The era of transformers: “digital twins” are already here. Apparat – Magazine about the new society Digital twin

We thank the editors of the corporate magazine "Siberian Oil" of Gazprom Neft PJSC for providing this material.

What is a Digital Twin?

A digital twin is a new word in modeling and production planning - a single model that reliably describes all processes and relationships both at a separate facility and within an entire production asset in the form virtual installations and simulation models. Thus, a virtual copy of the physical world is created.

The use of a digital twin, which is an exact copy of a real asset, helps to quickly simulate the development of events depending on certain conditions and factors, find the most effective operating modes, identify potential risks, integrate new technologies into existing production lines, and reduce the time and cost of project implementation. Additionally, the digital twin helps identify security steps.

Modern technologies make it possible to build digital twins of absolutely any production asset, be it an oil refinery or a logistics company. In the future, these technologies will allow remote control of the entire production process in real time. Based on the digital twin, it is possible to combine all systems and models used for planning and managing production activities, which will increase the transparency of processes, the accuracy and speed of decision making.

A digital twin can also be considered as an electronic passport of a product, which records all data on raw materials, materials, operations performed, tests and laboratory tests. This means that all information, from drawings and production technology to maintenance and disposal rules, will be digitized and available for reading by devices and people. This principle allows us to monitor and guarantee the quality of products and ensure their effective service.

From drawings to 3D models

A little history. People have always needed drawings and diagrams, from the moment of the first inventions - the wheel and the lever, in order to transmit information to each other about the design of these devices and the rules for their use. At first these were primitive drawings containing only the simplest information. However, the designs became more complex, and the images and instructions became more detailed. Since then, technologies for visualizing, documenting and storing knowledge about structures and mechanisms have come a long way. Nevertheless for a long time The main medium for recording engineering ideas remained paper, and the working space was a plane.

In the second half of the twentieth century, it became clear that the usual army of draftsmen armed with drawing boards was no longer able to keep up with the rapid growth of industrial production and the complexity of engineering developments. Accelerating the processing of voluminous and complex information (for example, a technological installation for atmospheric distillation of oil contains more than 30 thousand pieces of equipment) required a change in the work technology of designers, designers, builders, technologists, operation and maintenance specialists. The evolution of technical design tools took another turn, and in the early 90s of the last century, computer-aided design systems (CAD) came to the oil industry. At first they used 2D drawings, and then, by the late 2000s, they came to 3D.

Modern design systems allow engineers to layout and design industrial facilities in volumetric form, taking into account all the constraints and requirements of the production process, as well as the requirements industrial safety

Modern design systems allow engineers to layout and design industrial facilities in volumetric form, taking into account all the constraints and requirements of the production process, as well as industrial safety requirements. With their help, you can create a design model of a particular installation and correctly place technological and technical components on it without contradictions and collisions. Experience shows that through the use of such systems it is possible to reduce the number of errors and inconsistencies during design and operation by 2-3 times various installations. This figure is impressive when you consider that for large-scale industrial equipment, the number of errors that must be corrected during the design review process is in the thousands.

From the point of view of designers and builders, the use of 3D models makes it possible to radically improve the quality of design documentation and reduce design time. The constructed information model of the object turns out to be useful at the operational stage. This is a new level of ownership of an industrial facility, at which personnel can obtain any information required to make a decision or perform a task in the shortest possible time, based on the existing model. Moreover: when, after some time, equipment modernization is required, future designers will have access to all relevant information, with a history of repairs and maintenance.

Omsk pilot

Sergey Ovchinnikov, head of the management systems department at Gazprom Neft:

The development and implementation of an engineering data management system is, without a doubt, an important part of the innovative development of the logistics, processing and sales unit. The functionality inherent in SUPRID and the potential of the system will allow the unit in particular and the company as a whole to become leaders in the digital management of engineering data in oil refining. Moreover, this software product is an important component of the entire line of related IT systems, which represent the foundation of the BLPS Performance Management Center that is currently being created.

In 2014, Gazprom Neft launched a project to create an engineering data management system for oil refining facilities - SUPRID. The project is based on the use of 3D modeling technologies for the design, construction and maintenance of industrial facilities. Thanks to their use, the time required for the creation and reconstruction of oil refining plants is reduced, the efficiency and safety of their operation is increased, and the downtime of the plant's process equipment is reduced. Implementation of a modern engineering data management system at the newest platform Smart Plant for Owners/Operators (SPO) is carried out by specialists from the control systems department of the logistics, processing and sales unit, as well as the subsidiary company ITSK and Avtomatika Service.

