A Digital Twin for SMEs in the context of Industry 5.0

Abstract

The deployment of Digital Twins in the age of Industry 5.0 is shifting towards a more flexible, efficient, sustainable and human-centric approach; providing ample opportunities for the manufacturing field. Having said that, Digital Twins may prove time-consuming, infrastructure-demanding, and potentially overwhelming for hefty data acquisition within simultaneous. This is particularly possible if the manufacturing company in context is a Small-Medium Enterprise (SME). SMEs contribute around 85% of new vacancies in the European Union; yet are still siloed from exploiting the full potential of Industry 4.0 technologies, due to financial hurdles and a potential absence of guidance or awareness. This research work therefore contributes an exemplary digital twin targeted towards the needs of manufacturing SMEs in the light of Industry 5.0, allowing for real-time data retrieval from a UR collaborative robot, a 3D printer and a corresponding MQTT broker. Real-time visualization of parameters such as temperatures, voltages, errors and progress will thus assist SMEs towards adopting an optimal sustainable approach. This paper will therefore outline the methodology behind the development of the digital twin, which can then be modified to incorporate human factors and a more human-centered viewpoint.