The New Age of Manufacturing: Digital Twin Technology & IIoT
Introduction
With the rapid pace of technological growth, it’s not always easy to imagine where digital transformation is taking the manufacturing sector, but one good way of doing this is to take a closer look at the “Digital Twin” concept.
As IoT connectivity provides the manufacturing sector with an increasing number of ways to access sensor-driven data locked in industrial machines and equipment, the need for data analysis, management, and control methods has also become more crucial.
The amount of data collected from monitoring a smart factory is enormous, but if that data isn’t aggregated and organized in a way that can support the decision-making process, then it’s of no use.
One method that’s proving to be invaluable to engineering and customer service teams that are looking to leverage collected data is that of the “Digital Twin”.
What is a Digital Twin?
Digital Twin is a virtual representation that matches the physical attributes of a “real world” factory, plant, product or component in real time, through the use of sensors, cameras, and other data collection techniques.
In other words, Digital Twin is a live model that is used to drive business outcomes, and can exist in various ways within the manufacturing sector:
- Digital Twin of a specific asset within a facility
- Digital Twin of an entire facility
- Digital Twin of an individual product or component in the field
The Emergence of Digital Twin in Industry
As with previous major turning points in the history of humankind such as the birth of agriculture and the industrial revolution, Digital Twin and Industry 4.0 represents a sea change in how we produce objects and materials.
The diagram above shows the four stages of this evolution:
First stage — The entire manufacturing process exists only as a physical version.
Second stage — A digital version is added which augments the physical version with additional information.
Third stage — An interaction begins between the physical and digital versions.
Fourth stage — There is further interaction and convergence between the physical and digital versions.
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