At the end of last year, a pilot project was successfully completed to deploy platform functionality and set up business processes for the newly reconstructed primary oil refining unit at the Omsk Refinery - AT-9. The system implements functionality for storing, managing and updating information about the installation throughout its entire life cycle: from construction to operation. Along with the system, regulatory and methodological documentation, requirements for the designer and standards for engineering data management were developed. “SUPRID is a good assistant in work,” noted Sergei Shmidt, head of the AT-9 unit at the Omsk Refinery. — The system allows you to quickly access engineering information about any equipment, view its drawing, clarify technical parameters, localize the location and take measurements on a three-dimensional model that exactly reproduces the real installation. The use of SUPRID helps, among other things, to train new specialists and trainees.”

How it works?

The task of the SUPRID system is to cover all stages of the life cycle of a technological object. Start by collecting engineering information at the design phase and then update the information at subsequent stages - construction, operation, reconstruction, displaying Current state object.

It all starts with information from the designer, which is sequentially transmitted and loaded into the system. The initial data consists of: design documentation, information about the functional, technological and construction and installation structure of the facility, intelligent technological diagrams. It is this information that becomes the basis information model, allowing you to instantly receive targeted information about construction projects and the technological diagram of the installation, making it possible in a few seconds to find the desired position of process equipment, instrumentation equipment on the technological diagram, and determine its participation in the technological process.

In turn, using a 3D design model of an object loaded into the system, you can visualize it, see the configuration of blocks, the spatial arrangement of equipment, surroundings with neighboring equipment, and measure the distances between various elements of the installation. The formation of an operational information model is completed by linking as-built documentation and 2D and 3D “as built” models, which provide the opportunity to obtain detailed information about the properties and technical characteristics of any equipment or its elements at the operating stage. Thus, the system is a structured and interconnected set of all engineering data of an object and its equipment.

Roman Komarov, deputy head of the engineering systems department at ITSK, development manager at SUPRID:

After many years of evaluating the benefits of the project and preliminary development, the pilot system was implemented in a short time. The implementation of SUPRID allowed the company to obtain a tool for managing engineering data of oil refining facilities. The next global step, which we will gradually approach, is the formation of a digital information model of the oil refinery.

To date, more than 80,000 documents have already been uploaded to the SUPRID electronic archive. The system allows for a positional search for up-to-date information about any type of equipment, providing the user with comprehensive information on each position, including specifications, overall dimensions, material design, design and operating parameters, etc. “SUPRID” makes it possible to view any part of the installation in a three-dimensional model or on a technological diagram, open scanned copies of documents related to this position: working, executive or operational documentation (passports, acts, drawings, etc.).

This variability significantly reduces the time spent on accessing up-to-date information and its interpretation, and allows you to avoid mistakes during the reconstruction and technical re-equipment of a facility, and the replacement of obsolete equipment. "SUPRID" helps analyze the operation of the installation and its equipment when assessing the operating efficiency, facilitates the preparation of changes in technological regulations, the investigation of failures, malfunctions, accidents at the facility, the education and training of operating personnel.

“SUPRID” is integrated with other BLPS information systems and forms a unified information environment for engineering data, which, among other things, will become the basis for the innovative Unit Performance Management Center. Interrelation with such programs as KSU NSI (corporate reference information management system), SAP TORO (maintenance and repair of equipment), SU PSD (design and estimate documentation management system) TrackDoc, Meridium APM, forms a unique integrated automation system processes for managing production assets of an oil refinery, allowing to increase the economic effect of their sharing For the company.

Project efficiency

In a relatively short period of time, Gazprom Neft IT specialists managed not only to master the intricacies of the SPO platform on which the engineering data management system is built, but also to create a completely new infrastructure for the company, develop a set of regulatory documents, and ultimately develop a qualitatively new approach to construction of oil refining facilities.

Even at an early stage of the project, it became obvious that the system would be in demand by the plant’s operational services and capital construction services. Suffice it to say that its use saves up to 30% of working time on searching and processing technical information for any object. When integrating "SUPRID" with regulatory and reference information systems, Maintenance and repair of equipment, design estimates and other relevant engineering data become available for prompt and high-quality maintenance of process equipment. The capabilities of the system also make it possible to create a simulator for operation services, which will undoubtedly increase the level of training of their specialists. For refinery capital construction departments, the system will become a design tool at the stage of minor and medium repairs. This approach greatly simplifies monitoring the progress of reconstruction of industrial facilities and improves the quality of repairs.

