Digital Twin - an element that has been sorely missing! There is a better way. Identifying ways to increase the efficiency of engineering and technological design processes What is a “Digital Twin”
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
Modern technologies are revolutionizing approaches to the production of products. Companies are speeding up their processes, increasing flexibility and efficiency, and improving quality. Siemens believes that to achieve this, it is not enough to focus on just one stage of production. The entire chain must be taken into account, from product development to use.“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 a lot of paper instructions, which was inefficient and error-prone, but digital modeling makes it possible to create the perfect 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 is 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
This advanced approach will also be useful for Russian companies, since they are in the same development trend as the entire global industry. “We have the same problems as everywhere else - the increasing complexity of products. This is typical not only for aviation and the automotive industry, but for the entire mechanical engineering industry,” said Viktor Bespalov, vice president, general manager of Siemens PLM Software in the Russian Federation and the CIS. “In addition, new business models are emerging related to the spread of advanced technologies, such as the Internet of Things, additive manufacturing, human-machine interfaces, and big data.”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 the new Il-76 transport aircraft, a digital model was built and a unified information space was implemented, covering the parent organization - the 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 calculation methods helps here, 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 indicating that Western companies are bringing products to market much faster, and Russian manufacturers need 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 for supporting unified storage systems, templates for change management processes, libraries for standard parts, materials, technological resources, etc. have already been created, and a methodology for quick commissioning has been developed. 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 by a standard solution, and only 20-30% is taken 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: “Currently about 1,100 people work in the integrated corporate system”
Ural Locomotives LLC, a joint venture with Siemens, was created in 2010. “From that moment, the rapid development of information technology began at our plant,” said Vasily Skvorchuk and added that about 1,100 people now 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 a digital layout to each workplace.
Foreign examples
From a global competitive perspective, it is interesting to see how the transition to digital technologies is developing in foreign enterprises. For example, Konecranes, which manufactures and services cranes and other lifting equipment, began a journey to harmonize its approach to digitalization in 2008.“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
The industrial revolution currently taking place is transforming business and posing difficult challenges for enterprises. Development processes are changing, for example through the use of crowdsourcing and systems-based design, and in manufacturing, changes are taking place through the use of additive manufacturing, advanced robotics systems and intelligent automation.“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, reduce the creation of the most complex models by five times compared to the previously used solution.
What's new in NX 11
While promoting the digital twin concept, Siemens does not forget about its core products. Michael Rebruch, Director of NX Development, Siemens PLM Software, presented some of the new features that will appear in August with NX 11, and in November with NX 11.01.However, one new product is already available. This is a free Catchbook mobile app 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 topology optimization technology designed to create complex surface shapes, optimizing shape, weight, materials, dimensions and design topology while maintaining part functionality. This is expected to improve interoperability with additive manufacturing. -->
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 an individual facility and within an entire production asset in the form of 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, paper remained the main medium for recording engineering ideas, and a plane remained the working space.
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 carry out the layout and design of industrial facilities in volumetric form, taking into account all the restrictions and requirements of the production process, as well as industrial safety requirements
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 in the design and operation of various installations by 2-3 times. 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 complete 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. The implementation of a modern engineering data management system on the latest Smart Plant for Owners/Operators (SPO) platform is being carried out by specialists from the management 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 the current state of the facility.
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 of the 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 on any type of equipment, providing the user with comprehensive information on each item, including technical characteristics, 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 joint use 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 on any object. When “SUPRID” is integrated with systems for regulatory and reference information, equipment maintenance and repair, design and estimate documentation and others, current engineering data becomes 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
There is a better way. Identification of ways to improve the efficiency of engineering and technological design processes
Aaron Frenkel, Jan Larssen
Manufacturing a product is undoubtedly the most important part of all life cycle processes. At this stage, ideas turn into reality. Moreover, without coordinated design and manufacturing processes to ensure successful assembly of the product on the shop floor, ideas will remain just beautiful drawings or will not be fully realized. For many years, the methods of designing and developing technological processes remained unchanged, maintaining all the traditional shortcomings that lead to increased costs and deadlines. Considering that today innovation has become vital for the survival of machine-building enterprises, Siemens PLM Software analyzed pre-production processes in order to identify ways to further optimize them. In this article, Aaron Frankel, Senior Director of Marketing for Mechanical Engineering Solutions, and Jan Larsson, Senior Director of Marketing for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Siemens PLM Software, discuss what sources of inefficiency need to be eliminate to introduce the concept of a “digital twin of a product” and how this will affect the way products are manufactured.
