What is a digital twin?
The digital twin refers to a digital model of a particular product or asset that includes design specifications, engineering models describing the product with a digital representation for geometry, materials, components and behaviour. There can be many digital twins as geometry is just one of the many views. Other specific views can be about requirements, pricing etc.
A digital twin is intended to accurately mirror the as-build and as-maintained unique specifications of the physical asset that it represents. Which can either be a real unique individual asset or a real serially numbered assets. It becomes a twin only when that asset has been built. These can be around for a long time representing the installed base and sold products.
What are the challenges of maintaining a digital twin?
The challenge is and has always been to keep the digital twin updated and relevant. Updates are based on observations that can be manual and automated. For large numbers of observations, the use of IoT has opened up new possibilities for connectivity, edge computing and analytics. Sensors and IoT devices on the product and asset must be represented in the relevant digital twins.
What is the PLCS standard?
The PLCS standard (ISO 10303-239), with its state of the art - open and rich data model, has been developed for the information used in the support through-life of complex products. The data model is designed to allow the creation of an integrated view of an asset’s data, covering its lifecycle across traditionally siloed functional perspectives. The standards unique concepts make PLCS the perfect framework to achieve full digital twins.
Key PLCS concepts in ShareAspace
Distinguish between designs and actuals (individuals)
Manage different BOM views (such as as-designed, as-manufactured and as-maintained) of a product and link/trace between them
Record processes and other actions applied to the product (or done by the product)
Manage different breakdown views (such as physical and functional breakdowns) of a product and link between them and to different BOM views
Audit trail covering the complete life cycle of a product and asset for overall configuration management of any digital twin data
Manage product properties and record their values over time or against different views
Manage the associated documents and other information, such as models, related to the product and any subsidiary products
Manage requirements, allocation, tracing and verification and validation
Eurostep solutions
Check out Eurostep's solution for full digital twins integrations.
Recommended reading
Realizing the BIM Digital Twin and Digital Thread with ShareAspace, IFC, IoT and Azure Services to Support the Data Management Across the Life Cycle of Building and AEC Assets
Getting to a Real Digital Twin by Managing Unstructured and Structured Product Data Using Azure Services and ShareAspace
A Digital Thread is for Life – Not Just Manufacturing
Do we need a standard like PLCS to build a digital thread?
Realizing the BIM Digital Twin and Digital Thread with ShareAspace, IFC, IoT and Azure Services to Support the Data Management Across the Life Cycle of Building and AEC Assets
Getting to a Real Digital Twin by Managing Unstructured and Structured Product Data Using Azure Services and ShareAspace
A Digital Thread is for Life – Not Just Manufacturing
Do we need a standard like PLCS to build a digital thread?
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