Apparat - A magazine about the new society. Digital twins of equipment will become a determining factor in choosing a supplier Sex, lies and machine learning

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

What is a "Digital Twin"?

The 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 the framework of 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 modes of operation, identify potential risks, integrate new technologies into existing production lines, and reduce the time and cost of project implementation. In addition, the digital twin helps define security steps.

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

The digital twin can also be seen as e-passport product, which records all data on raw materials, materials, operations performed, tests and laboratory studies. This means that everything from drawings and production technology to maintenance and disposal regulations will be digitized and readable by devices and people. This principle allows you to monitor and guarantee the quality of products, to ensure its effective service.

From drawings to 3D models

A bit of history. People have always needed drawings and diagrams, from the moment of the first inventions - wheels and levers, in order to transmit information to each other about the device of these devices and the rules for their use. At first, these were primitive drawings containing only the most basic information. However, the designs became more complex, and the images and instructions became more detailed. Since then, technologies for visualization, documentation and storage of knowledge about structures and mechanisms have come a long way. Nonetheless for a long time paper remained the main carrier for fixing engineering thought, and the plane remained the working space.

In the second half of the 20th 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 in the development of industrial production and the complexity of engineering developments. Accelerating the processing of voluminous and complex information (for example, a process unit for atmospheric distillation of oil contains more than 30 thousand pieces of equipment) required a change in the work technology of designers, constructors, builders, technologists, operation and maintenance specialists. Evolution technical means designing made another round, 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 also came to 3D.

Modern design systems allow engineers to complete the layout and design of industrial facilities in three-dimensional 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 complete the layout and design of industrial facilities in three-dimensional form, taking into account all the restrictions 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 by using 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. The figure is impressive when you consider that for large-scale industrial equipment, the number of errors that have to be corrected during the design verification 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 project documentation and reduce design time. The constructed information model of the object is also useful at the operational stage. This is a new level of ownership of an industrial facility, where 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 equipment needs to be upgraded after some time, future designers will have access to all relevant information, with a history of repairs and maintenance.

Omsk pilot

Sergey Ovchinnikov, Head of Control Systems Department, 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 marketing unit. The functionality inherent in SUpriD, the potential of the system will allow the block in particular and the company as a whole to become leaders in digital management of engineering data in oil refining. Moreover, this software is an important component of the entire line of related IT systems, which are the foundation of the BLPS Performance Management Center that is currently being created.

In 2014, Gazprom Neft launched a project to create a system for managing the engineering data of 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 terms of creation and reconstruction of oil refineries are reduced, the efficiency and safety of their operation are increased, and the downtime of the process equipment of the plant is reduced. The implementation of a modern engineering data management system on the latest Smart Plant for Owners/Operators (SPO) platform is carried out by specialists from the Department of Control Systems of the Logistics, Processing and Marketing Block, as well as subsidiary"ITSK" and "Automation service".

At the end of last year, a pilot project was successfully completed to deploy the platform functionality and set up business processes for the newly reconstructed primary oil processing unit of the Omsk Oil 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 the work, - said Sergey Shmidt, head of the AT-9 unit at the Omsk Oil 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 SUpriID system is to cover all stages of the life cycle of a technological object. Start with the collection of 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 transferred and loaded into the system. The initial data are: design documentation, information on the functional-technological and construction-assembly structure of the object, intelligent technological schemes. It is this information that forms the basis information model, allowing you to instantly receive address information about construction sites and the technological scheme of the installation, making it possible in a few seconds to find the desired position of technological equipment, instrumentation and control equipment on the technological scheme, to determine its participation in the technological process.

In turn, using the project 3D model of the object loaded into the system, you can visualize it, see the configuration of blocks, the spatial arrangement of equipment, the surroundings of neighboring equipment, measure the distances between various elements of the installation. The formation of an operational information model is being completed by linking as-built documentation and 2D, 3D “as built” models, which provide an opportunity to obtain detailed information about the properties and technical characteristics of any equipment or its elements at the operational 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 Department engineering systems"ITSK", the head of development "SUpriD":

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

For today in Electronic archive"SUPRID" has already uploaded more than 80,000 documents. The system allows you to perform a positional search for up-to-date information about any type of equipment, provide the user with comprehensive information on each item, 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 flow diagram, open scanned copies of documents related to this position: working, executive or operational documentation (passports, acts, drawings, etc.).