A beautiful symphony
If you find yourself in a modern enterprise, you will see an amazing symphony of labor of people, robots and machines, the movement of materials and parts - and all this is done with precision to the second in order to stay on schedule. The picture turns out simply fantastic.
But behind the scenes we will see outdated processes of design and technological preparation of production. We are not going to criticize anyone. Developing a product design is no small achievement in itself. Designing can be a very challenging task. In some cases, a product consists of millions of parts, and thousands of employees and partners work on its creation, often around the world. Moreover, in critical industries such as electronics (faster processors, miniaturization), automotive (sustainability and emissions reduction) and aerospace (sustainability and introduction of composite materials), there is a constant desire to optimize and accelerate the creation of new technologies. products. Taking into account the high complexity of the problems being solved, the reluctance to deviate from practice-tested pre-production processes is quite understandable. However, our customers report common problems in product design and manufacturing, which in some cases lead to costly delays.
Common problems
One of the biggest challenges we see is that designers and technologists use different systems. In practice, this leads to the fact that designers transfer their designs to technologists who try to create technological processes in the computer systems to which they are accustomed. In this scenario - and it occurs very often - information desynchronizes, which makes it difficult to control the situation. In addition, the likelihood of errors increases.
Problems regularly arise during the development of workshop layouts. The reason for this is that floor plans are usually created in the form of two-dimensional floor plans and paper drawings. This is a long and labor-intensive process. 2D drawings are an important part of the process, but they don't have the flexibility you need. It often happens that the rearrangement of equipment in a workshop is not recorded on the drawing. The problem is especially acute when operating in rapidly changing markets (such as consumer electronics), which require continuous expansion and modernization of production systems. Why? Because two-dimensional layouts lack intelligence and associativity. They prevent technologists from knowing what exactly is happening on the shop floor and making smart decisions quickly.
After creating the layout, a technological route is developed. As a rule, it then goes through a control stage. Here lies another significant obstacle to increased efficiency. Technologists usually have to wait until the equipment is installed to evaluate the performance of the equipment. Moreover, if the characteristics turn out to be lower than expected, then it may be too late to develop an alternative technology. Our experience is that this situation results in significant delays.
Finally, customers report two additional problems occurring late in the pre-production cycle. This is an assessment of the performance of individual operations and the entire technological process as a whole.
Due to the high complexity of modern manufacturing and the frequent lack of coordination between different process design systems, identifying which specific operations or production areas are causing delays across a line can be challenging. And when it comes to the actual manufacturing of the product, customers report that it is usually extremely difficult to evaluate the performance and degree to which actual processes correspond to planned ones. Once again, the problem lies in the high complexity, as well as the lack of feedback between production, designers and technologists.
Digital twin
A digital twin is a virtual copy of a real object that behaves in the same way as the real object. Without getting into the technical details of our products here, suffice it to say that our Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools provide a complete digital platform. It supports the use of digital twins that accurately model end-to-end product design and manufacturing processes.
What does all this mean in practice? Let's take a look at the above steps again and show the main capabilities provided by the new approach.
Construction
NX (and other CAD systems) creates a model of the product and transfers it to Teamcenter in 3D JT format. In a matter of seconds, the application creates thousands of different virtual versions of the product that exactly match the real product. At the same time, to identify potential problems, big data processing technologies, design and technological information (PMI) contained in models (tolerances, fits, connections between parts and assemblies), as well as a basic description of the technological process are used. This approach has already been tested in practice when creating electronic products manufactured by our company. For example, we were able to immediately determine that the screw holes on the video output connector did not line up exactly with the screw holes on the PCB. If the error had gone undetected, it would have resulted in warranty claims from customers: the connector could have become separated from the PCB. Identifying design errors at an early stage saves significant time and money, both during technology development and during production.
Process design
The digital twin allows you to improve the collaboration of designers and technologists, optimize the choice of location and manufacturing technology, as well as the allocation of the necessary resources. Let's look at an example of making changes to the build process. Using our software, process engineers add new operations to a working 3D process model based on the new design specification. You can simulate any production system while being anywhere in the world: say, technologists in Paris are preparing production at a factory in Rio. Having time information for each added operation, technologists check whether the new process route meets the specified performance indicators. If this is not the case, then the technological operations are replaced or rearranged. Numerical simulations are then performed again until the selected process route satisfies the requirements. The new workflow is immediately available to all developers for approval. If any problems are identified, designers and technologists work together to eliminate them.
