The visions of Industry 4.0 come together in the digital twin. The application scenarios in product development and production show that consistent use by plant manufacturers significantly improves planning and coordination with customers. Data exchange with customers, partners and suppliers also improves value creation. But how can digital twins of systems for painting, finishing, assembly or logistics be developed? The degree of complexity and volume of data pose challenges for the usual development tools.

Computer Aided Planning

With the P'X Industry Solution, complex systems can be configured in hall-sized dimensions from a digital construction kit. In the context of 3D building data, collision-free systems can be created on any number of floors, layers or levels. The system components, which can be configured with over 100 parameters and constraints, are placed in the IFC format of Building Information Modeling (BIM) using drag and drop.

Functional units can be linked associatively and checked when changes are made. When planning in one building section, users recognize all effects on other areas. External objects such as machines, packaging machines, carton presses or palletizers can be integrated as required, taking all connections and lines into account.

Digital twins support plant engineering

These digital twins are created with the P'X Industry Solution from product catalogs with reduced CAD models. Product logic and parametrics are mapped in sets of rules that guarantee fast and error-free product variants. The P'X Industry Solution also integrates into existing ERP, PDM and CAD systems. All documents such as parts lists, 3D illustrations, assembly and installation instructions can be individually adapted and automatically output. As a result, the entire process is supported, from recording customer requirements to configuration, pricing and quotation preparation through to installation planning. The digital twins then facilitate after-sales service and the spare parts business.