Digital twins have established themselves as a key tool in Spanish industrial companies to make processes more efficient, forecast maintenance or improve planning. With technological advancement, these applications are becoming increasingly sophisticated and it is important to know what opportunities this represents for companies and how it is already affecting the digitalization of industrial production.
The digital twin as a model of success
The use of digital twins originated in the automotive industry. In a sector where competition is especially strong and where it is necessary to launch new models with high quality standards on the market within very tight deadlines, this technology has become a competitive advantage. Today, these demands have spread to the entire mechanical engineering industry and the digital twin has become a successful model. In factories, for example, they monitor failure-prone pump valves or ensure the error-free assembly of automobile parts.
Beyond the manufacturing sector, digital twins are making their way into other areas. They help, for example, urban planners to simulate the development of infrastructure in smart cities and allow the performance of power plants to be optimized or even prevent failures before they occur.
From image to assistant: how the digital twin starts to think
Thanks to its increasing functionality and an increasingly wide range of applications, the digital twin is constantly evolving. One of the biggest challenges at the beginning was collecting and processing relevant data for analysis. Today, many companies already have well-defined data strategies and can collect information in a more focused and efficient way. Increasingly powerful analysis models also make it possible to process large volumes of data, analyze complex systems and perform more precise diagnoses. Even hard-to-detect trends, such as subtle changes that develop over long periods, can be identified using advanced algorithms.
Applied to a single machine, this type of technology is already a great help. But if various machines and production stages are connected to each other – even crossing this data with other sources of industrial information – a more complete view of the production ecosystem is obtained. This additional context allows, for example, to identify coincidences within that ecosystem, which leads to more accurate decision making.
Thus, the digital twin is no longer limited to specific tasks, such as the detection of defective parts or parts at risk of failure, and begins to offer trend data throughout the entire production process. In this way, the twin evolves from an operational tool for individual tasks to a strategic partner for intelligent, future-oriented business decisions, with a decisive impact on the company’s competitiveness.
Practical case in Spain
Spanish companies such as Navantia, an international reference in the design and construction of high-tech military and civil ships, have demonstrated that the comprehensive use of digital twins is no longer a dream for the future. This public company has developed an advanced Sustainment Digital Twin system in collaboration with the Spanish Navy and the General Directorate of Armament and Material (DGAM). This digital twin acts as a dynamic virtual replica of the vessel, capable of reflecting its operational status, critical systems and logistical configuration in real time. Through technologies such as Cloud Computing, the Internet of Things (IoT) or Machine Learning, this digital environment allows comprehensive and predictive maintenance management, improving operational efficiency and optimizing the resources available on board.
The digital twin is no longer limited to specific tasks and now offers trend data throughout the entire production process
The operation of the digital twin is based on the constant synchronization between the digital mock-up (the 3D model of the ship), the actual on-board systems and the associated logistics information, thus ensuring that the data is accurate, up-to-date and useful for sustainment operations. This solution not only allows breakdowns or maintenance needs to be anticipated before they affect the ship’s operation, but also serves as a training platform for crews, facilitating training in simulated environments with a high degree of realism. With this, Navantia not only boosts the efficiency and operational availability of ships, but also places Spain at the forefront in the application of digital twins in the naval field.
A twin never comes alone: why no factory will be able to do without them in the future
The future of digital twins is clear: advanced data management systems, machine learning and, of course, artificial intelligence, will give rise to increasingly complex digital twins. They will not be limited to one machine or a few, but will encompass an entire industrial complex or even an entire ecosystem. Especially in sectors that are repeatedly affected by volatile supply chains, a more holistic view will provide clarity and improve decision-making capacity.
Without a doubt, in Spain, a country with a large technological fabric that will have to face increasingly stronger competition, the digital twin will be an essential competitiveness factor.
By Tobias Thelemann, Product Manager for Mechanical Components and Electrical Installation at Reichelt Elektronik
