It also is unique to the
thing represented, not simply generic to the category.
Moreover, the digital twins of two seemingly identical
products will not usually be identical.
● While many digital twins have a 2D or 3D
computer-aided design (CAD) image associated with
them, visual representation is not a prerequisite. The
digital representation, or digital model, could consist
of a database, a set of equations or a spreadsheet.
● The data link, often but not necessarily two-way, is
what differentiates digital twins from similar
concepts. This link makes it possible for users to
investigate the state of the object or process by
querying the data, and for actions communicated
through the digital twin to take effect in its physical
counterpart.
 three key aspects of the digital twin technology
● Synchronization is about making sure the digital twin and the represented entity mirror each
other as closely as possible.
● The frequency, or speed, at which data gets updated in a digital twin can vary enormously, from
seconds to weeks to on demand, depending on the purpose.
● Fidelity is the degree of precision and accuracy of the virtual representation and the
synchronization mechanism.
Types of digital twins
Types of digital twins
 Component twins/Parts twins

Component twins are the basic unit of digital twin, the smallest example of a functioning
component. Parts twins are roughly the same thing, but pertain to components of slightly less
importance.
 Asset twins

Asset twins (product). Two or more components whose interaction is represented in the digital
twin.
 System twins

System twins (unit). Assets assembled into a complete, functioning unit.

 Process twins
Process twins. Systems working together to serve a larger goal.
 Benefits of digital twins
● Because they're virtual, digital twins can reduce the cost and risk of having to work on the physical things they
represent.
● improved operational efficiency from having more timely data and faster, more effective production;
● more effective and less expensive R&D from replacing physical prototypes, which can be expensive and hard to
modify, with virtual prototypes that are more flexible and produce more data;
● longer uptime for equipment because maintenance issues can be investigated in a single digital twin instead of
having to shut down all the equipment to isolate a problem;
● improved product end-of-life processes, such as refurbishment and recycling, thanks to more accurate information
about the age and contents of a product.
 Digital twin interoperability
● To be useful, digital twins must work in a variety of enterprise applications.
● While they usually start in CAD and PLM(Product lifecycle management), some digital twins are also managed in
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and material requirements planning (MRP) software.
● ERP and MRP store the bill of materials (BOM), a comprehensive inventory of the materials and parts needed to
make a product and typically a major contributor of digital twin data. ERP and MRP together also run many of the
supply chain and production processes that go into manufacturing a product; along the way, they collect much of
the data that goes into the digital twin.
● Another common source of digital twin data is the manufacturing execution system (MES) that many companies
use to monitor, control and optimize production systems on the factory floor.
 Challenges of digital twins
Organizations looking to develop digital twins face other daunting hurdles. Here are
six of the biggest digital twin challenges:

● Data management. Data cleansing is often needed to make data from a CAD model or IoT sensor usable in a digital
twin. A data lake might need to be established to manage the digital twin data and perform analytics on it. Deciding
who owns the data is another problem.
● Data security. Digital twin data is timely and mission critical, but it also travels through several networks and
software applications, which makes securing it at every stage challenging.
● IoT development. As the preferred data source for most of the real-time and historical data about an entity or
process, IoT sensors are usually a basic requirement of digital twins. Implementing IoT presents big challenges in
network infrastructure and storage capacity, device and data security, and device management.
 Challenges of digital twins
Organizations looking to develop digital twins face other daunting hurdles. Here are
six of the biggest digital twin challenges:

● System integration. Digital twins often begin life in CAD software but get more use in PLM, where they're used in
post-sale services, such as performance monitoring and equipment maintenance. Numerous CAD and PLM software
vendors have one-to-one integrations, but it isn't always adequate and smaller vendors may have no built-in
integration.
● Supplier collaboration. The numerous participants in a supply chain must be willing to share information from their
own production processes to ensure that the information in a digital twin is complete.
● Complexity. The data collected in the different software applications used by a manufacturer and its suppliers is not
only voluminous, it changes often. Last-minute design changes, for example, must make it into the final version of the
twin so the customer and manufacturer have the most current information.
Challenges of digital twins
 Digital twin application in market and industries
● Physically large projects: Buildings, bridges and other complex structures bound by strict rules of engineering.
● Mechanically complex projects: Jet turbines, automobiles and aircraft. Digital twins can help improve efficiency
within complicated machinery and mammoth engines.
● Power equipment: This includes both the mechanisms for generating power and transmitting it.
● Manufacturing projects: Digital twins excel at helping streamline process efficiency, as you would find in industrial
environments with co-functioning machine systems.
 Applications of Digital twin
Manufacturing:
● Predictive maintenance: Monitoring machinery to predict failures before they occur.
● Quality control: Analyzing production data to improve product quality.
Healthcare:
● Patient monitoring: Creating models for personalized treatment plans based on real-time health data.
● Medical device simulation: Testing and optimizing medical devices virtually.
Smart Cities:
● Urban planning: Simulating traffic patterns and resource management to improve city layouts and services.
● Infrastructure monitoring: Managing and maintaining city infrastructure efficiently.
● Aerospace and Defense:
Flight simulations: Training pilots using virtual models of aircraft.
Fleet management: Monitoring aircraft health and performance for predictive maintenance.
Energy Sector:
● Grid management: Optimizing power distribution and predicting outages.
● Renewable energy: Monitoring wind turbines or solar panels for efficiency and maintenance.
Automotive:
● Vehicle performance: Analyzing data from vehicles for improved design and safety.
● Autonomous driving: Testing algorithms and vehicle responses in simulated environments.
 Applications of digital twins
Digital twins are already extensively used in the following applications:
● Power-generation equipment: Large engines—including jet engines, locomotive engines and power-generation
turbines—benefit tremendously from the use of digital twins, especially for helping to establish timeframes for
regularly needed maintenance.
● Structures and their systems: Big physical structures, such as large buildings or offshore drilling platforms, can be
improved through digital twins, particularly during their design. Also useful in designing the systems operating
within those structures, such as HVAC systems.
 Applications of digital twins
Digital twins are already extensively used in the following applications:
● Manufacturing operations: Since digital twins are meant to mirror a product’s entire lifecycle, it’s not surprising that
digital twins have become ubiquitous in all stages of manufacturing, guiding products from design to finished
product, and all steps in between.
● Healthcare services: Just as products can be profiled through the use of digital twins, so can patients receiving
healthcare services. The same type system of sensor-generated data can be used to track a variety of health
indicators and generate key insights.
 Applications of digital twins
Digital twins are already extensively used in the following applications:
● Automotive industry: Cars represent many types of complex, co-functioning systems, and digital twins are used
extensively in auto design, both to improve vehicle performance and increase the efficiency surrounding their
production.
● Urban planning: Civil engineers and others involved in urban planning activities are aided significantly by the use of
digital twins, which can show 3D and 4D spatial data in real time and also incorporate augmented reality systems
into built environments.
 Applications of digital twins
Digital twins are already extensively used in the following applications:
● Urban planning: Civil engineers and others involved in urban planning activities are aided significantly by the use of
digital twins, which can show 3D and 4D spatial data in real time and also incorporate augmented reality systems
into built environments.
 The future of digital twin
The future of digital twins is nearly limitless, due to the fact that increasing amounts of cognitive
power are constantly being devoted to their use. So digital twins are constantly learning new skills
and capabilities, which means they can continue to generate the insights needed to make products
better and processes more efficient.
Questions

● How does digital twin help in an Industry 4.0?

● Write a short note on digital twin with reference to Industry

4.0.
● Thank You