A New Framework and Methodology for Digital Twin Development

Digital Twins can be defined as virtual copies of physical assets that interact in real time with their physical counterparts. It is rated as one of the most promising technologies in the Industry 4.0 context, but there are still many gaps to be filled for this technology to become effective and viable. This paper proposes a development methodology and a framework for the implementation of manufacturing process’ digital twins. The concept of Unit Manufacturing Process, that is the smaller part of an industrial process that can perform a significant changing of the raw material, and the modularity it brings to build digital twins facilitate the digitalization of an entire manufacturing process. The methodology was created to surpass generalization and scalability problems and can be applied to discrete, continuous and batch processes. Two digital twins of manufacturing processes are being developed to serve as testbeds for the methodology. The digital twin concept can be a very supportive tool to enhance productivity.