It is expected that the investments made in the implementation of SUPRID will pay off in approximately 3-4 years. This will be possible due to a reduction in design time, an earlier transfer of installations from the commissioning stage to industrial operation and, as a result, an increase in the volume of finished products produced. Another significant advantage is the acceleration of the preparation and implementation of maintenance work and the reconstruction and modernization of installations by reducing the time required for refinery operating services to check new design documentation and timely detection of deficiencies and errors in the work of design and construction contractors.

The SUPRID implementation program is designed for the period until 2020. It will be used to “digitize” both existing installations and the construction of new facilities. Currently, specialists are preparing to replicate the system at the Moscow Refinery.

Text: Alexander Nikonorov, Alexey Shishmarev,Photo: Yuri Molodkovets, Nikolay Krivich

More and more enterprises are showing interest in the topic of digitalization of production. The organizers of the regional scientific and technical conference “Digitalization of production processes” were able to verify this. Application of industrial software for building digital enterprises,” which took place recently in Samara.

It was initiated by the SMS-Automation group of companies, known as a universal integrator specializing in the creation and support of industrial automation systems, together with the Digital Manufacturing department of Siemens, one of the world's largest concerns in the field of automation and electrical products, with which Samara developers have had more than two decades of fruitful cooperation.

The forum of manufacturers and information system developers was also supported by the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Samara Region. Its specialists have repeatedly noted the successes of the group of companies in the field of industrial automation and the construction of large information systems.

Representatives of industrial enterprises in the Samara region were introduced to the conceptual framework and specific tools for building effective digital production. Industrial automation is only part of digitalization, or digitalization, as it is also called. Digitalization is the automation of processes throughout the entire life cycle of a product, equipment, or enterprise. The project, its functioning, and modernization fit into it.

The report of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SMS-Automation Group of Companies, Andrey Sidorov, “Industrial Software as a Digitalization Tool,” aroused great interest among the conference participants. “We are on the threshold of the intellectualization of control systems,” noted Andrey Sidorov (in the bottom photo). - Now equipment manufacturers in the West are changing their production model. Equipment begins to have a digital twin. Changing business models will mean that a digital twin will be a significant factor when choosing a supplier.”

Digitalization also means testing situations on virtual digital models, which allows you to save enormous amounts of money. Siemens is already at its digitalization site, without waiting for the arrival of a machine for the production of parts, having received its virtual image, it connects virtual robots to it and begins debugging technological processes without wasting time.

The topics raised by experts related to the use of specific digital production tools were received with interest by conference participants and raised many questions and discussions. In addition to the reports, the attention of conference guests was attracted by demo stands with practical examples implementation of the principles of digitalization in the reality of process control systems of industrial enterprises in Russia. Special attention at the conference was paid to the issues information security modern systems automation. Acquaintance with current trends in the development of enterprises within the framework of the Industry 4.0 concept, according to experts, can become an additional tool in the process of increasing competitiveness in the era of Industry 4.0.

Perhaps, anyone who watched the Terminator films or The Matrix wondered when artificial intelligence will become a part of our daily lives, and whether people and robots will be able to coexist in peace and harmony. This future is much closer than you think. Today we will tell you about such technology as “ digital twins", which is already widely used in industry and, perhaps, will soon become part of our everyday life.

Who are digital twins?

It is a mistake to believe that the term “digital twins” refers to robots and artificial intelligence in the guise of some kind of humanoid creature. The term itself is currently applied mostly to industrial production. The concept of “digital twins” first appeared in 2003. The term came into use after the publication of an article by Michael Greaves, professor and assistant director of the Center for Lifecycle Management and Innovation at the Florida Institute of Technology, “Digital Twins: Manufacturing Excellence Based on a Virtual Prototype Factory.” The concept itself was invented by a NASA engineer who was a colleague of the professor.

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At its core, “digital twins” are a concept that combines artificial intelligence, computer learning and software with special data to create living digital models. These “digital twins” are constantly updated as the physical prototypes change.

Where do digital twins get their data for self-updating?

