A digital twin is a virtual representation of a real-world object or system used to digitally model performance, identify inefficiencies, and design solutions to improve its physical counterpart.
Digital twins are capable of modelling everything from individual components to entire systems. While each type of digital twin does the same basic thing - roughly modelling a real-world object or system - its purpose and scope vary from one to the other. The four main types of digital twins are:
Component twins
Twin components are digital representations of individual parts of a system or product, such as gears or screws. However, rather than simply modelling all the individual parts of a product, twin components are often used to model integrated parts, such as parts subjected to a certain pressure or heat. By digitally modelling these parts and placing them in dynamic simulations, designers and engineers can see how the part can be enhanced to ensure its integrity in situations that may arise.
Asset twins
A property twin, also known as a product twin, is a virtual representation of a physical product rather than its individual parts. While property twins can technically include multiple twin components, their goal is to understand how their different parts work together in a single real product. For example, a wind turbine might have a pair of linked assets that are used to monitor its operation and identify parts that may fail due to normal wear and tear.
System twins
System twins, also known as unit twins, are virtual representations of production systems that work together. While asset twins model real-world products made up of many parts, system twins model these individual products as components of a larger system. Understanding how assets interact with each other provides an opportunity to improve the way they relate to each other, thereby increasing productivity and efficiency.
Process twins
A process twin is a digital representation of a system working together. For example, while a system pair might model a production line, a process pair might model an entire plant for the workers who operate the machines on the shop floor.
Benefits of digital twins
There are many benefits to using digital twins as there are apps for them. However, some of the more common benefits of using them include:
Reduce overall costs by designing, testing, and refining products or systems in a virtual environment before mass production or deployment.
Increase operational efficiency by modelling systems with up-to-date information, testing changes in dynamic simulations, and ultimately implementing changes in the real world.
Provide rapid maintenance of existing physical assets and systems, such as buildings or jet engines, by continuously monitoring their performance and identifying problems when they arise.
Improve the customer experience when purchasing a product or entering a retail store by virtualizing the customer journey.
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