With a multitude of sensors and other networked devices, the Internet of Things is generating gigantic amounts of data that hold considerable potential. It could provide valuable insights into construction and maintenance and pave the way for new business models. However, without the appropriate context, all this data is pretty worthless. From the document with the initial ideas to the parts list for production - the crucial clue to problems, but also potential for improvement, can be hidden in every link of the chain. The approach of Industry 4.0 - networking across all phases of the life cycle - is therefore not being implemented in practice. In fact, it is often completely impossible to recognize important connections in good time. A product innovation platform can help to establish the context around IoT data.

Many machines already provide parameters on their respective operating status. However, this information can only be used meaningfully if the context is known. This includes the development history of the machine, but also its individual configuration. The question of why a sensor issues an error message or a parameter is outside the norm can therefore be answered in a much more targeted manner. The problem is that the necessary information is available separately and is therefore not available for in-depth analyses.

The problems caused by systems working in isolation from one another can be solved by the digital twin in combination with the digital thread. The digital twin is a digital twin of the actual product. Ideally, you could take this virtual image of the actual machine apart and find exactly the same components there as are installed in the original. This digital twin is created in contract manufacturing for every unit produced.

The Digital Thread can be used to trace the reasons for using or replacing a particular component and why this particular part was designed in this way. Each configuration of a component must be recorded in the Digital Thread and synchronized with the Digital Twin. If this process is run through cleanly with the help of the PLM system, the user receives a comprehensive view of the design as a whole, right down to the smallest screw installed.

Alternative to data chaos

To be able to create a digital twin and a digital thread, companies need to have their IT systems under control. This includes the design software and all other solutions. Users work at different levels with software that serves very different purposes, but should have access to the same database. In practice, however, there are many media discontinuities, meaning that valuable information is not transferred from system to system at each stage and is therefore lost. As a result, it is extremely time-consuming to reconstruct a context based on the available data that reflects reality.

The solution to this dilemma is a product innovation platform such as the one offered by Aras. Across all phases of the product lifecycle, disciplines, locations and process chains, these platforms enable a continuous view of all relevant data for a product. By displaying a digital twin and digital thread for each individual component produced, the context is revealed and the entire history of a product can be traced at a glance.

Such a PLM system enables more efficient processes in the product life cycle, lower error rates and therefore faster development, design and manufacturing processes overall. At the same time, time-to-market is shortened and there are fewer rejects in production. With a flexible PLM system that maps the digital thread and the digital twin, the promise of Industry 4.0 can be fulfilled. am