The digital copy, as befits artificial intelligence, constantly learns and improves itself. To this end, a digital twin uses knowledge from humans, other similar machines, and the larger systems and environment of which it is a part.

Michael Greaves proposed his three requirements that “digital twins” must meet. The first is compliance with the appearance of the original object. You need to understand that similar appearance– this is not only the whole picture, but also the correspondence of individual parts to the real “twin”. The second requirement is related to the behavior of the double during testing. The last and most difficult thing is the information that is received from artificial intelligence about the advantages and disadvantages of a real product.

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As Michael Greaves points out, when digital copies were introduced, even the criterion of superficial similarity was considered difficult to achieve. Today, as soon as a digital twin is identical in the first parameters, it can already be used to solve practical problems.

Why do we need digital twins?

Digital copies are created to optimize the performance of physical prototypes, entire systems and production processes.

According to Colin J. Parris, Ph.D., vice president of software research at GE Global Research Center, digital twins are a hybrid model (both physical and digital) that are created specifically for specific business purposes, e.g. predict failures, reduce maintenance costs, prevent unplanned outages.

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Colin J. Parris states that when we talk about “digital twins”, this system works in three stages: seeing, thinking and doing. The “seeing” stage is about obtaining data about the situation. There are two types of information: operational data (eg boiling point) and environmental data. The next step, which Colin J. Parris conventionally called “thinking,” is due to the fact that at this stage the “digital twin” can provide options for various requests on how best to act in a given situation or which options are preferable for business purposes. Artificial intelligence uses for analysis, for example, historical information, revenue and expense forecasts and provides several options that are based on risks and the confidence that these proposals can reduce them. Last step– “to do” – is directly related to the implementation of what needs to be done.

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With the help of “digital twins”, for example, can see from within the problem of a physical object.

In production, we no longer need to see, for example, the entire turbine in front of us in order to detect a hole. Digital twin technology will allow you to see the problem in real time using computer visualization.

According to Zvi Feuer, executive vice president of software development at Siemens, the digital twin is a PLM solution on the path to Industry 4.0.

What types of “digital twins” already exist?

As we said earlier, “digital twins” are actively used in industry: part twins (which are built for a specific production part), product twins (related to the release of a product, their main goal is to reduce the cost of maintenance), process twins ( their purpose may be, for example, to increase the service life), system twins (optimization of the entire system as a whole).

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According to the high-tech research and consulting agency Gartner, hundreds of millions of “digital twins” will soon replace human labor. Some companies already use this. It is not necessary to have an employee on staff who would diagnose problems in production. In real time, with the help of “digital twins”, you can receive all the necessary data and be ready to repair equipment in advance.

What about the “digital twin” of the person himself?

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For those who want to have a Terminator friend who thinks like you, helps in everything, is a brother and a friend, we have good news. According to futurist and technologist John Smith, such a future is already near. He believes that in the near future there will be so-called software agents, who will predict in advance the wishes and behavior of their real copy and will perform some actions for their human double.

The “Digital Twin” will be able to make purchases, make business decisions, engage in social activities - in general, will be able to do everything that we sometimes do not have enough time for.

We will also be able to transfer all the routine work to our double. In addition, according to John Smith, our digital clones will know our interests, preferences, political views and, if necessary, will be able to defend them, since they will have a more complete historical context and see the modern picture of the world as a whole. And even a feeling of compassion. For example, a “digital twin” will show affection towards us, as it will be able to guess our emotional state.

This all sounds like a utopian movie script. I feel something is wrong. What are the disadvantages of “digital twins”?

The disadvantages of digital twins are obvious. First of all, the question of our safety arises. Digital clones will use all possible resources to supplement information about us. These are the algorithms that collect data from accounts social networks, and our personal correspondence, and any documents and files that, one way or another, concern us. Of course, this cannot but be alarming: as we have already found out, “digital twins” are capable of constantly updating and improving. Therefore, one of the primary tasks should be the creation of a legal framework for determining the “limits of permissibility” of artificial intelligence.

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However, do not panic about this. Take John Smith as an example: he remains optimistic and believes that “digital twins” will not replace humanity. They will simply become different versions of humans who can peacefully coexist with us.

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From the editor's website: At the end of May, the Siemens PLM Connection forum was held in Moscow, the main topics of which were the creation of a digital twin, 3D printing, the Internet of things and increasing the competitiveness of Russian products.

Note that the term digital twin in Russian-language publications is translated both as “digital twin” and “digital twin”.