Such variability significantly reduces the time spent on access to relevant information and its interpretation, allows you to avoid errors during reconstruction and technical re-equipment facility, replacement of obsolete equipment. "SUPRID" helps to analyze the operation of the plant and its equipment in assessing the efficiency of operation, contributes to the preparation of changes in the technological regulations, the investigation of failures, malfunctions, accidents at the facility, the education and training of maintenance personnel.

"SUpriD" is integrated with other information systems of the BLPS and forms a single information environment for engineering data, which, among other things, will become the basis for the unit's innovative Efficiency Control Center. Interrelation with such programs as KSU NSI (corporate system for managing regulatory and reference information), SAP TORO (maintenance and repair of equipment), SU PSD (design and estimate documentation management system) TrekDoc, Meridium APM, forms a unique integrated automation system processes for managing the production assets of an oil refinery, allowing you 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 normative documents and, as a result, develop a qualitatively new approach to the 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 the working time for searching and processing technical information for any object. When SUpriD is integrated with the systems of regulatory and reference information, maintenance and repair of equipment, design estimates and other relevant engineering data, they 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 maintenance 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 the control over the reconstruction of industrial facilities and improves the quality of repairs.

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

The SUpriID implementation program is designed for the period up to 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 Oil Refinery.

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

Perhaps, anyone who watched films about the terminator or The Matrix wondered when artificial intelligence would become part of our Everyday life, and whether people and robots can coexist in peace and harmony. Such a 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 daily life.

Who are digital twins?

It is a mistake to assume 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 for the most part to industrial production. The concept of “digital twins” first appeared in 2003. The term came into use after the publication of an article by a professor and assistant director of the Control Center life cycle and Innovation at Florida Institute of Technology by Michael Greaves "Digital Twins: Manufacturing Excellence Based on a Virtual Factory Prototype". The concept itself was invented by a NASA engineer who was a colleague of the professor.

1971yes/bigstock.com

At its core, "digital twins" is a concept that combines artificial intelligence, computer training and software with special data to create live digital models. These "digital twins" are constantly updated as physical prototypes change.

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

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

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

1971yes/bigstock.com

As Michael Greaves points out, when digital copies came into use, even the criterion of physical similarity was considered difficult to meet. Today, as soon as the 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 manufacturing processes.

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

1971yes/bigstock.com

Colin J. Parris states that when we talk about "digital twins", this system works in three stages: see, think and do. At the “vision” stage, it is about obtaining data about the situation. This information is of two types: operating data (eg boiling point) and environmental data. The next step, which Colin J. Parris tentatively called “think”, is related to the fact that at this stage the “digital twin” for different queries can provide options 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, forecasts for revenue and expenses, and provides several options that are based on risks and the belief that these proposals will be able to reduce them. The last step - "do" - is directly related to the implementation of what needs to be done.

1971yes/bigstock.com

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

In production, it is no longer necessary for us to see, for example, the entire turbine in front of us in order to detect a hole. The technology of "digital twins" will allow you to see the problem in real time using computer visualization.

According to Zvi Fejer, EVP of Software Development at Siemens, the digital twin is a PLM solution on the path to Industry 4.0.

What kinds 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 the product, their main task is to reduce the cost of maintenance), twin processes ( their purpose may be, for example, to increase the service life), system twins (optimization of the entire system as a whole).

1971yes/bigstock.com

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

And what about the "digital twin" of the person himself?

chagpg / bigstock.com

For those who want to have a terminator friend who would think like you, help in everything, be a brother and friend, we have good news. According to futurist and theoretical technologist John Smith, such a future is already at hand. He believes that so-called software agents will appear in the near future, which will anticipate the wishes and behavior of their real copy in advance and will perform some actions for their human counterpart.

