Have you ever had a specific theory that you wanted to test out, but it seemed a bit too risky to do it in the real world? Think of Tony Stark in any of the Avengers movies. He works with his computer AI system to test out different ideas and theories for his Iron Man suits before he physically builds them. Even in Avengers Endgame, he is testing hypotheses about time travel before taking the risk to do it himself.
While you may not be Tony Stark, you also have high-risk situations within your businesses every day. You need your own version of JARVIS to help you test things and practice different processes before taking them into the physical world. Industry 4.0 and digital twin technology may be the answer you’re searching for. By making a digital replica of your product or systems, you can try different simulations and find the best function for your physical objects. Let’s dive in and learn more about this connection so you can harness the digital world for better business insights.
Table Of Contents
What is digital twin technology?
First, let’s take a look at a more in-depth definition of digital twins. A digital twin is a digital representation of each product, process, or system in a certain environment. That digital model can then be manipulated, studied, and altered to gain better insights into the physical assets. Use this technology to view strategic technology trends and get deeper analytics into your product design. With the digital twin concept, you can understand your products in new ways and benefit from predictive maintenance and machine learning. This can be used in a number of ways for various different industries.
There are different types of digital twin models.
There are a few specific types of digital twin that you may encounter. The first is the product twin which is an exact model of a physical object you are working with or selling. You can look for ways to improve the physical twin with different visualizations in your virtual model. On the other hand, process and system twins look at the way things are done in your factory or manufacturing company. Understand an exact area or machine with a process twin and look at the overall best practices for your manufacturing process with a system twin. Overall, using different scenarios and historical data will help you improve your physical products with real-time data.
Certain industries benefit most from this technology.
The digital twin concept can be used in a variety of industries. One of the top areas is supply chain management and manufacturing. See the ways you can improve efficiency in your manufacturing process with a visual representation of how things are run. Or use digital twin technology in your retail operations to test out new products or functions. Find better developments and changes in health care when you test them through digital technology. A digital twin of a whole city can also help you understand smart cities and look for ways to build the economy of tomorrow. If progress is the goal, digital twin techniques can help many industries get where they want to go.
How does a digital twin benefit your business?
With digital twin applications, you are saving money while reducing risks for your business. Rather than trying new things on your physical process or products, you can test them first with a digital twin. This saves you money and energy without affecting the real thing. It also reduces risks for your product development. You’ll be able to actually see if something works before taking the next step. With a digital transformation first, you already know the physical systems will benefit.