Perhaps, anyone who watched the Terminator films or The Matrix wondered when artificial intelligence will become a part of our daily lives, and whether people and robots will be able to coexist in peace and harmony. This future is much closer than you think. Today we will tell you about a technology called “digital twins,” which is already widely used in industry and, perhaps, will soon become part of our everyday life.
Who are digital twins?
It is a mistake to believe 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 mostly to industrial production. The concept of “digital twins” first appeared in 2003. The term came into use after the publication of an article by Michael Greaves, professor and assistant director of the Center for Lifecycle Management and Innovation at the Florida Institute of Technology, “Digital Twins: Manufacturing Excellence Based on a Virtual Prototype Factory.” The concept itself was invented by a NASA engineer who was a colleague of the professor.
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At its core, digital twins are a concept that combines artificial intelligence, computer learning, and data-driven software to create living digital models. These “digital twins” are constantly updated as the physical prototypes change.
Where do digital twins get their data for self-updating?
The digital copy, as befits artificial intelligence, constantly learns and improves itself. To this end, the “digital twin” uses knowledge from people, other similar machines, more large systems and the environment of which it is a part.
Michael Greaves proposed his three requirements that “digital twins” must meet. The first is compliance with the appearance of the original object. You need to understand that similar appearance– this is not only the whole picture, but also the correspondence of individual parts to the real “twin”. The second requirement is related to the behavior of the double during testing. The last and most difficult thing is the information that is received from artificial intelligence about the advantages and disadvantages of a real product.
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As Michael Greaves points out, when digital copies were introduced, even the criterion of superficial similarity was considered difficult to achieve. Today, as soon as a 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 production processes.
According to Colin J. Parris, Ph.D., vice president of software research at GE Global Research Center, digital twins are a hybrid model (both physical and digital) that are created specifically for specific business purposes, e.g. predict failures, reduce maintenance costs, prevent unplanned outages.
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Colin J. Parris states that when we talk about “digital twins”, this system works in three stages: seeing, thinking and doing. The “seeing” stage is about obtaining data about the situation. This information is of two types: operational data (for example, boiling point) and data from environment. Next step, which Colin J. Parris conventionally called “thinking,” is due to the fact that at this stage, the “digital twin” can provide options for various requests 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, revenue and expense forecasts and provides several options that are based on risks and the confidence that these proposals can reduce them. The last step - “doing” - is directly related to the implementation of what needs to be done.
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With the help of “digital twins”, for example, can see from within the problem of a physical object.
In production, we no longer need to see, for example, the entire turbine in front of us in order to detect a hole. Digital twin technology will allow you to see the problem in real time using computer visualization.
According to Zvi Feuer, executive vice president of software development at Siemens, the digital twin is a PLM solution on the path to Industry 4.0.
What types 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 a product, their main goal is to reduce the cost of maintenance), process twins ( their purpose may be, for example, to increase the service life), system twins (optimization of the entire system as a whole).
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According to the high-tech research and consulting agency Gartner, hundreds of millions of “digital twins” will soon replace human labor. Some companies already use this. It is not necessary to have an employee on staff who would diagnose production problems. In real time, with the help of “digital twins”, you can receive all the necessary data and be ready to repair equipment in advance.
What about the “digital twin” of the person himself?
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For those who want to have a Terminator friend who thinks like you, helps in everything, is a brother and a friend, we have good news. According to futurist and technologist John Smith, such a future is already near. He believes that in the near future there will be so-called software agents that will predict in advance the wishes and behavior of their real copy 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 transfer 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, since they will have a more complete historical context and see the modern picture of the world as a whole. And even a feeling of compassion. For example, a “digital twin” will show affection towards us, as it will be able to guess our emotional state.
This all sounds like a utopian movie script. I feel something is wrong. What are the disadvantages of “digital twins”?
The disadvantages of digital twins are obvious. First of all, the question of our safety arises. Digital clones will use all possible resources to supplement 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 capable of constantly updating and improving. Therefore, one of the primary tasks should be the creation of a legal framework for determining the “limits of permissibility” of artificial intelligence.
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However, do not panic about this. Take John Smith as an example: he remains optimistic and believes that “digital twins” will not replace humanity. They will simply become different versions of humans who can peacefully coexist with us.
