The Key Role of Modeling & Simulation in Enabling Closed-Loop Lifecycle Performance Engineering.
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, 11 December 2018—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global PLM strategic management consulting and research firm, announces the publication of a whitepaper titled “Evolving from Digital Prototype to Physics-based Digital Twins.”
While the concept of a digital twin has been around for several decades, since the early days of NASA, it has gained a great deal of attention within industrial manufacturing companies over the last several years with the emergence of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in the context of Industry 4.0. While the use of physics-based digital prototyping methods and their associated performance simulation technologies such as FEA and CFD have grown exponentially over the past 40+ years, their use has been largely limited to new product design and development activities, including final verification and validation of designs prior to release to manufacturing. With the deployment of IIoT technology, “smart systems” containing sophisticated electronics and many types of sensors, products are now generating vast amounts of information on the performance of systems as they are being used, in real time. This operating data can then be used in conjunction with a digital model (i.e., a digital twin) to simulate the performance of the system in predicting and preventing in-service failures and optimizing operating behaviors as system performance requirements change. Digital twins can also be applied within the domains of advanced manufacturing processes, plant design and operations, and to simulate human interactions with cyber-physical systems operating in their varied environments (e.g. autonomous vehicles).
The whitepaper introduces the key concepts of the physics-based digital twin, potential application domains, and the promised business benefits. It includes a discussion of the practical realities of successfully implementing a closed-loop, lifecycle digital twin strategy and highlights the digital twin solutions provided by Siemens PLM Software illuminated by several customer applications.
According to Mr. Peter Bilello, CIMdata President, “Given the rapid rise of smart, connected systems in our world and today’s rapidly advancing digital twin technologies, companies must understand and embrace the business impact they will have on the entire product lifecycle.” Mr. Don Tolle, CIMdata Executive Consultant, notes “Digital twin technology is in the early phases of adoption in most industries and it is critical to understand the practical technical and process change realities of implementing digital twin technologies to achieve measurable business benefits. Siemens PLM Software’s digital twin technology portfolio combined with their implementation experience positions them well to support industrial customers in meeting this digital transformation challenge.”
To find out more and to download the whitepaper on “Evolving from Digital Prototypes to Physics-Based Digital Twins”, visit www.CIMdata.com.
