Contrasting digital twin vision of manufacturing with the industrial reality

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the value proposition of a system-level Digital Twin (DT) in the context of complex manufacturing processes from the managerial perspective. The central promise of DT-technology is to use and iterate the available real-time process information in a simulation setting transforming it instantly to operational or managerial-level decision-making implications. Despite the clear potential of this emerging technology, a gap of knowledge exists on how such DT could be implemented and what would be its defining features. The key contribution of this research is to lay out the central discrepancies between the promise of digital twin technology vision versus what is possible within the limits of current industrial infrastructure in the short- and mid-term. This research builds on the currently existing scientific literature which we use to point out ten foundational issues of system-level digital twins that are analyzed and discussed in detail. As a conclusion, we propose that large system-level DT-projects have a managerial rationale only when several preliminary conditions are met and fulfilled.

KEYWORDS:

• Digital twin
• simulation
• investments
• cyber-physical system

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Notes

1. If CAD-drawings and resources are available, it might be a good idea to spice up the simulation model presentation with 3D-visualization tools such as Unity 3D for digital imaging of the process. However, the value of these flowsheet visualizations may be more in “selling” the digital twin inside the organization rather than creating managerial and economic value (see also cf. West et al., 2021).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Strategic Research Council (SRC) at the Academy of Finland through the Manufacturing 4.0-project [grant numbers 313349, 313396, 313395].