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Because the tempo of digital transformation accelerates within the manufacturing and engineering industries, two ideas have gained important traction: digital twins and digital threads. Each ideas check with digital representations of bodily objects, however they serve completely different functions and provide corporations distinctive benefits. Right here, we are going to examine digital twins and digital threads, and focus on potential use circumstances and advantages.
What are digital twins?
A digital twin is a digital duplicate of a bodily object or system, full with all of the design and operational information of the bodily object, together with geometry, efficiency information and conduct fashions. The aim of a digital twin is to simulate the conduct of kit in real-time, permitting engineers and operators to observe efficiency and establish system points/anomalies.
Digital twin expertise makes use of Industrial Web of Issues (IIoT) sensors, machine learning and simulation software program to gather product information and generate correct fashions. Groups can then use the fashions to foretell upkeep wants, simulate modifications to the system and optimize processes (e.g., security protocols, reporting procedures, manufacturing processes, and many others.).
For instance, a digital twin of a wind turbine can simulate the influence of fixing wind pace and course on the turbine’s efficiency, serving to operators make knowledgeable selections about upkeep and vitality manufacturing.
Explore how digital twins can optimize the performance of your assets in a sustainable way
What’s a digital thread?
A digital thread is a digital illustration of a product’s lifecycle, from design to manufacturing to upkeep and past, offering a seamless move of information that connects all facets of the lifecycle. The aim of a digital thread is to supply a whole and clear view of producing programs, enabling environment friendly collaboration and decision-making throughout all levels of the method.
Digital threads use a wide range of applied sciences, together with computer-aided design (CAD) software program, product lifecycle administration (PLM) programs and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, to gather and share information throughout workflows. Digital thread expertise optimizes traceability, offering a technique to observe asset progress and be sure that all stakeholders are on the identical web page all through the manufacturing course of. For instance, aerospace corporations can create a digital thread to assist assemble plane with digital engineering. Manufacturing groups make the most of 3D-model-based programs to ensure that plane are constructed precisely to engineering specs and depend on the digital thread to trace progress and establish points and inefficiencies throughout manufacturing.
What distinguishes digital twins from digital threads?
Each digital twins and digital threads make the most of digital representations of real-world property and processes, however they provide distinct capabilities.
Scale
Digital twins are scalable, however solely to a degree. Digital twin expertise collects real-time information from a single supply/asset. And though a digital twin idea can connect with different twins to simulate whole digital environments, they’re most helpful in evaluating a selected manufacturing surroundings. A digital thread idea, however, is limitlessly scalable. Digital threads can connect with (nearly) another enterprise system, together with digital twins.
As such, digital thread expertise could also be greatest fitted to operations and/or circumstances the place information have to be gathered from an array of departments, units, programs and processes. Quite the opposite, digital twins will higher serve operations that rely totally on repetitive machine processes inside a selected manufacturing surroundings.
Knowledge centralization
Each digital twins and digital threads centralize information to some extent. Each acquire complete sensor information and mixture and retailer that information in an simply accessible information hub. Nevertheless, digital threads allow groups to take information from digital twins and different sources and centralize the info move throughout departments and manufacturing silos in order that your entire firm can entry the identical info. Knowledge hooked up to a digital thread additionally tends to be extra constantly correct, as a result of the automation options of a digital thread idea remove the necessity to manually transmit info between departments and workflows.
Advantages of digital twins vs. digital thread
Digital twins and digital threads assist organizations enhance system effectivity, scale back manufacturing prices, enhance product design and restrict system downtime. Nevertheless, the influence of every expertise will differ relying on producer wants.
Digital twins permit producers to do the next:
- Interact in responsive monitoring in actual time
- Conduct proactive threat assessments and make the most of predictive troubleshooting for organizational property
- Speed up innovation utilizing digital fashions and digital mirroring
Digital threads assist producers within the following methods:
- Construct extra agile operations by facilitating a steady, synchronized information move
- Improve interdepartmental collaboration throughout property and programs
- Optimize connectivity between manufacturing and engineering processes
- Streamline product growth to scale back manufacturing time and get merchandise to market quicker
- Guarantee regulatory compliance by monitoring your entire product lifecycle, together with design selections, engineering modifications and upkeep information
Leverage IBM Maximo Utility Suite in your digital transformation
Digital twins and digital threads are important instruments for corporations trying to begin or speed up a digital transformation. Utilizing superior technological instruments like IBM Maximo can assist organizations get there quicker.
IBM Maximo is a complete enterprise asset administration system that helps organizations optimize asset efficiency and streamline day-to-day operations. Utilizing an built-in AI-powered, cloud-based platform, IBM Maximo gives complete CMMS capabilities that produce superior information analytics and assist producers trying to make knowledgeable selections about system efficiency and optimization.
Utilizing IBM Maximo software program—particularly as a complement to current enterprise useful resource administration (ERP) programs or a producing execution system (MES)—can assist your facility achieve a aggressive edge in at the moment’s ever-evolving manufacturing market.
To find out how, book a live demo with an IBM expert
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