DT4CPS

The digital twin, a virtual clone of a physical system, is seen as a key disruptive technology in the industry of the future. It is seen as a tool for steering Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS) and twin should theoretically allow for improved commissioning, predictive maintenance and optimisation of the Production 4.0 system. Currently, the automation engineer uses simulation models of operating parts in a relatively empirical way for virtual commissioning and the implementation of different test scenarios in order to verify/correct the control part and thus save time during the real commissioning. Manufacturing engineers, for their part, use digital models for flow simulation, to evaluate decision-making scenarios (sequencing of operations, reconfiguration, impact of hazards, etc.). These simulation models are currently limited to testing the control system (once it has been completed) and to sizing and reconfiguring the installations, and are only used to a limited extent during the operating phase of the SCPP. The DT4CPS (Digital Twins for Cyber-Physical Systems) project aims to federate and enrich the simulation models used by automation and manufacturing engineers in the design phase, to make a digital twin. By ensuring coherence with the physical system throughout the life cycle (operation and improvement in particular), this digital twin should make it possible to improve the commissioning of SCPPs, such as reconfigurable manufacturing systems, and become a decision-making tool during the operation phase. To achieve this, the DT4CPS project aims to remove several scientific (command and control of SCPPs), methodological (what methods and tools for  automaticians/manufacturing engineers/operators 4.0?), technical (interoperability of information systems) and human barriers.