The hall could hardly accommodate everyone

Five steps to building a digital enterprise

“Once you create and optimize these processes, you can integrate them, connect your suppliers, and have one holistic approach to building your business. Moreover, it will provide the opportunity to create a digital twin of your enterprise, which will allow you to simulate its operation in order to proactively identify bottlenecks, for example, where surpluses are created or where delays are expected,” said Jean Luca Sacco, director of marketing for Siemens PLM Software in the EMEA region. – This sounds like science fiction, but it is already quite feasible. Just take five steps and a digital twin can help your company.”

The first step, product development, was illustrated by Jean Luca Sacco with a real example of one of the products created by Siemens itself, with maximum reuse of its previous generations and taking into account subsequent verification without creating a physical prototype of all its properties, including heating, cooling and protection against electromagnetic influences . “Our specialty is developing products based on a systematic approach based on an information-rich digital twin of the product, which is stored in the Teamcenter collaboration environment so that all development participants have access to it,” he said.

The second step, the development of production technology, involves modeling not the product itself, but production operations. “Using the Plant Simulation system, we simulate all production operations before creating a workplace in order to anticipate all difficulties in advance. Moreover, this applies not only to one workplace, but to the entire plant as a whole. This will make it possible to optimize material flows, energy consumption and simulate production processes long before the start of investment in building a workshop,” said Jean Luca Sacco and presented an example showing how the model can be used to avoid dangerous curvature of the worker’s spine during assembly.

The third step, preparation and launch of production, involves the use of another digital twin, this time for technical processes and equipment. According to Jean Luca Sacco, Siemens is the only company in the world that can offer an integrated computer engineering system that allows the creation of a complete digital twin, including all disciplines such as mechanics, electrical and software, to test everything before production begins. He emphasized the importance of integrating all components of such a double: “After all, in life everything is interconnected. We design a product, on this basis we develop a process, and the features of the technical process impose requirements for product development.”

The fourth step, production of the product, is also implemented using a digital twin. After all, without it it is impossible to create a real work schedule in order, for example, to determine time losses and optimize production processes. Traditionally this required large quantity paper instructions, which were ineffective and prone to errors, digital modeling makes it possible to create the ideal set of instructions for the production and assembly of a product. Jean Luca Sacco explained that such a solution is comprehensive, it covers all the resources of the enterprise, such as people, materials, equipment, machines, and with the help of a digital twin allows you to manage production. Electronic information transmitted to the operator at that moment. when he needs her. At the workplace, he can use augmented reality technology and better understand what he needs to do with the incoming workpiece and thereby minimize errors during assembly. But even if errors occur, comparing the real product with its digital twin will eliminate them. “This approach removes the walls that have always existed between designers and workers, and thus makes it possible to significantly improve product quality,” said Jean Luca Sacco.

The fifth stage, maintenance, will become more efficient if you use a solution that allows you to collect and analyze the information that the product generates during its operation.

To implement these five steps, Siemens offers a Digital Enterprise Software Suite, including Teamcenter, NX, Tecnomatix and others, which takes into account production chain processes for various industries. According to Jean Luca Sacco, this solution shows the state of the product at all stages - from the initial idea to the consumer's use, all in a single environment. At the same time, at each stage, people use the work of their colleagues, benefiting from the fact that they have data not only about the current stage, but also about all previous and subsequent ones.

Russian realities

Despite all the difficulties, our companies create complex innovative products, solving problems that have not been solved before. As an example, Viktor Bespalov cited several developments. Thus, when creating a new transport aircraft Il-76, a digital model was built and a single information space, covering the parent organization - Design Bureau named after. Ilyushin, and suppliers.

When developing the new KamAZ-5490 tractor, modeling of almost all assembly processes was carried out before the start of production, which corresponds to the Siemens concept, and when creating the new PD-14 engine, which is now being tested, its full digital model was developed, used not only in production, but in technology services.

At the same time, Viktor Bespalov emphasized, Russian enterprises have to solve many problems. Thus, due to the increasing complexity of products, traditional methods of product decomposition cease to work. Therefore, requirements management and compliance with certification standards must be addressed at the earliest stages.

Making changes during development and beyond remains a challenge. The use of digital modeling and various methods calculation, however, the complexity of this task suggests that there is still work to be done. There are resource management issues associated with the interaction between PLM and ERP.

