Elevate your capabilities as a manufacturer by learning what digital twins are, and how they can be utilised throughout design and production processes to optimise your operations, boost your productivity, and get the most value possible from your budget.

• Simply put, a digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical object, used to simulate the behaviour of a real-life asset
• Digital twins can help manufacturers massively increase efficiency, reducing lengthy design processes and minimising operational risk
• For manufacturers that want to remain at the top of their game, it’s important to embrace new technology like digital twins or face being left behind by your competitors

What is a digital twin?

It might sound complex but in basic terms, digital twins are actually pretty simple and, as a manufacturer, it’s vital that you have their capabilities on your radar.

A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical object, process, or system. This replica can be used within the design stage of a product or area of a manufacturing plant, to simulate the behaviour of assets before they reach the physical development stage.

Beyond their valuable role in the design stage, manufacturers can use digital twins to test updates to plant operations before they are implemented within a virtual space, without impacting the real-life factory floor. Digital twins can also predict potential machinery failures before they happen, via data transfer between physical assets and their virtual counterparts.

What are the advantages of digital twins?

From process optimisation through to reduced downtime, introducing digital twins to your manufacturing processes can bring a whole host of advantages.

By embracing digital twin technology, you’re embracing efficiency – in four major ways:

• 1. You’re reducing the lengthy back-and-forth of designing, scrapping, and redesigning products, not only saving the time of your staff, but also optimising resource usage and funds amid regular supply chain disruptions. At SEW-EURODRIVE, we have first-hand experience of this, with our recent development of a high-speed packaging machine in collaboration with global machinery specialist Hugo Beck, where we used a digital twin to optimise the design process.

• 2. You’re able to monitor your machinery, and predict potential failures well before they occur, reducing system downtime. Utilising software like SEW-EURODRIVE's DriveRadar® helps you keep track of the health of your gear units via the installation of physical sensors, which can accurately predict damage through an exact digital twin.

• 3. You can better optimise your operations, by checking out how hardware and software updates will work in the virtual world before you implement anything on the real-life factory floor. Got an innovative idea you think could pay off? You no longer have to worry about taking risks that could affect your operations.

• 4. You’re introducing the next generation to the world of manufacturing and engineering, through immersive environments that allow the next set of innovators and leaders to train safely and realistically, without risking your day-to-day operations. The National Digital Twin Programme is helping sectors across the UK to utilise digital twins, including through bridging the digital skills and culture gap to support career development within the existing and future workforce.

Why do digital twins matter in manufacturing?

Digital twins matter in manufacturing, because they save you one important thing – time.

You can accelerate your product development and innovate without risk, whilst planning better going forward with optimised operations and resources.

If you want to remain competitive, you need to embrace new technology, or face being outpaced whilst your peers switch to speedy digital processes.

Worried about being left in the dust? Contact our expert team here.