What is a digital twin?

Digital twins use a set of technologies to overcome the barrier between physical and virtual, where each one is a prerequisite for the next. Data acquisition is the first step, where smart systems or devices gather information in real-time and then transmit to the digital twin. Then comes data integration, which is processing, consolidating and ultimately integrating the data into the digital twin, making sure the twin matches the physical model (object or system). Analytics and simulation come next, with machine learning algorithms and other simulation techniques which enable the digital twin to assess and forecast behaviour, detect anomalies, and stimulate situations for optimisation. Once the digital twin is complete it can perform real-time monitoring and control through a constant monitoring of the physical entity and continue to gather information for an increasingly accurate analysis, identifying issues, implementing preventive measures, and enhancing overall performance. 

Improved efficiency and performance

Thanks to digital twins, organisations benefit from a better understanding of their assets, processes, and systems, benefitting from increased optimisation, preventive maintenance, and performance improvements. Companies can reduce downtime, enhance resource allocation, and improve productivity by detecting inefficiencies.

 

Predictive maintenance

By evaluating real-time data and spotting possible faults before they escalate, digital twins offer predictive maintenance, a proactive strategy that decreases downtime, lowers maintenance costs, and increases asset longevity.

 

Enhanced product development

Digital twins can be used throughout the product-development life cycle to help designers and engineers mimic and test product performance and uncover and optimise design flaws. This iterative method shortens the time to market while improving product quality.

 

Risk mitigation and safety

Organisations can use digital twin technologies and applications to replicate complex systems like industrial facilities or essential infrastructure. This allows them to assess risks and identify potential hazards in a controlled environment, effectively reducing risks, and ultimately promoting a safer workplace by optimising safety procedures.

Increased efficiency, constant improvement, and cost savings are the main benefits of using digital twins, and there are several industries that can apply this technology to their everyday activities.

 

Manufacturing

A digital twin of a manufacturing plant or machine can enhance production processes and anticipate maintenance requirements.

 

Energy-management system

Digital-twin technology can be used in the energy sector to monitor and control power generating, transmission, and distribution networks, letting operators examine real-time data, simulate various situations, and optimise energy use.

 

Health care

Patient monitoring and individualised therapy are the main benefits of using digital twin in the health care industry. Health care professionals can create a virtual model of an individual’s physiology, medical issues, and genetic makeup to simulate treatments, forecast results, and devise personalised interventions.

 

Construction and infrastructure

Construction projects, buildings, and infrastructure systems can all benefit from digital twins, as these virtual models enable stakeholders to plan, develop, and simulate building processes, optimise resource allocation, and anticipate potential concerns before physical execution.

 

Transportation

Digital twins can be helpful in the transportation industry for monitoring logistics, fleet management, and traffic systems. They provide real-time data on vehicle performance, fuel consumption, and route optimisation, which can improve operations, reduce emissions, and enhance safety.

GHD Digital’s tailored Digital Twin solution bridges the virtual and physical worlds across the entire asset life cycle, from creation to retirement, essential assets, and significant infrastructure networks.

Our personalised approach involves identifying and defining crucial business processes to replicate your asset accurately. This level of precision enables you to detect and solve physical problems more efficiently, make more accurate forecasts, improve performance, and ultimately enhance corporate value.

Our approach allows digital twin technology to:

• Address the essential asset-centric business challenges
• Scale from simple assets to complex infrastructure networks as required
• Be deployable across the entire asset life cycle from conception to retirement
• Be in an open standard environment that supports the technology partner ecosystem
• Be deeply informed by experienced, asset-intensive industry professionals

 

To learn more about digital twins and our digital practices, visit our digital page, and to learn more about us and what we do, visit our website and expertise page.

Together, let’s promote sustainability and good digital transformation.

Articles referenced

^{GHD n.d., ‘Digital’, retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://www.ghd.com/en/expertise/digital.aspx}

^{GHD | Asem Sabin July 6, 2021, ‘The journey from building information modelling to digital t’, retrieved June 30, 2023, from Building Information Modelling to Digital Twins | GHD Insights}

^{IBM n.d., ‘What is a digital twin?’ retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://www.ibm.com/topics/what-is-a-digital-twin}

^{TWI n.d., ‘What is digital twin technology and how does it work?’ retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-digital-twin}