Digital Twins in Smart Manufacturing

A digital twin is a virtual simulation model created from a machine, robotic cell or manufacturing line that can mimic the use and behavior of a real life machine, robot cell or manufacturing line. A digital twin simulates the operating environment and all the manufacturing processes as realistically as needed. One of the main purposes of digital twins is that they can be used to simulate the operation of a manufacturing process before any of the equipment have been even purchased. With digital twins, different layouts and manufacturing processes can be easily tested in order to eliminate or reduce costly physical prototypes. This is not only cost-effective, but also risk-free. Digital twins enable faster automation project development, thorough logic sequence and timing verification. They give possibilities for effective and non-disruptive off-site user training. The use of digital twins in industry is growing enormously. The benefits of a digital twin have been noticed, and grasping the idea behind digital twins is very important.