Digital Twin

Smart data management to support assets and installed base

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
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Eurostep solutions

Check out Eurostep's solution for full digital twins integrations.

Recommended reading

Building Information Modelling with digital twins and digital thread using ShareAspace
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
Unlock the Potential of BIM Digital Twins with ShareAspace Are you interested in learning how BIM Digital Twin and Digital Thread can revolutionize the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries? ...
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Do we need a standard like PLCS to build a digital thread?
Posting this as a blog on the Eurostep web site but you can follow the discussion on Linkedin here. PLCS is not needed for a digital thread but it is ...
Building Information Modelling with digital twins and digital thread using ShareAspace
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
Unlock the Potential of BIM Digital Twins with ShareAspace Are you interested in learning how BIM Digital Twin and Digital Thread can revolutionize the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries? ...
Getting to a Real Digital Twin by Managing Unstructured and Structured Product Data Using Azure Services and ShareAspace
Get to a Real Digital Twin with Azure Services and ShareAspace Are you ready to take your digital transformation to the next level? Do you want to connect the structured ...
Enabling the digital thread with ShareAspace
A Digital Thread is for Life – Not Just Manufacturing
Implementing the digital thread and digital twin with PLCS The Digital Thread is a communication framework that connects traditionally siloed elements in manufacturing processes and provides an integrated view of ...
Do we need a standard like PLCS to build a digital thread?
Posting this as a blog on the Eurostep web site but you can follow the discussion on Linkedin here. PLCS is not needed for a digital thread but it is ...

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