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I/O Magazine > October 2020

MASTERCLASS

DIGITAL TWINS:

IMPROVED TWIN

SYSTEM GENERATES

OPPORTUNITIES

By Rianne Lindhout

The Internet­of­Things is umbrella term for many different changes in the process. It can help

about far more than just things. However, these all work to realise a new error-free system
based on static knowledge such as
faster, but also monitor and adjust
smart coffee machines or natural laws, chemistry and thermo- a running process.
dynamics. They also assume ideal
thermostats. Networks of conditions and normal behaviour, Jayawardhana gives an example:
sensors, for example, are whereas the reality is often ‘Philips places shaving heads on
shavers. The steel these are made
different.’
vital for enabling so­called of is sometimes a bit thinner or
digital twins to simulate Jayawardhana leads the thicker, depending on the supplier.
Previously, an operator had to keep
Perspectief programme DIGITAL
the real world far more TWIN (Integration of Data-drIven on making adjustments to the
machine during the start-up of the
and model-based enGIneering in
accurately. What are these fuTure industriAL Technology With production line. Soon there will be
rapidly emerging digital value chaIn optimizatioN). Within a digital twin that will receive infor-
mation from each supplier about
this programme, six universities,
twins and which scientific eleven companies and TNO are the steel thickness and will then
integrating various forms of models propose the correct adjustment to
questions do they elicit? to ensure that they are able to learn the machine at the right moment.
from data. Through this approach, Ultimately, such a twin could
For a long time, industry has used digital twins will be able to describe even make the adjustments itself.
digital models to predict how to the reality even better still. The digital twin is then not only a
best adjust the parameters in a simulator, but is also capable of
complex system. These models are communicating with the system.’
called digital twins. ‘Such a model New style: an
can assume a wide range of forms, Another example comes from
varying from a 3D drawing to a adaptive controller the steel producer Tata Steel. In a
mathematical model,’ explains gigantic, white-hot reactor, iron ore,
Bayu Jayawardhana, Professor The ideal is a digital twin that limestone and coke are mixed to
of Mechatronics and Control of contributes ideas because it produce the liquid pig iron for the
Nonlinear Systems at the University measures changes in variables and production of steel. How can you
of Groningen. ‘Digital twin is an can ultimately make independent make this process as cheap and

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