b'Engineer Innovation | SimcenterMore than just a simulation model The availability of digital twins can help The engineering performance digitalpredict performance of complex twin is more than a simulation model.products and systems throughout the Instead it is a living entity that isproducts lifecycle. Consider an extended, completed and updatedindustrial product being used in Finland. throughout the assets lifecycle, furtherA simulation model by itself would enriched with data obtained during theassume nominal behavior and nominal physical assets operation.loads and therefore would not be able to accurately predict performance for The concept of using physical modelsthe specific asset in question. With a that mimic behavior of actual productsdigital twin approach, the situation is is not new. NASAs Apollo program useddifferent. Sensors on the product may The digital twin conceptidentical space vehicles so that one ofprovide noise signatures. This data in An important way to address challengesthe vehicles could be used to test outconjunction with a digital twin that of complex system development is byprocedures on earth while the otherincorporates knowledge of the as-used building a set of highly accurate modelswas in space. The concept of a(versus as-designed or even as-built) that help predict product behaviormirrored spaces model was introducedcondition of the product, other sensors during all lifecycle phases. Thesein executive courses on product lifecyclethat provide current and historical models, which are called Digital Twins,management at the University ofloads, temperature fluctuations, etc. come in multiple scales and instancesMichigan in 2002. Perhaps the first usecan then be used to anticipate and for various applications, integrateof the phrase digital twin is seen inpredict a vibration problem within the multiple physical aspects, contain the2011/2012 in reports by NASA and thenext 10,000 duty cycles. best available physical descriptions andU.S. Air Force Research Laboratory mirror the life of the real product and its(AFRL).[1]So, while the simulation model is production process.essential to the creation of a digital In the NASA report, the term wastwin, it is not sufficient to have only a The concept of a digital twin isdefined as follows: A digital twin is anstatic simulation model. It must evolve applicable across various lifecycle stagesintegrated multi-physics, multiscaleover time and the evolution must be of a product or system:simulation of a vehicle or system thatcaptured at all stages. uses the best available physical models,From the ideation phase, with asensor updates, fleet history, etc., toAs such the digital twin begins its digital twin of the product that helpsmirror the life of its correspondingexistence even before its physical define/improve designs and analyzeflying twin. counterpart exists and continues to performance; evolve and support the next generationTo the realization phase, with a digitalAdditionally, three things are needed forof the physical asset long after the twin of the manufacturing process,the digital twin to be realized ascurrent generation ceases to exist. and finally; and described by the NASA report:To the utilization phase, with a digitalThe digital threadtwin of the product in service and A realistic simulation model (theThe concept of the digital thread is through retirement.digital twin) that can predictrelated to the concept of the digital performance;twin. The digital thread captures When companies integrate the entire A specific physical asset or family ofinformation on all the data, models, digital twin together, they have accessassets which is the real equivalent toprocesses and resources from to a holistic digital twin which becomesthe digital twin; andrequirements to design and engineering the backbone of their product Information flow between theto usage for the digital twin. And it does developmentcapable of deliveringphysical asset and the digital twin sothis across all the functional areas and greater insight, reducing developmentthat the latter is dynamic and evolvesfor all stakeholders. Thus where the cycle time, improving efficiency andover the life of the asset.digital twin can be considered as the increasing market agility.virtual entity that can predict 010111 REALISM100110 $0101 Increasing condence010111 CONTINUITY PRODUCTIVITY ENGINEER100110010101 Enabling collaboration Driving engineering efciency INNOVATION011 EXPLORATION010111100110010101 Delivering insight6'