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 shift 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, as they will have a more complete historical context and see the entire modern picture of the world. And even compassion. For example, the “digital twin” will show to us, as it will be able to guess our emotional state.

It all sounds like a utopian movie script. I sense something tricky. What are the disadvantages of "digital twins"?

The disadvantages of "digital twins" are obvious. The first question is about our security. Digital clones will use all possible resources to replenish 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 able to constantly update and improve. Therefore, one of the priorities should be the creation of a legal framework for determining the "limits of permissibility" of artificial intelligence.

chagpg / bigstock.com

However, do not panic about this. Take a cue from John Smith: he remains optimistic and believes that "digital twins" will not be able to replace humanity. They will simply become other versions of a person who can coexist with us in peace.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

From the editor of the site: 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 as “digital twin”.

The hall barely accommodated everyone.

Five steps to building a digital enterprise

Modern technologies are revolutionizing the way products are manufactured. Companies are accelerating their processes, increasing flexibility and efficiency, and improving quality. Siemens believes that it is not enough to focus on only one stage of production for this. It is necessary to take into account the entire chain, from the development of products to their use.

“Once you create and optimize these processes, you can integrate them, connect your suppliers, and get a single holistic approach to building your business. What's more, it will give you the ability to create a digital twin of your business that will allow you to model your business to identify bottlenecks early, such as where surpluses are occurring or where delays are expected,” said Jean Luca Sacco, Director of Marketing for Siemens PLM Software EMEA. - It sounds like a fantasy, but it is already quite feasible. It only takes five steps, and the digital twin can help your company.”

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

The second step is the development of production technology, which implies modeling not the product itself, but production operations. “Using Plant Simulation, we simulate all production operations even before the workplace is created, in order to foresee any difficulties in advance. And this applies not only to one workplace, but to the entire plant as a whole. This will optimize material flows, energy consumption and simulate production processes long before the start of investment in the construction of the workshop,” said Jean Luca Sacco and presented an example showing how a dangerous curvature of the worker’s spine during assembly can be avoided with the help of a model.

The third step, preparation and launch of production, is associated with 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 suite that allows you to create a complete digital twin, including all disciplines, such as mechanical, electrical and software, to test everything before production. He emphasized the importance of integrating all the components of such a twin: “After all, everything in life 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 - the production of the product, is also implemented using a digital twin. Indeed, without it it is impossible to draw up a real work schedule in order, for example, to determine the loss of time and optimize production processes. Traditionally this required a large number paper instructions, which was inefficient and error-prone, and digital modeling makes it possible to create an ideal set of instructions for manufacturing and assembling a product. Jean Luca Sacco explained that such a solution is complex, it covers all the resources of the enterprise, such as people, materials, tooling, machines, and with the help of a digital twin allows you to manage production. The 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 assembly errors. But even if errors do 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 the quality of products,” 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 the Digital Enterprise Software Suite, which includes Teamcenter, NX, Tecnomatix and others, which takes into account the processes of production chains for different industries. According to Jean Luca Sacco, this solution shows the state of the product at all stages - from the initial idea to the consumer, all in a single environment. At the same time, at each stage, people use the achievements 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

Such an advanced approach will also be useful for Russian companies, as they are in the same development trend as the entire global industry. “We have the same problems as everywhere else - an increase in the complexity of products. This is typical not only for aviation and the automotive industry, but for the entire engineering industry,” said Viktor Bespalov, Vice President, General Manager of Siemens PLM Software in Russia 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, big data.”

Despite all the difficulties, our companies create complex innovative products, solving problems that have not been solved before. Victor Bespalov cited several developments as an example. So, when creating a new Il-76 transport aircraft, a digital layout was built and a single information space, covering the parent organization - KB im. Ilyushin, and suppliers.

When developing the new KamAZ-5490 tractor, almost all assembly processes were simulated 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 layout was developed, which is used not only in production, but in technological services.

At the same time, Viktor Bespalov stressed, Russian enterprises have to solve many problems. So, due to the complication of products, traditional methods of product decomposition cease to work. Therefore, at the most early stages it is necessary to deal with requirements management and compliance with certification norms.

