Proposing a Small-Scale Digital Twin Implementation Framework for Manufacturing from a Systems Perspective

Due to the fourth industrial revolution, manufacturing companies are looking to implement digital twins in their factories to be more competitive. However, the implementation of digital twins in manufacturing systems is a complex task. Factories need a framework that can guide them in the development of digital twins. Hence, this article proposes a small-scale digital twin implementation framework for manufacturing systems. To build this framework, the authors gathered several concepts from the literature and designed a digital twin subsystem model using a model-based systems engineering (MBSE) approach and the systems engineering “Vee” model. The systems modelling defines the digital twin components, functionalities, and structure. The authors distribute most of these concepts throughout the framework configuration and some concepts next to this general configuration. This configuration presents three spaces: physical, virtual, and information. The physical space presents a physical layer and a perception layer. The information space has a single layer called middleware. Finally, the virtual space presents two layers: application and model. In addition to these layers, this framework includes other concepts such as digital thread, data, ontology, and enabling technologies. This framework could help researchers and practitioners to learn more about digital twins and apply it to different domains