The term digital twin is particularly at home in the fields of Industry and Factory 4.0, digitalisation and the Internet of Things. A digital twin is a virtual copy of a real object, process or system. This digital version replicates the original exactly and is supplied with up-to-date data so that it reflects the status of the original at all times.
A digital twin helps companies to make processes more transparent, monitor them and optimise them. For example, a manufacturer can equip a machine in the factory with many sensors. The measured data is sent to a computer, which uses it to create a digital twin of this machine. This allows technicians to see on screen how the machine is running and recognise potential problems at an early stage - without having to be on site. Repairs or maintenance can thus be planned efficiently and downtime avoided.
By utilising digital twins, companies can save costs, reduce sources of error and increase product quality. The digital twin is an important building block for the smart, networked production of the future.
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