For this paper, the digital twin refers to a digital asset that exists alongside the physical asset during its operational life, providing insight into and feedback on the physical asset’s performance and health. Thus, the focus is on the DTI, with the potential to aggregate data into a DTA for the gearbox design being considered, and within the DTE set up by Hexagon.

In respect of the physical asset across its life, nothing is more important about its performance than its ability to function, i.e., reliability, and for CAE, nothing is of greater importance than to be able to predict the reliability of a product being designed. Thus, for this study, whilst gearbox noise, efficiency, and thermal behavior may be of interest, the primary interest is fatigue and reliability.

Festo is working hard to equip its automation components with a digital twin – a digital representation in the form of administration shells. The company has joined forces with other German automation partners and the Industrial Digital Twin Association because standardization is what machine and system builders expect.

A sneak peek into the factory of the future has a sweet spot—so to speak. Several conveyor belts transport chocolate bars that are part of a demonstrator machine that shows how artificial intelligence can be used for motion control. What remains to be done in a real factory is to automatically pack the chocolate bars. In this Intelligent Infeed Demonstrator machine from Siemens Digital Industries, the chocolate bars must be placed in evenly spaced slots on the outfeed belt.