Workshop layouts
When working on layouts, we recommend creating a digital twin containing mechanical equipment, automation systems and resources, clearly connected with the entire “ecosystem” of design and technological pre-production. Using a set of PLM tools, process steps can be swapped using drag and drop. It is just as easy to place equipment and personnel on a production line and simulate its operation. This is a very simple, but at the same time extremely effective way to create and edit technological processes. When design changes are made that require the use of a new industrial robot, numerical simulation specialists check, for example, whether it is possible to install a robot of this size without hitting the conveyor. The workshop layout developer makes the necessary amendments and prepares a notice of changes, on the basis of which the purchasing department purchases new equipment. This analysis of the consequences of changes makes it possible to avoid errors and, if necessary, immediately notify suppliers.
Control of technological design solutions
During the inspection phase, the digital twin is used to virtually verify the assembly process. Virtual simulation and quantitative analysis can evaluate all the factors associated with manual labor in assembly and identify problems such as awkward worker posture. This makes it possible to avoid fatigue and work-related injuries. Based on the simulation results, training videos and instructions are created.
Performance optimization
The digital twin is used for statistical modeling and evaluation of the designed technological system. It makes it easy to determine whether manual labor, robots, or a combination of robots and workers should be used. Numerical simulations of all processes can be carried out, right down to the energy consumption of an individual machine, in order to optimize the technology as much as possible. The analysis shows how many parts are produced in each operation. This ensures that the performance of the actual production line will match the target.
and real worlds. This allows you to compare the design project with the actually manufactured one.
product. The figure shows how big data technologies are applied
to collect current information on product quality, which is transmitted for analysis
into a digital twin stored in Teamcenter
Manufacturing of the product
The digital twin provides feedback between the real and virtual world, which allows optimization of product manufacturing processes. Technological instructions are transmitted directly to the workshop, where equipment operators receive them along with videos. Operators provide manufacturing data to designers (such as whether there is a gap between two screws holding a panel in place), and other automated systems collect performance data. Then a comparison is made between the design design and the actual manufactured product, and deviations are identified and eliminated.
New approaches to work
The use of a digital twin, which is an exact copy of a real product, helps to quickly identify potential problems, speeds up production preparation and reduces costs. In addition, the presence of a digital twin guarantees the possibility of manufacturing a product designed by the designers; all technological processes are maintained in an up-to-date and synchronized state; the developed technologies turn out to be operational, and production functions exactly as planned. The digital twin allows you to test how new technologies can be integrated into existing production lines. This eliminates the risks arising during the purchase and installation of equipment.
Mechanical engineering is one of the most advanced branches of global industry, where proven, but outdated approaches to technological preparation of production have long been used. It's time to bring a spirit of innovation that opens the door to success in product development and manufacturing. It's time to try something new!
One of the promising ideas of tomorrow, affecting any production, is digital asset modeling: creating virtual copies of real objects that look and function exactly the same as their prototypes. At Gazprom Neft, “digital twins” are closely involved in the company’s processing plants, and much of this innovative technology has already been implemented
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, paper remained the main medium for recording engineering ideas, and a plane remained the working space.
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 end of the 2000s, they came to 3D.
Modern design systems allow engineers to carry out the layout and design of industrial facilities in volumetric form, taking into account all the restrictions and requirements of the production process, as well as industrial safety requirements
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 in the design and operation of various installations by 2–3 times. 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 complete 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 Control 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. The implementation of a modern engineering data management system on the latest Smart Plant for Owners/Operators (SPO) platform is being carried out by specialists from the management systems department of the logistics, processing and sales unit, as well as the subsidiary company ITSK and Avtomatika Service.
Through the use of automated design systems that create 3D models of objects, it is possible to reduce the number of errors and inconsistencies in the design and operation of various installations by 2–3 times.
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 installation 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 accurately 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, reflecting the current state of the facility.
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 of the 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 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 on any type of equipment, providing the user with comprehensive information on each item, including technical characteristics, 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.).
More than 80,000 documents have already been uploaded to the SUPRID electronic archive. The system allows you to carry out a positional search for up-to-date information about any type of equipment and provide the user with comprehensive information on each position.
