In the context of digital transformation, the buzzword „digital twin“ is heard again and again. The idea behind is always influenced by other key technologies of digitalization. This article discusses the three most common conceptions of a digital twin as well as the trend-setting ISO standard 23247 for the digital twin in production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Existing automation solutions in industry are to be supported with the help of a digital twin – this concept already has received a lot of attention. The focus here is on a (manipulable) 3D model of the plant to be automated. The vision was to use virtual or augmented reality to create a better haptic for the use of existing automation frameworks. In short, a support for automation integration and organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most recently, however, the image of a digital twin is evolving away from a primarily visual representation toward detailed simulations of manufacturing plants, in some cases without visualization at all purely on the basis of key figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Supported by increasingly complex and small-step manufacturing processes and the resulting difficulty in recording the processes, pure automation approaches are increasingly reaching their limits. This is exactly why the „new“ simulative digital twin has enormous potential for use in intralogistics, especially in synergy with a master control system such as the FlexGuide transport and forklift guidance system from Flexus AG. Settings of the master control can be tested and optimized without risk for the actual productive system. Likewise, the time-consuming creation of realistic test cases – as far as possible – is reduced to a minimum. Of course, process optimizations can be operated independently of a master control system as long as sufficient data is collected and made available in a suitable simulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main issue of a simulating digital twin: The usability of the twin is determined by the degree of adaptation and detail of the model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n