DIGITAL TWIN: THE TWIN THAT REVOLUTIONIZES DESIGN, PRODUCTION AND MAINTENANCE
According to the Digital 4 portal, the digital twin is “A digital twin, ie a virtual and smart alter ego of products, processes, people, places, infrastructures, systems and devices”. In simple terms, the digital twin is the digital reproduction of an object or a process that allows you to verify its operation and solve in advance any problems that may occur during its normal activity, with a considerable saving of time and resources. The application of this process spans numerous research and industry sectors and is booming: already today it is estimated that almost half of the 4.0 industries (which use the Internet of things) are using digital twins.
BEGINNINGS OF THE DIGITAL TWIN
Michael Grieves was the first to introduce the concept of digital twin in 20002 during a Product Lifecycle Management course at the University of Michigan where he described the digital twin as part of a research on product lifecycle management. The first application in the use of the digital twin, however, belongs to NASA, which experienced its potential even before it was theorized by Grieves. The use in industry has instead spread since the beginning of the second millennium thanks to the advent of the Internet of things which has favored the development of “dynamic digital copying” (another definition of the digital twin). In fact, with the expansion of the use of Wi-Fi, the possibility of transferring data to the cloud and the reduction of sensor costs, it has been possible to make the application of digital twin accessible in various sectors.
HOW DOES THE DIGITAL TWIN WORK?
In practice, the digital twin virtually reproduces, through sensors distributed in a physical environment or in the components of a process, what is actually happening in an environment in real time.
The digital twin then, through artificial intelligence and the Iot, analyzes and processes a huge flow of data through algorithmic simulations to optimize industrial processes, activities and services.
In the design phase, digital twins are able to test how the systems and products to be created will behave.
For example, through real-time virtual mirroring, engineers are able to predict and prevent mechanical failures, anomalies, risks, downtime and inefficiencies, optimizing operation and costs.
Digital twins are managed through a digital twin Environment (DTE) and are of two types:
- Digital twin Prototype (DTP);
- Digital twin Instance (DTI).
APPLICATION OF DIGITAL TWIN IN INDUSTRY
Among the sectors where they are used we mention:
- Manufacturing: multiple use of machines in all sectors in industries.
- Oil & Gas: for example for the management of oil platforms and refineries.
- Energy: to optimize the efficiency of the plants.
- Healthcare: Digital twins can revolutionize both healthcare operations and improve patient care.
- Entertainment: for example with the creation of avatars or the creation of holographic events.
- Sport: to improve the performance of athletes or car racing
- Smart cities: they are used by urban planners to improve public services, traffic management, energy efficiency and so on.
Progepi efficiently uses the digital twin in its project management, consultancy and industrial engineering activities, call us for any information.
