Development of a 5G-enabled Digital Twin of a Machine Tool

Abstract

The new cellular network standard 5G meets the networking requirements for many industrial use cases due to the advantages of low latency, high bandwidth, and high device density while providing a very good quality of service. These capabilities enable the wireless realization of digital twins (DT), a key element of cyber-physical production systems. A requirement of DT is the bidirectional exchange of information between the digital and the physical world. 5G is the only technology that enables wireless, highly scalable, and flexible realization of even safety- and latency-critical connections (e.g., between a machine tool and its motion control unit). In this paper, a 5G enabled DT of a machine tool for machine control and simulation is developed and implemented. A bidirectional control of the physical machine tool and the DT is realized by offloading the machine control unit to an edge server via 5G. The simulation instances are also offloaded to the edge server and obtain the required information from the control system. In addition, this paper outlines the components for implementing a 5G-enabled DT and aims to discuss the benefits, disadvantages, and potentials of the 5G-enabled DT.