Emulation and Digital Twin Framework for The Validation of Material Handling Equipment in Warehouse Environments

With modern warehouses becoming more automated, there is a growing opportunity to test and validate material handling concepts throughout the project life cycle. Emulation and digital twin pose a capability for material handling system validation from the ideation stage through post-implementation. An emulation model is a virtual replica of a physical system, and digital twin is a transformation of an emulation model via connection to a virtual or physical controller. They can test factors such as design mechanics and layouts, calculate throughput, test controls logic, and perform product flow analysis. Evaluation of these factors can provide a relatively accurate metric for system performance and lead to a more comprehensive return on investment (ROI) analysis. This paper discusses how incorporation of emulation and digital twin into all stages of the project life cycle of material handling systems can improve system efficiency and prevent live system commissioning risk.