3EALITY is our innovation hub for Spatial Computing and Digital Twin technologies. The hub facilitates an ecosystem of companies and individuals by offering workspace, organizing events, and matching supply with demand.
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Digital twins in manufacturing: 5 takeaways from the latest 3EALITY Session
On September 15, Berend Steenhuisen and Kay Peeters from Nobleo Manufacturing joined 3EALITY for a session on the use of digital twins and simulation in manufacturing.
Digital twins can help manufacturers make better decisions, but only when they are built around the right use case. With many different definitions of what a digital twin actually is, Berend and Kay shared their approach and showed how digital twins and simulation can be applied to real manufacturing challenges.
Here are five key takeaways from the session.
The use case drives digital twin design
Start with the question you want to answer. Whether it is production planning, exploring a business case, or supporting investment decisions determines what your digital twin needs to model.
Rather than starting with the technology or trying to create the most detailed possible representation, the use case should determine what the digital twin needs to do.
A digital twin does not need to model every detail
Digital twins can operate at different levels, covering individual components, assets, or complete systems. The right level of detail depends on the use case: the goal is to model what matters for the question you want to answer.
This means that a useful digital twin does not necessarily need to reproduce every detail of the physical system. What matters is choosing the appropriate level of abstraction for its intended purpose.
Validate that your digital twin predicts reality well
Differences between the model and reality can help identify underlying issues and improve systems and processes. Periodic updates are essential to prevent drift and follow changes in the physical system.
Validation is therefore not just something that happens when the digital twin is first created. Keeping the digital and physical systems aligned is an ongoing process.
Validate that your digital twin predicts reality well
Differences between the model and reality can help identify underlying issues and improve systems and processes. Periodic updates are essential to prevent drift and follow changes in the physical system.
Validation is therefore not just something that happens when the digital twin is first created. Keeping the digital and physical systems aligned is an ongoing process.
A good digital twin takes real effort to build
High-quality data and domain knowledge are essential, alongside integration into existing processes, stakeholder buy-in, system infrastructure, and a feedback loop.
Together, these elements determine whether a digital twin can become a useful part of decision-making rather than remain a standalone model.
One digital twin can serve multiple purposes
A digital twin can help answer operational, tactical, and strategic questions, ranging from production sequencing to years of investment planning.
Visualization and reusable tooling can multiply its value by making results actionable for stakeholders and allowing the same underlying model to support different questions.
Putting the theory into practice with FLUFFY
The theory was also put into practice during the session. Participants worked in small groups with FLUFFY, the LEGO-built Flexible aUtomated Future FactorY by Nobleo and Fontys Technology, to find the sequence of six cars with the lowest makespan.
With only six cars, manual planning was already complex, and none of the teams found the optimal solution. In a real factory, that complexity quickly increases, making simulation and digital twins valuable tools for production planning.
Nobleo also presented a real-world case in which a digital twin is used for production planning, exploring business cases and evaluating phantom part investments.
Upcoming events in 3EALITY
A big thank you to Berend Steenhuisen and Kay Peeters from Nobleo Manufacturing for sharing their expertise, and to everyone who joined us at 3EALITY.
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