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More and more enterprises are showing interest in the topic of digitalization of production. The organizers of the regional scientific and technical conference“Digitalization of production processes. Application of industrial software for building digital enterprises,” which took place recently in Samara.
It was initiated by the SMS-Automation group of companies, known as a universal integrator specializing in the creation and support of industrial automation systems, together with the Digital Manufacturing department of Siemens, one of the world's largest concerns in the field of automation and electrical products, with which Samara developers have had more than two decades of fruitful cooperation.
The forum of manufacturers and information system developers was also supported by the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Samara Region. Its specialists have repeatedly noted the successes of the group of companies in the field of industrial automation and the construction of large information systems.
Representatives of industrial enterprises in the Samara region were introduced to the conceptual framework and specific tools for building effective digital production. Industrial automation is only part of digitalization, or digitalization, as it is also called. Digitalization is the automation of processes throughout the entire life cycle of a product, equipment, or enterprise. The project, its functioning, and modernization fit into it.
The report of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SMS-Automation Group of Companies, Andrey Sidorov, “Industrial Software as a Digitalization Tool,” aroused great interest among the conference participants. “We are on the threshold of the intellectualization of control systems,” noted Andrey Sidorov (in the bottom photo). - Now equipment manufacturers in the West are changing their production model. Equipment begins to have a digital twin. Changing business models will mean that a digital twin will be a significant factor when choosing a supplier.”
Digitalization also means testing situations on virtual digital models, which allows you to save enormous amounts of money. Siemens is already at its digitalization site, without waiting for the arrival of a machine for the production of parts, having received it virtual image, connects virtual robots to it and begins debugging technological processes without wasting time.
The topics raised by experts related to the use of specific digital production tools were received with interest by conference participants and raised many questions and discussions. In addition to the reports, the attention of conference guests was attracted by demo stands with practical examples implementation of the principles of digitalization in the reality of process control systems of industrial enterprises in Russia. Special attention at the conference was paid to the issues information security modern automation systems. Acquaintance with current trends in the development of enterprises within the framework of the Industry 4.0 concept, according to experts, can become an additional tool in the process of increasing competitiveness in the era of Industry 4.0.
In Russia today it is difficult to talk about the 4th industrial revolution, but we believe that it is necessary to talk. Among the technological drivers at industrial enterprises in the new generation, industrial Internet of things platforms will appear that implement the concept of a digital twin.
Forrester analysts define a digital twin as the creation of a real physical object in an abstract digital form that acts as an intermediary for any communication with a real device.
According to General Electric, the idea of a digital twin is to go further than just working with digital models. The company says maintenance will also occur in sync with the digital model of the real object through sensor systems and communications.
Analyst agency Gartner predicts that by 2021, half of large industrial companies will use digital twins and as a result, these organizations will receive a 10% increase in operational efficiency.
“Digital twins are driving the business impact of IoT by offering a powerful way to monitor and manage assets and processes,” says Alfonso Velosa, research vice president at Gartner. This especially excites our team, since in the SAYMON project we are very closely involved in automated monitoring and management, including information systems and the Internet of Things. Of course, competition in the market for platforms for IoT management is quite high - literally every major digital corporation today claims to have platforms, but not everyone has managed to make their own developments or acquire a company with ready-made solution. Often a statement of availability is a tribute to decency - there is a technological trend, there is a statement from a corporation.
Today we do not yet work with digital models and drawings - we are open to partners with experience in this field. On this moment We have experience collaborating with a company that creates photo-realistic copies of industrial facilities, and as a result, a separate project VIOTR was born, combining the power of digitized space with the ability to obtain data from real sensors and video cameras, the ability to control switches, relays and dampers in the real world. The VIOTR project today has a focus on educational technologies of the future, but in essence is part of the concept of a digital twin.
This is exactly what our colleagues from Computer Weekly magazine formulate - the new approach involves managing communications between edge devices and internal systems And mirror reflection changes in the virtual model of the device - in other words, a digital twin appears.