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 joint use 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 on any object. When “SUPRID” is integrated with systems for regulatory and reference information, equipment maintenance and repair, design and estimate documentation and others, current engineering data becomes 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 implementation of reconstruction and modernization of installations by reducing the time it takes 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.
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 an individual facility and within an entire production asset in the form of 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.
More recently, German Gref, President of Sberbank, said that in 5 years artificial intelligence will replace many people: 80% of decisions will be made by machines, and this will lead to tens of thousands of people losing their jobs.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence expert Pedro Domingos goes even further: he suggests that people will acquire a computer psychological model of their personality. What will it be like?
Sex, lies and machine learning
The digital future begins with an awareness of the fact that when you interact with a computer - be it your own smartphone or a server thousands of kilometers away - you do so on two levels every time. The first is the desire to immediately get what you need: an answer to a question, a desired product, a new credit card. At the second level, strategic and most important, you tell the computer about yourself.
The more you teach him, the better he will serve you or manipulate you.
What model of your personality do you want to present to a computer? What data can be given to him so that he can build this model? These are questions to keep in mind whenever you interact with a machine learning algorithm, just as you would when interacting with people.
Digital mirror
Think about all your data that is stored in all the computers in the world. These include emails, MS Office documents, texts, tweets, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, internet search history, clicks, downloads and orders, credit history, taxes, phone and medical records, driving information recorded in your car's on-board computer , a map of movements recorded by your mobile phone, every photograph you've ever taken, brief appearances in security camera footage.
If a would-be biographer had access only to this data dump and nothing else, what picture would he or she emerge? Probably pretty accurate.
Imagine that you took all your data and gave it to the real Supreme Algorithm of the future, which already has knowledge about human life that we can teach it. It will create your model and you can carry it on a flash drive in your pocket. Of course, this will be an excellent tool for self-analysis - like looking at yourself in the mirror. But the mirror would be digital and would show not only your appearance, but also everything that can be learned by watching you. The mirror could come to life and talk.
The benefits of a digital twin
What would you like to do, what tasks to entrust to your digital half? Probably the first thing you would want from your model is to instruct her to negotiate with the world on your behalf: release her into cyberspace so that she looks for all sorts of things for you.
Of all the books in the world, she'll recommend the top ten you'll want to read first, and the advice will be so deep that Amazon never dreamed of it. The same thing will happen with movies, music, games, clothes, electronics, whatever. Of course, your refrigerator will always be full. The model will filter your email, voicemail, Facebook news, and Twitter updates, and when appropriate, respond for you.
It takes care of all the annoying little things of modern life, like checking your credit card accounts, appealing bad transactions, planning your schedule, renewing your subscriptions, and filing your taxes. She will select a medicine for you, check with your doctor and order it from the online store.
The model will tell you who you like. And after you get to know and like each other, your model will team up with your chosen one and choose restaurants that you both might like. And this is where it gets really interesting.
Model Society
In the very fast-approaching future, you will not be the only person with a “digital soulmate” who does your bidding around the clock. Everyone will have a similar personality model, and the models will communicate with each other all the time.
If you are looking for a job and company X is looking for employees, then their model will interview yours. Their “conversation” will in many ways resemble a real, “live” one - your model will be well instructed, for example, it will not give out negative information about you - but the whole process will only take a split second.
In the world of the Supreme Algorithm, “my people will contact your people” will become “my program will contact your program.” Each person will have a retinue of bots, designed to make his path around the world easier and more enjoyable. Deals, negotiations, meetings - all this will be organized before you have time to lift a finger.
Your digital soulmate will be like power steering: life will go where you want it to go, but with less effort on your part.
This does not mean that you will find yourself in a “filter bubble” and begin to see only what you are guaranteed to like, without any surprises. The digital personality will be much smarter, she will have instructions to leave room for chance, let you come into contact with new experiences, look for happy accidents.
As models improve, the interaction will become more and more similar to what would happen in the real world, but it will happen in silico and a million times faster. The cyberspace of tomorrow will turn into a very vast parallel world, which will select all the most promising things to try in reality. It will be like a new, global subconscious, the collective “Id” of humanity, or “It”.
Today's world is remarkable in that theories of mind have begun to appear in computers. While these theories are still primitive, they are evolving rapidly, and we will have to work with them as much as with other people to get what we want.
Based on materials from the book “The Supreme Algorithm”