What Are The 4 Types Of Digital Twins?

The industrial metaverse and smart manufacturing have evolved to rely heavily on digital twins to connect the real and virtual worlds.

A technique for creating a virtual duplicate of any entity is known as a digital twin. Still, an accurate digital twin is more than just an exact duplicate of a product, piece of machinery, or workplace.

The technology's fundamental idea suggests that a digital twin and its real-world counterpart share information in real-time. This guarantees that the information gathered via the application of technology is pertinent and aligns with dynamic real-world circumstances and outside factors.

The widespread use cases of digital twins led to technological diversification and the emergence of different types of digital twins that are currently used in businesses.

In this blog, let's get into the different types of digital twins and how they are used. 

1. Process Digital Twin

Process twins, the superior type of digital twins, combine system twins into a single entity to investigate system synchronization and cooperation. This system provides the most comprehensive picture of how things happen inside the factory or plant. Therefore, it enables a far more in-depth and flexible output examination.

Process twinning provides data on results and allows for the adjustment of inputs, such as raw material feeding rate and manufacturing climate, without interfering with the manufacturing procedure or lowering the standard of production. 

Executives can now quickly and risk-free test various business predictions instead of depending on feelings or theory. Additionally, it helps to monitor key company KPIs and facilitate data-based decision-making effectively.

For instance, a process twin could simulate every aspect of the plant, even down to the workers running the machinery on the production line. In contrast, a system twin might simulate a manufacturing process.

2. System/Unit Digital Twin

System twins are copies of assets that show how multiple components come together to form functioning components at the system level. They provide an extensive perspective of the plant or manufacturing facility. 

This enables the testing of various system settings for maximum efficacy or the identification of new possibilities for the development of additional income streams.

The scope of the system twin includes a group of assets used in a specific function. These are the manufacturing of a primary product inside the plant or the delivery of energy. 

At this level, continual tracking and digital twin modeling go beyond the primary digital twins' ability to detect errors and breakdowns. It is a route to obtaining information necessary for making tactical choices and achieving complete process transparency.

Meanwhile, to develop a successful outcome from this innovation, you must partner with the best digital twin companies.  

Big businesses mostly prefer process and system digital twins, with their increased complexity. This is because they are capable of financing long-term research and development initiatives. 

Consequently, these businesses are able to achieve higher degrees of intelligent automation. They free up workers from overwork, reduce the number of defective batches, and optimize the use of water and electricity. 

The system and process digital twins strengthen protection, or take complete control over their operations and production quality. These activities are primarily found in companies like Unilever.

3. Asset/Product Digital Twin

A product or asset digital twin is a digital replica of tangible assets such as machinery, buildings, and automobiles. It offers updated information on an asset's atmosphere, performance metrics, and functional health.

Typically, they are made up of many component twins or use the information produced by component twins to model a complicated asset, such as an engine, pump, or building. An asset twin examines how well various components work together and function as an integrated unit.

By using asset/product digital twins, engineers can find areas for possible development and gain insights into the operation of their equipment. This lowers downtime for businesses and boosts operational effectiveness.

Product digital twins can even alter a company's business strategy. A good illustration of this situation is the compressed air solution maker Kaeser. This business tracked the amount of air that each of its items consumed using digital twin technology. Rather than offering their equipment for sale, they choose to bill clients based on the rate of air usage.

4. Component/Part Digital Twin

The most basic type of digital twin technology is known as the component twin or parts twin. It is equivalent to the simplest components of the system, such as a particular piece of machinery or a product, like a sensor, switch, valve, etc.

Such sophisticated parts may have their functioning monitored and current circumstances simulated. This helps to assess their reliability, durability, and effectiveness due to their digital model.

Meanwhile, a part type of digital twin just slightly resembles the factory architecture. However, it allows for better monitoring of the equipment components and prompt maintenance. This guarantees the reliability of that manufacturing operation and the standard of the end product.

1. Ford

Ford was among the first businesses to adopt a digital twin in automotive. The company ensures that resources are used wisely and that things are made as successfully as possible by using digital twins. This helped them track and oversee their manufacturing operations in real-time.

Ford employs digital twins in manufacturing to enhance product design. For instance, the company utilizes it to model how various manufacturing techniques affect the longevity of its goods.

2. Intermarche 

The French grocery operator Intermarché uses digital twins to enhance customer experience during purchasing. The digital twin monitors clients' movements and examines how they engage with objects. This provides Intermarché with information on what consumers are attracted to and how they communicate with them. 

Following that, customized advertising initiatives and enhanced product positioning and design may be made using this data.

Further, Intermarché uses digital twins in the supply chain to enhance operations in addition to consumer research. For instance, the business has optimized inventory levels and modeled the effects of varying weather on the availability of products using digital twins.

3. The Living Heart Project 

Could you visualize studying the heart with digital twins in the healthcare sector? 

The Living Heart Project is a research project aimed at revolutionizing healthcare industry education and training through the use of digital twins in clinical trials. 

By using a virtual duplicate of the organ, doctors can examine the function and movement of a human heart in ways that are not feasible with live hearts. Thus, medical experts can create novel medicines and advance their knowledge of heart disease.

This innovative technology has the potential to lower expenses and delays, given that heart disease is the primary cause of mortality worldwide. Additionally, implementing digital twins in healthcare boosts patient safety and fosters confidence.

4. GE Aviation 

GE uses digital twins to enhance the efficiency and appearance of various items, such as gas turbines and jet engines. 

The business has developed a "virtual engine" with digital twins that allows it to test concepts and plans before putting them into practice. This streamlines the manufacturing procedure and lowers the possibility of an unsuccessful outcome.

GE has benefited clients by using digital twins' real-time monitoring abilities to save 1.6 billion dollars. By taking an upfront, complete assessment of the product, they have also been able to cut wasteful production by up to 75% and overall expenses by up to 30%.

A growing number of industries have begun to realize the potential that exists inside digital twins in the past decade. Manufacturing continues to be a leader in the acceptance and development of digital twins. This is despite the fact that we can observe successful instances of digital twin implementation in the fields of healthcare, logistics, retail, and e-commerce. 

Numerous global industrial giants, such as Ford, GE, Tesla, Microsoft, and IBM, share their remarkable outcomes from implementing digital twins. 

Meanwhile, you must partner with the right digital twin company to gain the best insights into your idea.  

Toobler can be your best digital twin partner, with experience across different industries. Toobler is a digital twin consulting firm that specializes in offering customized digital twin solutions for a range of sectors and uses. 

Our proficiency in creating Digital Twins, together with our use of cutting-edge technology and industry best practices, allows us to offer scalable, economical, and practical solutions that maximize the performance of tangible assets or systems. 

Connect with us right now to get your digital twin readiness into reality.