Examples show that even such simple operations as controlling door locks can achieve significant operating savings. Dormakaba, which makes smart door locks, has been using control software since 2012 field work ServiceMax enterprise, helping it monitor its installations. Detailed data on the performance of each door helps Dormakaba and its partners manage buildings more efficiently. A recent Vanson Bourne study for ServiceMax found that industrial companies lose $260,000 per hour due to unplanned downtime. Predicting failure using digital twins can help overcome this problem. Digital twin can provide engineers at Dormakaba with the most up-to-date record of every activity or event recorded by door sensors, will record installation of components and firmware updates, and can be used by Dormakaba's service team to determine product lifespan along with detailed description security log which is connected to the door. It is also important to ensure close communication with parts and component suppliers and product life cycle management, ensuring an extremely clear level of control and service. By using digital lock forecasting, Dormakaba expects to reduce the number of customer calls and improve the quality of service. Together with Swisscom, a cloud platform for lock management was created. Partner training is an important element of innovation and business transformation, Dormakaba recognizes.
In a Gartner report Digital Twins Will Impact Economic and Business Models, the analytics firm draws an analogy between the amount of data collection done by companies like Google, Amazon and Netflix and how much data digital twins in industrial firms will create to continuously monitor the performance of equipment connected to control systems.
Analysts warn that this will require even more control of components and software updates, and will require car manufacturers to become software providers. “Asset operators will need to add asset management skills software into their operating divisions as they add smarter assets and also add ownership software and data into support contracts,” analysts warn.
Image from https://www.ge.com/ We thank the editors of the corporate magazine "Siberian Oil" of Gazprom Neft PJSC for providing this material.
What is a Digital Twin?
A 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 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 operating modes, identify potential risks, integrate new technologies into existing production lines, and reduce the time and cost of project implementation. Additionally, the digital twin helps identify security steps.
Modern technologies make it possible to build digital twins of absolutely any production asset, be it an oil refinery or a logistics company. In the future, these technologies will allow remote control of the entire production process in real time. Based on the digital twin, it is possible to combine all systems and models used for planning and managing production activities, which will increase the transparency of processes, the accuracy and speed of decision making.
A digital twin can also be considered as an electronic passport of a product, which records all data on raw materials, materials, operations performed, tests and laboratory tests. This means that all information, from drawings and production technology to maintenance and disposal rules, will be digitized and available for reading by devices and people. This principle allows us to monitor and guarantee the quality of products and ensure their effective service.
From drawings to 3D models
A little history. People have always needed drawings and diagrams, from the moment of the first inventions - the wheel and the lever, in order to transmit information to each other about the design of these devices and the rules for their use. At first these were primitive drawings containing only the simplest information. However, the designs became more complex, and the images and instructions became more detailed. Since then, technologies for visualizing, documenting and storing knowledge about structures and mechanisms have come a long way. Nevertheless for a long time The main medium for recording engineering ideas remained paper, and the working space was a plane.
In the second half of the twentieth 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 of industrial production and the complexity of engineering developments. Accelerating the processing of voluminous and complex information (for example, a technological installation for atmospheric distillation of oil contains more than 30 thousand pieces of equipment) required a change in the work technology of designers, designers, builders, technologists, operation specialists and maintenance. Evolution technical means design took another turn, 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 late 2000s, they came to 3D.
Modern design systems allow engineers to carry out the layout and design of industrial facilities in volumetric 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 layout and design industrial facilities in volumetric form, taking into account all the constraints 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 through the use of such systems it is possible to reduce the number of errors and inconsistencies during design and operation by 2-3 times various installations. This figure is impressive when you consider that for large-scale industrial equipment, the number of errors that must be corrected during the design review 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 design documentation and reduce design time. The constructed information model of the object turns out to be useful at the operational stage. This new level 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, after some time, equipment modernization is required, future designers will have access to all relevant information, with a history of repairs and maintenance.
Omsk pilot
Sergey Ovchinnikov, head of the management systems department at Gazprom Neft:
The development and implementation of an engineering data management system is, without a doubt, an important part innovative development logistics, processing and sales block. The functionality inherent in "SUPRID" and the potential of the system will allow the unit in particular and the company as a whole to become leaders in digital control engineering data in oil refining. Moreover, this software is an important component of the entire line of related IT systems, which represent the foundation of the BLPS Performance Management Center that is currently being created.
