Shaping the digital twin for design and production engineering

Abstract

The digitalization of manufacturing fuels the application of sophisticated virtual product models, which are referred to as digital twins, throughout all stages of product realization. Particularly, more realistic virtual models of manufactured products are essential to bridge the gap between design and manufacturing and to mirror the real and virtual worlds. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive reference model based on the concept of Skin Model Shapes, which serves as a digital twin of the physical product in design and manufacturing. In this regard, model conceptualization, representation, and implementation as well as applications along the product life-cycle are addressed.