Digital twin

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A digital twin (engl. Digital twin ) is a digital representation of a tangible or intangible object or process from the real world in the digital world . It doesn't matter whether the counterpart already exists in the real world or will only exist in the future. Digital twins enable comprehensive data exchange . They are more than pure data and consist of models of the represented object or process and can also contain simulations , algorithms and services that describe, influence or offer services about the properties or behavior of the represented object or process.

The digital twin concept

At the beginning of the 21st century, the idea of ​​the digital twin was further developed by M. Grieves and J. Vickers into a concept model of the digital twin, which consists of three main parts:

  1. the physical products in "real space",
  2. the virtual or digital products in "virtual space" and
  3. the data and information links that connect the two.
Illustration of the digital control twin

In the past it was 'only' about the digital representation or representation of a real object or process (see above), in the concept of Grieves / Vickars the communication between the real and virtual object is particularly important. The information that flows from the real to the virtual object / process is also referred to as a digital trigger or digital impulse . The data that flow from the real to the virtual object / process are also referred to as digital shadow or digital shadow . The real objects / processes can then be better regulated from the comparison and the deviations of the real and virtual data. In the case of technical systems, for example, predictive maintenance can be derived from the deviations that occur .

Areas of application

The digital twin is of particular importance for industry. Its existence and use in the processes of industrial value creation can be a decisive competitive advantage for companies . This has been particularly true since the beginning of the 2010s, when the Internet of Things made it possible to manufacture digitally controlled and networked products of all kinds with integrated services.

In industry there are digital twins, for example for products , production systems , processes and services . They can also exist before the real twin, for example as design models of future products. And they can be used to analyze and evaluate data from the use of the real twins. They have a wide variety of purposes and functions.

Their special value for industry results from the saving of physical prototypes and the possibility of simulating the behavior, functionality and quality of the real twin under every relevant aspect. This value can be used for all parts of the value chain over the entire life cycle of products, systems and services.

A digital twin takes many forms. For example, it can be based on a behavior model of the system development, a 3D model or a functional model that depicts mechanical, electronic and other properties and performance features of the real twin as realistically and comprehensively as possible in the course of a model-based configuration.

The different digital twins can be linked to one another and also allow extensive communication and interaction with the real twins. Then one speaks of a digital thread ( digital thread ) that run through the entire product life cycle, and may include further product-related information. A company actually gets the greatest benefit from such a continuous digital thread. It allows optimization across various value creation processes and the exploitation of the largest range of possibilities for digital business models and services offered via products.

The production technology is just one of many industrial fields of application. Digital twins map systems over their entire life cycle ( design , creation, operation and recycling). Engineers can already use simulation models during the planning phase to optimize processes. If the plant is in operation, the same simulation models can be used to further optimize processes and to convert production.

The concept of the digital twin is increasingly being used in production control and logistics. International logistics companies such as DHL or UPS develop new logistical applications such as track and trace on this basis, and software manufacturers such as SAP offer new IT solutions as digital supply chains for supply chain management .

See also

Web links

literature

  • Markus Kannwischer: Interactive precision tools for more efficient processing. Productivity advances through Industry 4.0, VDMA, 2015/05.
  • R. Rosen, J. Jäkel, M. Barth et al .: VDI Status Report 2020: Simulation and digital twin in the plant life cycle . VDI / VDE, 2020 ( vdi.de [accessed February 6, 2020]).
  • Ulrich Sendler: Industry 4.0 without limits. Springer Vieweg, Heidelberg / Berlin 2016, ISBN 978-3-662-48277-3 .
  • Michael W. Grieves: Virtually Intelligent Product Systems: Digital and Physical Twins . In: Complex Systems Engineering: Theory and Practice (=  Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics . Volume 256). American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., 2019, ISBN 978-1-62410-564-7 , pp. 175-200 , doi : 10.2514 / 5.9781624105654.0175.0200 .
  • M. Grieves: Digital Twin - Manufacturing Excellence through Virtual Factory Replication. Whitepaper, LLC, 2004 ( researchgate.net ).
  • Digital twin - engineering of the future . In: IFFOCUS - magazine of the Fraunhofer Institute IFF Magdeburg . No. 1 , 2019 ( fraunhofer.de [PDF; accessed June 21, 2020]).
  • W. Herlyn, H. Zadek: The digital control twin - dynamic order and material flow control based on the concept of a digital control twin. In: Journal for Economic Factory Operations (ZwF). Special 115, April 2020, pp. 70–73, DOI: 10.3139 / 104.112338 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI): Digital twin. February 15, 2018, accessed February 17, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Michael Grieves: Digital Twin - Manufacturing Excellence through Virtual Factory Replication (white paper) . LLC, 2004.
  3. ^ Ulrich Sendler, Rainer Stark, Anton S. Huber: Industry 4.0 limitless . Ed .: Ulrich Sendler. Springer Vieweg, Berlin / Heidelberg 2016, ISBN 978-3-662-48277-3 , p. 270 .
  4. ↑ What is a digital twin? SendlerCircle explains. February 26, 2019, accessed on May 12, 2019 (German).
  5. ↑ Definition of the sendler \ circle for 'digital twin' - news and background information on PLM. Retrieved May 12, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Definition of “digital twin” . In: Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon . ( wirtschaftslexikon.gabler.de [accessed on February 17, 2018]).
  7. ↑ W. Herlyn, H. Zadek: The digital control twin - dynamic order and material flow control based on the concept of a digital control twin. In: Journal for Economic Factory Operations (ZwF). 115, 2020, pp. 70-73.