Page 57 - Plastics News Issue November - 2024

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

make data-driven decisions. The integration of Applications of Digital Twins span industries, in-
real-time data from sensors, advanced simula- cluding manufacturing, healthcare, smart cities,
tions, and machine learning enables the digital and aerospace, enabling functions such as pre-
twin to evolve dynamically, reflecting changes in dictive maintenance, performance monitoring,
the physical object or system. It is composed of: and optimization.

♦ Physical entity: The real-world asset or sys- Digital Twin Vs. Simulation
tem.
While Digital Twins and simulations are related
♦ Digital representation: A model that mirrors concepts, they have key differences in scope,
the physical asset. functionality, and real-time application.

♦ Data connection: A link between the physi-
cal and virtual, driven by real-time data ex-
change.

Criteria Digital Twin Simulation

Connection to Real- Real-time, dynamic digital replica Static or isolated model, replicating
World Objects continuously updated with real- scenarios based on pre-set
world data from sensors. conditions, without real-time data.
Real-Time Feedback Provides live feedback, Typically used for one-off analysis,
continuously evolving with changes does not evolve with real-time data.
in the physical system.
Scope Covers the full lifecycle of a product Focuses on specific phases, such as
or system, allowing ongoing testing or predicting performance
interaction and optimization. under certain conditions.

Application on Plastics Processing chine operators and finally, a creation of continu-
ous feedback loop for ongoing optimization.
The applications of Digital Twin technology span
various phases of the product lifecycle. Howev- Future Development Work - The future develop-
er, in plastics processing, its most significant ad- ment work to improve the reliability and robust-
vancements have occurred in injection molding. ness of digital twin:
Initially focused on part-filling simulations dec-
ades ago, efforts have now progressed toward ♦ Must address the challenges of data integra-
achieving a full Digital Twin. tion and complex phenomena modeling.
♦ Should focus on bridging the gap between
One of the milestones are what the companies low-level digital design and the high de-
like SIMCON and SIMPATEC performed with the mands placed.
lead manufacturer ENGEL. Here the injection
molding parameters can now be exchanged ♦ requires detailed quantitative modeling to
digitally between simulation software and mold- enhance the accuracy and performance.
ing machines, enabling efficient two-way com-
munication. This capability allows first, real-time Source - Source – Plastics Engineering
updates to machine settings, second, fostering
better collaboration between engineers and ma-

November 2024 PLASTICS NEWS 57