WHAT IS A DIGITAL TWIN?
The Internet of Things (IoT) has created the potential for the simulation of a product or process to be tied through the Internet to sensors capturing its data and to actuators controlling its operation; the result is a digital twin. Implementing digital twins using Ansys Twin Builder has been shown to improve product performance by 25 percent and reduce maintenance costs by 10 to 20 percent.
A digital twin is a real-time, virtual copy of an actual operating machine that provides insight into individual product performance and maintenance. Sensors on the machine relay data — temperature, pressure, flow rate, voltage, loading, etc. — to the digital twin, and the twin evolves in step with the machines working environment. By using simulation in conjunction with the IoT, a digital twin can be used to monitor real-time prescriptive analytics and test predictive maintenance to optimize asset performance. Digital twins can also analyze the performance of products in real-world operating conditions and make confident predictions about future performance to improve product operation and productivity, and to reduce the cost and risk of unplanned downtime. You can also use the collected data to improve the design of next-generation products.