Virtual Factory: Competence-Based Adaptive Modelling and Simulation Approach for Manufacturing Enterprise

Int J Adv Manuf Technol

Bilberg

2021

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Smart manufacturing, tailored by the 4th industrial revolution and forces like innovation, competition, and changing demands, lies behind the concurrent evolution (also known as co-evolution) of products, processes and production systems. Manufacturing companies need to adapt to ever-changing environments by simultaneously reforming and regenerating their product, process, and system models as well as goals and strategies to stay competitive. However, the ever-increasing complexity and ever-shortening lifecycles of product, process and system domains challenge manufacturing organization’s conventional approaches to analysing and formalizing models and processes as well as management, maintenance and simulation of product and system life cycles. The digital twin-based virtual factory (VF) concept, as an integrated simulation model of a factory including its subsystems, is promising for supporting manufacturing organizations in adapting to dynamic and complex environments. In this paper, we present the demonstration and evaluation of previously introduced digital twin-based VF concept to support modelling, simulation and evaluation of complex manufacturing systems while employing multi-user collaborative virtual reality (VR) learning/training scenarios. The concept is demonstrated and evaluated using two different wind turbine manufacturing cases, including a wind blade manufacturing plant and a nacelle assembly line. Thirteen industry experts who have diverse backgrounds and expertise were interviewed after their participation in a demonstration. We present the experts’ discussions and arguments to evaluate the DT-based VF concept based on four dimensions, namely, dynamic, open, cognitive, and holistic systems. The semi-structured conversational interview results show that the DT-based VF stands out by having the potential to support concurrent engineering by virtual collaboration. Moreover, DT-based VF is promising for decreasing physical builds and saving time by virtual prototyping (VP).

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demonstration and evaluation of a digital twin-based virtual factory

Int J Adv Manuf Technol

Bilberg

2021

Self Cite

“…Shamsuzzoha et al (2017) presented a VF as an environment for collaborative business process monitoring, in order to integrate manufacturing companies to achieve some business opportunities and show the extended role of VF in a whole business environment. Moreover, VF is also considered as an adaptive enterprise modelling and simulation (M&S) platform, to design and develop new competencies (Yildiz et al , 2020a).…”

Section: State-of-the-artmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building a virtual factory: an integrated design approach to building smart factories

2021

JGOSS

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Purpose The complexity of manufacturing systems, on-going production and existing constraints on the shop floor remain among the main challenges for the analysis, design and development of the models in product, process and factory domains. The potential of different virtual factory (VF) tools and approaches to support simultaneous engineering for the design, and development of these domains has been addressed in the literature. To fulfil this potential, there is a need for an approach which integrates the product, process and production systems for designing and developing VF and its validation in real-life cases. This paper aims to present an integrated design approach for VF design and development, as well as a demonstration implemented in a wind turbine manufacturing plant. Design/methodology/approach As the research calls for instrumental knowledge to discover the effects of intervention on the operations of an enterprise, design science research methodology is considered to be a well-suited methodology for exploring practical usefulness of a generic design to close the theory–practice gap. The study was planned as an exploratory research activity which encompassed the simultaneous design and development of artefacts and retrospective analysis of the design and implementation processes. The extended VF concept, architecture, a demonstration and procedures followed during the research work are presented and evaluated. Findings The artefacts (models and methods) and the VF demonstrator, which was evaluated by industry experts and scholars based on the role of the VF in improving the performance in the evaluation and reconfiguration of new or existing factories, reduce the ramp-up and design times, supporting management decisions. Preliminary results are presented and discussed. Research limitations/implications The concept VF model, its architecture and general methodology as an integrated design and development approach, can be adopted and used for VF design and development both for discrete and continuous manufacturing plants. The development and demonstration were limited, however, because real-time synchronisation, 3D laser scanning data and a commonly shared data model, to enable the integration of different VF tools, were not achievable. Originality/value The paper presents a novel VF concept and architecture, which integrates product, process and production systems. Moreover, design and development methods of the concept and its demonstration for a wind turbine manufacturing plant are presented. The paper, therefore, contributes to the information systems and manufacturing engineering field by identifying a novel concept and approach to the effective design and development of a VF and its function in the analysis, design and development of manufacturing systems.

“…Recent developments in state-of-the-art technologies like digital twin (DT), 3D modelling and simulations (M&S), and immersive virtual reality (VR) enable comprehensive and integrated solutions to develop and utilise "as-is" and "to-be" models of complex cyber-physical systems (CPS) [11,12]. In recent years, therefore, empirical works on comprehensive concepts and approaches like VF gained more attention in the application domain.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Empirical studies on the DT-based VF concept in industrial cases demonstrate that DT-based VF stands out as a promising CPS to support manufacturing enterprises for handling co-evolution [16][17][18]. Since this article is formed on a collection of previously published papers, each of which articulates on various interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary empirical issues, we strongly advise the reader to refer to such works [11,12,[16][17][18][19][20] for extensive knowledge on pragmatic validity and practical relevance. In addition, because the visual contents conceivably have more potential to convey far-reaching knowledge to the audience, we also strongly recommend readers to review the public media documents on (1) integrated VF simulations [21], (2) collaborative and coordinated VR training [22] and (3) outbound supply chain simulation demo [23], which is incorporated by the extension of DT-based VF to the virtual enterprise.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptual foundations and extension of digital twin-based virtual factory to virtual enterprise

Int J Adv Manuf Technol

Bilberg

2022

Self Cite

Manufacturing organisations must compete with each other while adapting to the ever-changing conditions by building and strengthening their chains of competencies to survive. Therefore, companies are challenged to reform and reconstruct their product, process, and system models as well as to define new goals conforming to evolving complex and dynamic environments. Recent advancements in technologies such as modelling and simulation (M&S), digital twin (DT) and virtual reality (VR) promise new ways for remodelling organisations' resources, processes, and architectures. Moreover, comprehensive concepts like DT-based virtual factory (VF) exploit the potential for utilising such technological concepts in the application domain by enabling the integration of various tools, methods, and processes. There are a variety of empirical studies focusing either on the distinct use of technologies, methods and processes or very generic concepts and approaches. However, studies focusing on both conceptual and practical aspects for such comprehensive and integrated solutions to handle co-evolution in the complex manufacturing domain are limited for defining, designing and utilising novel technologies. In this paper, therefore, we attempt to close this gap by (1) framing and discussing the conceptual and theoretical foundations of DT-based VF, (2) introducing and discussing the extension of the DT-based VF to virtual enterprise and (3) generalising and interpreting the prescriptive knowledge discovered during the previous VF demonstrations performed at Vestas Wind Systems A/S. Systems and complexity theories, concepts of business cycles and competence-based strategic management are discussed to frame descriptive knowledge as a language for depicting the internal and external nature of complex manufacturing enterprise operations. Furthermore, design principles of the DT-based VF concept are examined based on framed concepts and theories as well as its potential implications and deviations into different application contexts to provide managerial guidelines for utilising such a concept.