Victor Bespalov: “Despite all the difficulties, the majority of our Russian customers
plans to expand the use of Siemens PLM Software products."

There are also national problems. Our companies operate not only locally, they enter global markets, as it is impossible otherwise. Viktor Bespalov cited data obtained from one Russian aviation holding company and its foreign competitors, which show that our company spends almost twice as much time on fine-tuning production as they do. In his opinion, this is an alarming signal that Western companies are bringing products to market much faster, and Russian manufacturers it is necessary to try to reduce these losses.

To do this, our companies must use technologies that make them competitive. In this regard, Viktor Bespalov believes that it is necessary to carefully consider the choice of technologies: “I categorically disagree with the statements of some Russian developers that have appeared recently in connection with the import substitution policy, which emphasize that Russian PLM systems are 80% meet the requirements of our enterprises. What to do with the remaining 20%? How will our domestic companies be able to compete in such a situation? How to deal with global players who are already equipped with modern technologies?

As an answer to these rhetorical questions, Viktor Bespalov cited the results of a survey of Russian customers, which show. that despite all the difficulties, most of them plan to expand the use of Siemens PLM Software products.

Apparently, the attention that the Russian office pays to customer requirements plays an important role in this. Moreover, today we are no longer talking about the design of drawings, but about functional requirements. At the last conference, taking into account the requirements of the Design Bureau named after them was mentioned. Sukhoi and ASTC named after. Antonov in the NX CAD system.

This work continues for other products, in particular, the integration of the Sinumetrik CNC system and NX CAM has been strengthened to combine the real and virtual worlds, the integration of NX and Fibersim for aviation programs has been improved, the Product Cost Management system has been adapted to Russian cost calculation methodologies, and the Teamcenter and Test systems have been integrated. Lab for end-to-end requirements verification process.

This topic worries Russian users. So Michael Rebruch, NX Development Director, was asked from the audience a question about how you can convey your problems to NX developers and influence development. To which he replied that the company continues to cooperate with customers in Russia, listening to their wishes and taking them into account: “It is important for us to understand how they work, where they experience difficulties, and then we will try to help.” For his part, Viktor Bespalov promised that immediately after the forum he would continue to work with customers to define requirements and create a plan to meet them in future versions of products.

Attention is also paid to the topic of creating a prototype of a standard solution. “PLM is not a cheap technology, so customers are interested in getting value quickly. In this regard, over the past four years, our efforts have been focused on reducing implementation times,” said Viktor Bespalov.

Special pre-configured data models, NX templates to support unified storage systems, templates for change management processes, libraries for standard parts, materials, technological resources, etc. have already been created, a methodology has been developed quick launch into operation. According to Siemens estimates and data from pilot projects, implementation time can be halved due to the fact that almost 80% of the work is covered standard solution, and only 20-30% falls on taking into account the specifics of the customer.

In addition, as part of the implementation of the industrial approach announced several years ago, Siemens is promoting in Russia a set of industry pre-configured Catalyst solutions, which includes best practices and basic processes for various industries, such as shipbuilding, automotive, mechanical engineering, electronics, energy, etc. . According to Victor Bespalov, these solutions make it possible to introduce new solutions into existing processes in such a way as to reduce the gap between advanced technologies and what the enterprise actually uses.

The presentations of Russian customers showed how we implement the listed Siemens technologies. Thus, Vasily Skvorchuk, head of the IT department of Ural Locomotives LLC, said that when launching the new production of Lastochka electric trains, it was decided to create a comprehensive automation system at the enterprise, including Teamcenter, NX CAD/CAM/CAE from Siemens, Russian Belarusian ERP system Omega (Russian-Belarusian) and “1C: Manufacturing Enterprise Management”.

Vasily Skvorchuk: “Now in an integrated corporate system employs about 1,100 people"

Ural Locomotives LLC, a joint venture with Siemens, was created in 2010. “From that moment on, rapid development began at our plant information technologies“, said Vasily Skvorchuk and added that now about 1,100 people work in the integrated corporate system, and management can monitor the progress of work on the manager’s panel, which receives all the basic information. Thanks to this system, all departments have access to a single source of up-to-date information necessary to produce high-quality equipment for Lastochka.

The company plans to use a three-dimensional electronic model of the product for parts processed on a CNC machine. A pilot project has already been carried out.