Making changes during the development phase 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 related to the interaction between PLM and ERP.

Viktor Bespalov: “Despite all the difficulties, most of our Russian customers
plans to expand the use of Siemens PLM Software products.”

There are also national problems. Our companies work not only locally, they enter global markets, because otherwise it is impossible. Victor Bespalov cited data from a Russian aviation holding company and its foreign competitors, which show that our company spends almost twice as much time fine-tuning production as they do. In his opinion, this is a wake-up call that Western companies are bringing products to market much faster, and Russian manufacturers should try to reduce these losses.

To do this, our companies must use technologies that make them competitive. In this regard, Viktor Bespalov believes that one should be careful about 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, in which they emphasize that Russian PLM systems are 80% meet the requirements of our enterprises. And 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 shows to the requirements of customers 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, the consideration of the requirements of the OKB im. Sukhoi and ASTC im. 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 real and virtual worlds, improved integration of NX and Fibersim for aviation programs, adapted the Product Cost Management system to Russian costing methodologies, integrated Teamcenter and Test.Lab systems for an end-to-end requirements verification process.

This topic worries Russian users. So Michael Rebruch, director of development at NX, was asked from the floor about how you can communicate your concerns to the NX developers and influence development. To which he replied that the company continues to cooperate with customers in Russia, listening to the 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, work with customers would continue on defining requirements and creating a plan to meet them in next versions 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 quick returns. In this regard, over the past four years, our efforts have been focused on reducing the implementation time,” Viktor Bespalov said.

Special pre-configured data models have already been created, NX templates for supporting ESD, templates for change management processes, libraries for standard parts, materials, technological resources, etc., a methodology has been developed quick start into operation. According to Siemens estimates and data from pilot projects, implementation times can be cut in half due to the fact that almost 80% of the work is covered by a standard solution, and only 20-30% is accounted for by taking into account the specifics of the customer.

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

The speeches of Russian customers showed how we implement the listed Siemens technologies. Thus, Vasily Skvorchuk, Head of the IT Department at Ural Locomotives LLC, said that when launching the new production of Lastochka electric trains, it was decided to create an integrated automation system at the enterprise, including Teamcenter, NX CAD / CAM / CAE from Siemens, Russian- Belarusian ERP-system Omega (Russian-Belarusian) and "1C: Production Enterprise Management".

Vasily Skvorchuk: “Now about 1,100 people work in the integrated corporate system”

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

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

The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, which develops and manufactures Mi-8 helicopters, is also switching to an electronic layout of the product. CIO of the plant Maxim Lobanov spoke about two projects to organize a digital process of 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 rigging and the beam itself were created, and then the Cargo Floor project, made entirely using paperless technology. As part of this project, the tooling assembly process was worked out, which made it possible to increase the accuracy of the assembly and reduce the time.

According to Maxim Lobanov, in connection with the transition to paperless technologies, it became necessary to integrate the Teamcenter PLM system with the planning system used at the plant, as well as to create a modern information system to bring the digital layout to every workplace.

Foreign examples

From the point of view of global competition, it is interesting to see how the transition to digital technologies at foreign enterprises. For example, Konecranes, a company that manufactures and services cranes and other lifting equipment, began its journey of harmonizing its approach to digitalization in 2008.

“Manufacturing and service is 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 of Product & Engineering Process at Konecranes.

According to him, first the processes were defined, and then the search began for a solution to ensure these processes in such a way that the systems continue to work in the future for many years. A list of platforms was compiled, including ERP, CRM, etc., but the company considers the PLM system to be the most important in terms 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 streamline other processes. For this purpose, a portal has been created for the exchange of information between the company, partners and customers.

The IoT project at Konecranes has started successfully. More than 10 thousand units of equipment are connected to the network. “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 the new business model that is the future.”

The digital twin as the basis for future production

The ongoing industrial revolution is transforming business, posing difficult challenges for enterprises. Development processes are changing, for example, through the use of crowdsourcing and a systems-oriented approach to design, and in the field of production, changes are taking place through the use of additive manufacturing, modern robotic systems and intelligent automation tools.

