FMU-supported simulation for CPS Digital Twin

Abstract

Manufacturing companies are experiencing the fourth industrial revolution characterised by the introduction of new technologies into production equipment, such as the Cyber Physical Systems and the Digital Twin simulations. Companies are then challenged by the digitization of products and production systems information, which leads to new potentials for digital continuity – i.e. information available and continuously updated for the decision makers – along the lifecycles. A semantic data model, that structures and stores physical and operational data from the field, can support the digital continuity to be used in production system simulations in a Digital Twin paradigm. This work proposes to model specific aspects and behaviours of the production system separately from the core simulation, in order to flexibly decide whether to activate the replica of the specific behaviours only when needed. The modules interact with the main simulation run through standard interfaces, allowing an easy reusability of the single modules also in different simulation environments.