The transition to an electronic prototype of the product is also underway at the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, which develops and produces Mi-8 helicopters. The plant's IT director, Maxim Lobanov, spoke about two projects to organize a digital process for technological preparation of production based on the original design documentation in the form of an electronic layout.

First, for the new helicopter model, the “End Beam” project was implemented, during which the equipment and the beam itself were created, and then the “Cargo Floor” project, manufactured entirely using paperless technology. As part of this project, the tooling assembly process was refined, which made it possible to increase assembly accuracy and reduce time.

According to Maxim Lobanov, in connection with the transition to paperless technologies, there was a need to integrate the Teamcenter PLM system with the planning system used at the plant, as well as create a modern information system to bring the digital layout to each workplace.

Foreign examples

“Production and service are an interesting combination; to get the maximum effect, you need to bring these elements together. We have about half a million pieces of equipment in service and digitalization is very important here,” explained Matti Leto, Director Product & Engineering Process at Konecranes.

He said the process was first defined, and then the search began for a solution to support those processes so that the systems would continue to function well into the future for many years to come. A list of platforms was compiled, including ERP, CRM, etc., but the company considers the PLM system to be the most important from the point of view of long-term sustainability, since it contains information about products. The choice fell on Teamcenter.

At the moment, some of the systems have been implemented, the rest are being implemented. Meanwhile, Konecranes is moving to the next level of digitalization by using IoT technology to automate equipment maintenance and optimize other processes. For this purpose, a portal has been created for the exchange of information between the company, partners and customers.

The Internet of Things project at Konecranes is off to a successful start. More than 10 thousand pieces of equipment are connected to the network. “The PLM system significantly increases the value of the Internet of Things, because Product data together with equipment monitoring data allows you to quickly make informed decisions,” Matti Leto shared his experience. “We believe that the Internet of Things is a new business model that is the future.”

Digital twin as the basis for future production

“Creating a digital twin for lifecycle management of the entire production system allows enterprises to reach a new level of innovation,” said Robert Meschel, senior director of Siemens PLM Software strategy for Manufacturing Engineering Software, and said that by acting in this direction, the company is developing the areas of manufacturing engineering and digital production. “Several new products we are working on now bridge the gap between design and production,” said Robert Meschel.

In addition, there is an increasing use of robots, which are now much more flexible than before. 3D printing, which until recently was considered only suitable for prototyping, is beginning to be used in real production. As evidence, Robert Meschel cited specific examples from the aerospace, shipbuilding, mechanical engineering and automotive industries that show that this provides radical acceleration: “We are updating our products to provide customers with the opportunity to use this technology.”

Another promising advanced approach is virtual commissioning using an integrated hardware and software package. According to Robert Meschel, all this indicates that the basis of future production will be the simulation of reality, and an important prerequisite for this is a digital twin - a model with a high degree of detail.

It is also important that the use of a digital twin allows you to integrate calculations and full-scale tests, as well as models and data. According to Wouter Dehandschutter, technical director of product, Siemens PLM Software, the challenge here is to make the most of the information created at different stages and link it together, but there are now a number of stages in which engineering information is produced in isolation.

Wouter Dehandschutter: “The use of a digital twin allows the integration of calculations and full-scale testing”

He showed that this problem can be solved using a digital twin, analyzing the product at the earliest stages through virtual testing, controlling the twin and increasing its level of detail and accuracy so that full-scale testing focuses on meeting requirements rather than finding solutions.

As an example, Wouter Dehandschutter cited the Irkut Corporation, which applied this approach when designing the MC-21 aircraft, using the products LMS Imagin.Lab and LMS Amesim to calculate the behavior of the system. At the same time, not only individual parts were modeled, but the overall interaction of systems, which made it possible to check at the design stage how the entire aircraft would behave and, according to Irkut, to reduce the creation of the most complex models by five times compared to the previously used solution.

What's new in NX 11

However, one new product is already available. It's free mobile app Catchbook designed for development. “By drawing a freehand sketch on a tablet, the result of which is converted into geometry, we can add dimensions and control the positioning of the sketches. You can also take a photo using your mobile phone and use this system to explore the possibilities of this project,” explained Michael Rebruch.

Michael Rebruch talks about what's new in NX 11

Coming with NX 11 is a new Converging Model product that allows you to combine precise geometry and edge-based cellular representation in a single model. According to Michael Rebruch, customers who have already met him say he has changed the way work is done, so this model can be used in design, testing and new methods such as 3D printing and hybrid manufacturing.