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

In addition, robots are increasingly being used, 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 proof, Robert Meschel gave specific examples from the aerospace, shipbuilding, engineering and automotive industries that show that this provides a radical acceleration: "We are updating our products to give customers the opportunity to use this technology."

Another promising advanced approach is virtual commissioning using an integrated appliance. 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 Wuter Dehandshutter, CTO, Siemens PLM Software, the challenge here is to make the most of the information generated at different stages and link it together, but now there are a number of stages in which engineering information is produced in isolation.

Woeter Dehandshutter: "The use of a digital twin allows the integration of calculations and field tests"

He showed that this problem can be solved by using a digital twin, analyzing the product at the earliest stages through virtual tests, managing this twin and increasing its level of detail and accuracy so that field tests can focus on meeting requirements, and not on finding solutions.

As an example, Wuter Dehandshutter cited the Irkut corporation, which applied this approach to the design of the MS-21 aircraft, using the LMS Imagin.Lab and LMS Amesim products to calculate the system behavior. At the same time, not only individual parts were modeled, but the overall interaction of systems, which made it possible even at the design stage to check how the whole 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 concept of the digital twin, Siemens does not forget about its core products. Michael Rebruch, Director of Engineering for NX, Siemens PLM Software, introduced some of the new features coming in August with NX 11 and November with NX 11.01.

However, one novelty 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 to geometry, we can add dimensions and control the positioning of the sketches. It is also possible to take a photo with a mobile phone and use this system to explore the possibilities of this project,” Michael Rebruch explained.

Michael Rebruch talks about what's new in NX 11

Along with NX 11, a new product, Converging Model, will be released, which allows you to combine precise geometry and face-based cellular representation in one model. According to Michael Rebruch, clients who have already met him say he has changed the way he works so that the model can be used in design, testing and new methods such as 3D printing and hybrid manufacturing.

NX 11 will also include Nvidia's new Lightworks Iray+ solution, powered by Nvidia's Iray technology, for rendering photorealistic images and including a library of materials and scenes.

In addition, NX 11 will be able to scan and upload huge point clouds into the system and interact with them just like in the real world to design in the context of the physical environment.

NX 11.01 will feature a new topology optimization technology designed to create complex surfaces, optimizing shape, mass, materials, dimensions, and structural topology while maintaining part functionality. It is expected that this will improve the interaction with additive manufacturing. -->

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 the fact that tens of thousands of people will lose 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 she be?

Sex, lies and machine learning

The digital future begins with the realization that when you interact with a computer, whether it be your own smartphone or a server thousands of miles away, you do it on two levels every time. The first is the desire to immediately get what you need: an answer to a question, a product you want, 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 or manipulate you.

What model of your personality do you want to offer to the computer? What data can be given to him so that he builds this model? These questions need to be kept in mind whenever you interact with a machine learning algorithm - just like when interacting with people.

digital mirror

Think about all your data that is stored in all the computers in the world. These are emails, MS Office documents, texts, tweets, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, web search history, clicks, downloaded files and orders, credit history, taxes, phone and medical records, driving information recorded in the on-board computer of your car , a map of movements registered by your mobile phone, all the pictures you've ever taken, brief appearances on security camera footage.

If the future biographer had access only to this “data exhaust” and nothing else, what picture would he have? Probably pretty accurate.

Imagine that you took all your data and gave it to the real Master Algorithm of the future, which already has knowledge about human life that we can teach it. He will create your model and you can carry it on a flash drive in your pocket. Of course, it will be a great tool for introspection - how to look at yourself in the mirror. But the mirror would be digital and would show not only your appearance, but everything that can be learned by watching you. The mirror could come to life and talk.

Benefits of the digital twin

What would you like to do, what tasks to entrust to your digital soulmate? 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 will look for all sorts of things for you.

