Application of a Hybrid Digital Twin Concept for Factory Layout Planning

Abstract

As the modern society is in the middle of its fourth industrial revolution, many enabling technologies are now viable to use in an engineering context. Several of these technologies are mature and available off the shelf; however, in the industrial setting they are rather novel. Two of these are virtual reality (VR), which has grown immensely in the gaming sector, and 3-D imaging, which is commonly used in archeology and construction. This study presents lessons learned from combining these two technologies in an industrial context with the digital twin concept. Three industrial case studies have been performed, and several observations have been identified in all three aspects of sustainability. For example, improved solution fidelity at an early stage can be achieved by externalizing tacit knowledge, and multiple issues during planning and installation phases have been avoided by utilizing the hybrid digital twin models. This type of digital twin enables highly detailed production system access, enabling engineering abilities from anywhere, anytime. Furthermore, the model becomes a powerful communication tool, which has reduced the resistance to workplace changes, as stakeholders lacking computer-aided design (CAD) knowledge can be involved in the change process. The highly detailed models have also allowed more focus to be put on safety and regulations, as these aspects naturally are more suited to experience in immersive VR. In conclusion, the hybrid digital twin concept developed in this study is a promising tool for decision makers and stakeholders alike, bound to benefit those who use it in all three aspects of sustainability.

Implementation of digital twins in the process industry: A systematic literature review of enablers and barriers

“…Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) enable a variety of use cases for operators in a manufacturing plant, for example, to gain a deeper understanding of the production process, virtual commissioning, remote assistance, and operator training systems and to run simulations in a virtual environment (Alcácer and Cruz-Machado, 2019;Qi et al, 2021;. Although VR has grown significantly in recent years and has been applied in several sectors, particularly gaming, education, and healthcare and more recently manufacturing Nåfors et al, 2020), the potential benefits of the use of VR and AR in industrial applications are currently the subject of extensive research (Nåfors et al, 2020).…”

“…The use of AI coupled with big data analysis techniques enables the development of models and tools capable of finding trends, patterns, and correlations and making predictions based on the data from the real asset (Borangiu et al, 2020;Lu and Xu, 2019). VR and AR have been considered as enabling technologies for the development of DTs in recent years (Nåfors et al, 2020). These technologies provide users with a more interactive way to use DTs and to enable the development of training systems for new operators .…”

Is Digital Twin Technology Supporting Safety Management? A Bibliometric and Systematic Review

“…The red cluster of keywords, called "Decision making and offshore applications", includes studies regarding DT solutions aimed at supporting decision-making processes. These studies identify the Digital Twin concept as a promising tool for decision makers and stakeholders alike, which is bound to benefit those who use it [53]. In particular, DTs solve big data problems in the field of offshore resources, letting workers spend less time looking for data and more time identifying trends and innovative ways to exploit the data, e.g., smarter drilling, greater field automation, or improved safety [54].…”

The Influence of Industry 4.0 on Product Design and Development: Conceptual Foundations and Literature Review

“…Likewise, considerable papers present generic methods (16 papers) in addition to specific methods (10 papers) to support development of industry 4.0 solutions. These methods involve technologies such as augmented reality [35] virtual reality [36], digital twins [37], cloud-based platforms [38], while some of these methods support specific design aspects such as integrability between product design and manufacturing [39], design of product quality monitoring systems [40], intelligent product design with CPS feedback [41], CPS user interface design [42], IoT-based systems [43]. 15 papers were assigned to 'other' category, which involved methods featuring simulations, automated/smart/generative design, knowledge feedback, product lifecycle management (PLM) and manufacturing execution system (MES) tool-based approaches as well as review papers.…”