NX 11 will also include the new Lightworks Iray+ solution, based on Nvidia's Iray technology, which is designed for creating photorealistic images and includes a library of materials and scenes.

Additionally, NX 11 will allow you to scan, load, and interact with massive point clouds just like in the real world to design in the context of your physical environment.

NX 11.01 will feature new technology topology optimization, designed to create surfaces of complex shapes, optimize the shape, weight, materials used, dimensions and topology of structures while maintaining the functioning of the part. This is expected to improve interoperability with additive manufacturing. -->

June 23, 2017 Creating a 3D Digital Twin ( Digital Twin) is included in the list of standard functionality of Winnum® - a platform for the industrial Internet of things. With Winnum®, creating 3D Digital Twins is now as easy as connecting sensors.

“Digital twin” is a computer representation of a specific physical product, group of products, mechanical or technological process, which completely repeats everything that its physical prototype does, starting from movements and kinematics, and ending with the representation of its physical environment and current operating conditions, including the movement of liquid and gas. A digital twin acts as an intermediary between a physical product and important information about it, such as operation or maintenance data. Now, with the help of Winnum, full feedback is realized for any production systems based on collecting data from the real world and transferring this data to the digital world.

What is 3D Digital twin?

A three-dimensional Digital Twin is a computer-generated 3D representation of a specific physical product, group of products, mechanical or technological process, which includes not only three-dimensional geometry, technical characteristics and current operating parameters, but also other important information- environment and operating conditions, technical condition and operating time, interaction with other objects, predictive analytics data, including forecasting failures and failures. A digital twin can be either simplified or very detailed and reflect a wide range of different characteristics of both the product itself and technological and production processes.

The presence of a three-dimensional Digital Twin helps to organize the connection of the product with the objects connected to it, software responsible for product management, monitoring the operating condition and operating process, etc. A 3D Digital Twin is especially valuable when it most accurately reflects the actual state and performance characteristics of its physical counterpart. No matter how accurate, detailed and well-developed the actions are at the stages of design, modeling and pre-production, in real life, as a rule, the processes proceed a little differently and it is the Digital Twin that can act as a bridge to the necessary information about the actual operation of products. This information can be used in different ways, for example, to assess bottlenecks, opportunities for improvement and change, confirm the feasibility of changes, etc. In addition, since the Digital Twin is a three-dimensional object, working with it is much clearer for a person than working with any tables or graphs. A 3D Digital Twin allows you to look inside a real physical object while it is running, without having to stop the equipment or open panels that block access to parts that require inspection.

Winnum's unique functionality allows our customers to create and manage 3D digital twins by combining information from physical objects and real-world processes with information generated by various computer-aided design (CAD) systems. Winnum supports loading 3D CAD models in neutral formats such as STL, VRML and OBJ, with direct loading available for Blender and Collada. The presence of ready-made 3D libraries of robots, equipment, sensors and other geometric objects further speeds up and simplifies the process of creating Digital Twins, even for those companies that cannot boast of having fully digitized products in 3D form.

3D scenes and smart Digital Twins (Smart Digital Twin)

Each Digital Twin corresponds to one specific instance of the product. That is, if a company uses 100 pieces of equipment or produces hundreds of thousands of products, then for each piece of equipment/product there is its own Digital Twin. Unique opportunities Winnum Big Data solutions help you work with so many digital twins to solve everyday problems and ensure high system performance regardless of their number.

3D scenes are used to combine Digital Twins and gain insight into their overall performance and performance, common variances based on their operating environment, etc. Winnum's 3D scenes are not just 3D environments, as is common in CAD systems. 3D scenes in Winnum are the ability to create a full-fledged 3D world with a wide range of tools for working with light sources (including Raytracing, specular views, fog, intensity, transparency), textures (including dynamic textures with video stream), custom cameras and mechanisms for interacting with 3D objects (selecting an object, clicking on an object, transferring a control action).

All actions of a 3D scene and all tools for working with a 3D Digital Twin are available exclusively in the Web browser.

About companySignum

Signum (SIGNUM) is a global provider of solutions for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The company's solutions help transform the processes of creating, operating and maintaining products using Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies. The next-generation Winnum™ platform gives companies the tools they need to collect, analyze and generate additional value from the large volumes of data generated by connected data. computer network controllers, sensors, products and systems.