In 2014, Gazprom Neft launched a project to create an engineering data management system for 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 time required for the creation and reconstruction of oil refining plants is reduced, the efficiency and safety of their operation is increased, and the downtime of the plant's process equipment is reduced. Implementation modern system Engineering data management on the latest Smart Plant for Owners/Operators (SPO) platform is carried out by specialists from the control systems department of the logistics, processing and sales unit, as well as the subsidiary company ITSK and Avtomatika Service.
At the end of last year, a pilot project was successfully completed to deploy platform functionality and set up business processes for the newly reconstructed primary oil refining unit at the Omsk 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 helper at work,” noted Sergei Shmidt, head of the AT-9 installation at the Omsk Refinery. — The system allows you to quickly access engineering information about any equipment, view its drawing, and clarify technical specifications, localize the location and take measurements on a 3D model that accurately reproduces the actual installation. The use of SUPRID helps, among other things, to train new specialists and trainees.”
How it works?
The task of the SUPRID system is to cover all stages life cycle technological object. Start by collecting 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 transmitted and loaded into the system. The initial data consists of: design documentation, information about the functional, technological and construction and installation structure of the facility, intelligent technological diagrams. It is this information that becomes the basis of the information model, allowing you to instantly receive targeted information about construction projects and the technological diagram of the installation, making it possible in a few seconds to find the desired position of process equipment, instrumentation equipment on the technological diagram, and determine its participation in the technological process.
In turn, using a 3D design model of an object loaded into the system, you can visualize it, see the configuration of blocks, the spatial arrangement of equipment, surroundings with neighboring equipment, and measure the distances between various elements of the installation. The formation of an operational information model is completed by linking as-built documentation and 2D and 3D “as built” models, which provide the opportunity to obtain detailed information about the properties and technical characteristics of any equipment or its elements at the operating 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", head of development "SUPRID":
After many years of evaluating the benefits of the project and preliminary development, the pilot system was implemented in a short time. The implementation of SUPRID allowed the company to obtain a tool for managing engineering data of oil refining facilities. The next global step, which we will gradually approach, is the formation of a digital information model of the oil refinery.
To date, more than 80,000 documents have already been uploaded to the SUPRID electronic archive. The system allows for positional search up-to-date information about any type of equipment, provide the user with comprehensive information on each item, including specifications, 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 technological diagram, open scanned copies of documents related to this position: working, executive or operational documentation (passports, acts, drawings, etc.).
This variability significantly reduces the time spent on accessing up-to-date information and its interpretation, and allows you to avoid mistakes during the reconstruction and technical re-equipment of a facility, and the replacement of obsolete equipment. "SUPRID" helps analyze the operation of the installation and its equipment when assessing the operating efficiency, facilitates the preparation of changes in technological regulations, the investigation of failures, malfunctions, accidents at the facility, the education and training of operating personnel.
“SUPRID” is integrated with other BLPS information systems and forms a unified information environment for engineering data, which, among other things, will become the basis for the innovative Unit Performance Management Center. Interrelation with such programs as KSU NSI (corporate reference information management system), SAP TORO (maintenance and repair of equipment), SU PSD (design and estimate documentation management system) TrackDoc, Meridium APM, forms a unique integrated automation system processes for managing production assets of an oil refinery, allowing 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 regulatory documents, and ultimately develop a qualitatively new approach to 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 working time on searching and processing technical information on any object. When “SUPRID” is integrated with systems for regulatory and reference information, equipment maintenance and repair, design and estimate documentation and others, current engineering data becomes available for prompt and high-quality maintenance of process equipment. The capabilities of the system also make it possible to create a simulator for operation 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 monitoring the progress of reconstruction of industrial facilities and improves the quality of repairs.
It is expected that the investments made in the implementation of SUPRID will pay off in approximately 3-4 years. This will be possible due to a reduction in design time, an earlier transfer of installations from the commissioning stage to industrial operation and, as a result, an increase in the volume of finished products produced. Another significant advantage is the acceleration of the preparation and implementation of maintenance work and the reconstruction and modernization of installations by reducing the time required for refinery operating services to check new design documentation and timely detection of deficiencies and errors in the work of design and construction contractors.
The SUPRID implementation program is designed for the period until 2020. It will be used for “digitization” as existing installations, and during the construction of new facilities. Currently, specialists are preparing to replicate the system at the Moscow Refinery.
Text: Alexander Nikonorov, Alexey Shishmarev,Photo: Yuri Molodkovets, Nikolay Krivich
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