Digital Twins For Everything/Everyone

Open source is the magic word that should give impetus tothe digitization of industrial processes from now on: With the founding of the technology associations "Industrial Digital Twin Association", the two associations VDMA and ZVEI together with 18 companies from mechanical engineering and electrical engineering are completing a real mass start towards Industry 4.0. Also present is s/he,s/ SCHUNK, a specialist in gripping systems and clamping technology, whichhas already gained extensive expertisein generating digital images of its components. aufbauen konnte. The aim of the association isto bring together the parallel developmentaroundindustrial digitaltwins and to develop them furtheras an open source solution. zuentwickeln.

For several years, SCHUNK has been pushing the digitization of engineeringto simplify the conception, construction and commissioning of automated systems. Inconventional engineering, mechanics, electrics and software programming sequentially depend on each other, the world of digital simulation combines all three disciplines in one interface and thus creates the possibility to parallelize all activities. This results in speed, reduces complexity and communication problems, increases flexibility and saves costs, also because possible errors are detected and eliminated at an early stage. Changes can be applied within the shortest possible time and checked for feasibility. Affordablefollow-up projects can thus be realized much faster than was previously possible.

24Vprogram for highspeedassembly alreadyfully digitized
Digital twins from SCHUNK components are now available in a wide range of software solutions. As part of an OEM partnership with Siemens PLM Software, the competence leader for gripping systems and clamping technology also offers an attractive entry-level package, the Mechatronics Concept Designer™, which includes a library of Digital twins as well as entry-level training and individual support for use. For six months, designers, programmers and project planners can test the simulation software free of charge in the full version. SCHUNK has already created its 24V mechatronics program for high-performance assembly entirely as a library of Digital twins. The complete gripping system program will now follow successively. Digitalization also creates ideal conditions for simulations, collision considerations and shop floor management in tool management. For this reason, SCHUNK makes the data of the tool holder series TENDO, TRIBOS and SINO available as a digital twin in accordance with the standards.

Open source strategy has a broad scope
"While the solutions available on the market have primarily enabled access to digital twin technology exclusively within individual ecosystems, the Digital Twin for Industry 4.0 is now established as an international standard," explains Timo Gessmann, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at SCHUNK. "The new user organisation and the associated operationoffers a great opportunity for the digitalisation of the industry to accelerate significantlyin the coming years, as both the availability of digital components and investment security in new technologiesincrease." The two associations VDMA and ZVEI as well as Asentics, Bosch Rexroth, Danfoss, Endress+Hauser, Festo, Homag, KUKA, Lenze, Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact, SAP, Schneider Electric, SCHUNK, Siemens, Turck, Volkswagen and Wittenstein are involved in the network.