Of all the books in the world, she'll recommend a dozen that you'll want to read first, and the advice is so deep that Amazon couldn't even dream of. The same will happen with movies, music, games, clothing, 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 credit card bills, appealing wrong transactions, planning schedules, renewing subscriptions, and filing tax returns. She will select the medicine for you, check with your doctor and order it in the online store.

The model will tell you who you like. And after you get to know each other and like each other, your model will team up with the model of your chosen one and choose restaurants that both of you can 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 half" who runs your orders around the clock. A similar model of personality will appear in everyone, and the models will communicate with each other all the time.

If you are looking for a job and a company has X employees, then its 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 - however, the whole process will take only a fraction of a second.

In the world of the Master Algorithm, "my people will contact yours" will become "my program will contact your program." Each person will have a retinue of bots, designed to make their way around the world easier and more enjoyable. Deals, negotiations, meetings - all this will be organized before you lift a finger.

Your digital soulmate will be like a power steering: life will go where you want it, but with less effort on your part.

This does not mean that you will find yourself in a “filter bubble” and only see what you are guaranteed to like, without any surprises. The digital person will be much smarter, they will be instructed to leave room for chance, let you touch new experiences, look for happy accidents.

As the 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 choose all the most promising to try in reality. It will be like a new, global subconscious, the collective "Id" of humanity, or "It".

Today's world is notable for the fact that theories of mind have begun to appear in computers. So far, these theories are still primitive, but they are developing rapidly, and we will have to work with them no less than with other people to get what we want.

Based on the materials of the book "The Supreme Algorithm"

June 23, 2017 The creation of a 3D Digital Twin is included in the list of standard features of Winnum®, a platform for the Industrial Internet of Things. Now in Winnum® creating 3D Digital Twins is 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. The digital twin acts as an intermediary between the physical product and important information about it, such as operating or maintenance data. Now with the help of Winnum for any production systems, full-fledged feedback is realized based on the collection of data from the real world and the transfer of this data to the digital world.

What is 3D Digital twin?

A 3D Digital Twin is a 3D computer representation of a specific physical product, product group, mechanical or technological process, which includes not only the 3D geometry, specifications 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 failure and failure prediction. A digital twin can be either simplified or very detailed and reflect a wide range of very 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 of the working condition and operation process, etc. The 3D Digital Twin is especially valuable when it most closely represents the actual state and performance of its physical prototype. No matter how precise, detailed and elaborate the actions at the stages of design, simulation and pre-production, in real life, as a rule, processes proceed a little differently and it is the Digital Twin that is able to act as a bridge to the necessary information about the actual operation of products. This information can be used in many ways, for example, to assess bottlenecks, opportunities for improvements and changes, confirm the feasibility of changes, etc. In addition, since the Digital Twin is a three-dimensional object, working with it is much more understandable for a person than working with any tables or graphs. The 3D Digital Twin allows you to look inside a real physical object directly during operation without the need to stop the equipment and open panels that block access to nodes that require verification.

Winnum's unique functionality allows our customers to create and manage 3D digital twins by combining information that comes from physical objects and real processes with information that is created in various computer-aided design (CAD) systems. Winnum supports loading 3D CAD models in neutral formats such as STL, VRML and OBJ, direct download is 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.

3D Scenes and Smart Digital Twins (Smart Digital Twin)

Each Digital Twin corresponds to one specific item. That is, if a company uses 100 pieces of equipment or produces hundreds of thousands of products, then each piece of equipment/product has its own Digital Twin. Winnum's unique Big Data capabilities help you work with so many digital twins to solve everyday tasks and provide high performance systems, regardless of their number.

3D scenes are used to bring the Digital Twins together and get an idea of ​​their overall performance and performance, overall variation based on the operating environment, and more. 3D scenes in Winnum are not just 3D environments, as is customary in computer-aided design systems. 3D scenes in Winnum is 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 the 3D scene and all tools for working with the 3D Digital Twin are available exclusively in the Web browser.

About companySignum

Signum is a global provider of solutions for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The company's solutions help transform the process 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 capture, analyze and generate additional value from the big data generated by their connected computer network controllers, sensors, sensors, products and systems.