A look at the Digital Twin concept as applied to Industrial
Automation

Todd A. SnideSchneider Electric
October 10, 2018

Abstract
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) isbecoming a reality.
The Digital Twin will be a significant step
forward for Automation Systems.
Ghosts in the machine!
The general structure and some features forevery twin will need to be similar.
The applications of the Digital Twin in anAutomation System are numerous.

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2018 Industry Conference & 19th Annual Meeting
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2Introduction•The origin of the concept– Cyber-Physical Systems••Dr. Helen Gill, National Science Foundation“an integration of computation with physical processes wherethe system is the intersection of the physical and the cyber”

Industrie 4.0 Communications

Administration Shell•

Manifest
Virtual Representation
Technical Functionality

Documentation

Component
ManagerAsset•
Function
In•

Functionout

Global/country initiatives aredriving the concept of DigitalTwins.
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Not entirely a newconcept
Industrial
Automation Agents
have been around along time2018 Industry Conference & 19th Annual Meeting
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3Basic Concept•There are many different definitions•“a digital twin is a dynamic digital
representation of an industrial asset, thatenables companies to better understandand predict the performance of theirmachines and find new revenue streams,
and change the way their business
operates”•“the expectation for twins is to be able to
do functional tests on twins in an offline
system and verify prerequisite on systemmanagement before propagating the twin
into the real environment, and how tomanage transition phase with the quality
management”

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•Common elements:

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– Digital (cyber) representation– Attached to a physical device• Reflects the state– Contains performance aspects
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Why Digital Twins Matter•

This is NOT “happy engineering”•

Industry Analysts agree Digital Twins area significant technology– Gartner:

DigitalTwin• top 10 strategic technology for 2018
• 50% adoption by 2021

– Deliotte:• 38% growth annually to $16B by 2023
• But needs careful installation– ARC and GE:• Top 5 key technology trend for 2018
• A major impact on Process and Discrete
Automation in 2018Technical Track© 2018 ODVA, Inc.

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5Functional Elements• We are not designing a Digital Twin here•

The Digital Twin is an exact
operational duplicate of the device– Upon the discretion of the user•••

The Digital Twin knows more about
the device than device knows about
itselfConfiguration can be done offline oronline through the twin
The Digital Twin could only exist
offline– An independent element for
simulation and verification
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2018 Industry Conference & 19th Annual Meeting
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– Critical information about the device
can be linked or contained in the twin
• BOM, material composition, damaging
conditions, usage history including
environmental conditions, etc.

– The twin can inform the operator of
improper conditions for the device of
which the device is not and/or cannot
be awarewww.odva.org

6

Functional Elements• Still not designing a Digital Twin••

The Digital Twin can be available tothe system even when the device isnot available

The Digital Twin can be a single
entry point for communicating withthe device– All information about the physicaldevice is available to the systemthrough the twin•

There is no need to develop new
configuration standards– Established standards such as FDTor FDI or others can be used
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– The system talks to the twin andthe twin updates the device
depending on the level of trust•

The configuration mechanism shouldbe the same when used for online oroffline configuration2018 Industry Conference & 19th Annual Meeting
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Functional Elements•

Market analyst, Deliotte, warns us about usage of Digital Twins in simplesystems, do not let Digital Twin technology make any system overly complex•“Systemness” (Dr. P. Martin) matters. The Digital Twin must be able to madeup of other Digital Twins.
– Every device should have a Digital Twin
– Every Digital Twin should be able to connect to other Digital Twins to form twins ofAssets– Asset Digital Twins should connect together to form systems– Systems should connect together to form larger systems, i.e. Systems of Systems– This should all happen seamlesslyTechnical Track© 2018 ODVA, Inc.

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www.odva.org8Digital Twins in Automation Systems• How Twins work inside the Automation System•

The Digital Twin is the primaryresource for interaction– The systems talks to the twin••The location of the Digital Twin canbe anywhere it is practical to beplaced

The system must operate even if
the twin is not available (offline)– Regardless of the reason, thesystem must be robust enough tooperate without the twin
– Even in a degraded manner (fewerservices)
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2018 Industry Conference & 19th Annual Meeting
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––––

In an external cloud
An on-premise cloud
Cloud attached to the network (“Fog”)
The “real-time” speed of the network
will affect the location of the DigitalTwin

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9Digital Twins in Automation Systems•

There must be a means for mass
online configuration of the Digital
Twins– In a system where there are 100’sor even 1000’s of devices andtwins, manual configuration notpractical– An O&G refinery for example will
have 1000’s of device/twin setsover a large area. Automation ofconfiguration/reconfiguration will beneededTechnical Track© 2018 ODVA, Inc.

•The Digital Twin can translate
between the vernacular of the controlsystem and the vernacular of thedevice2018 Industry Conference & 19th Annual Meeting
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– A device that has capabilities needed
for the control functionality but not
the communication protocols can be
bridged by the twin where the twin
speaks the language of the systemand the different language of thedevice.
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10Digital Twin Support in CIP• Changes in CIP will be needed to support Digital Twins•

Redundant Owner for I/O will be
important for:•Multicast feature of EtherNet/IP will
be needed and may need refinement– Using multiple twins for the sameasset– Redundancy or failover purposeswith twins– In Safety applications– A twin and its associated device
may use it for synchronization

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– Again using multiple twins for thesame asset– Also redundancy and/or failure– Possibly safety– Multiple twins for the sameapplication– To enable the device to continue
operation without its twin

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Digital Twin Support in CIP•

New Objects and Assemblies– Association objects to tie twins todevices– Normalizing attributes such asconfiguring features that are in thetwin but not in the device– Hierarchical objects that tie systemof twins into a single twin

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•xDS (EDS replacement concept)
inclusion

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– Basis for configuration of the twin
– Keep the twin current/up to date
– An authentication tool for the twin

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Digital Twin Support in CIP•

Definition of common Ontologies
and Semantics (the language andvocabulary of the system)– Needed for communication of
between twins and for driving
analytics– New objects and attributes forthese purposes

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•Energy and Power Objects updates– Support the Digital Twins as the main
services provider for a system– Energy and Power management will
happen through the Digital Twins•

FWD/Open changes will be needed2018 Industry Conference & 19th Annual Meeting
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– With the close relationship between
the twin and the device– Sent to the twin only? Or the twin andthe device?

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13Benefits of Digital Twins• What Digital Twins bring to Automation Systems• Market Analysts are expecting:•– Greater operational efficiency• More profitable operation– Increased and new services• leading to greater revenue– Simplification ofcommissioning/recommissioning• Truly reconfigurable
manufacturing

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Simulation as a Service– Actual versus Expected– Actual versus Predicted– Accurate system change
prediction– Accurate long term operationanalysis• (not bounded by time)www.odva.org

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Benefits of Digital Twins• What Digital Twins bring to Automation Systems•

Commissioning as a Service•

Training as a Service– Iterative pre-commissioning service– Pre-commissioning process training• Based around the control function• Choose the assets see how they fit
before committing• Complete the commissioning
process before commissioning• Know the operation before it is built– Ongoing operational training– New hire training• One cannot hurt cyberspace (?)– Reconfigurable Manufacturing• Significant changes to process canbe tested with known impact andknown execution

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2018 Industry Conference & 19th Annual Meeting
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Benefits of Digital Twins• What Digital Twins bring to Automation Systems•CapEx Reduction•OpEx Reduction– The customer will understand what
she or he is buying with confidence– Expansion/reconfiguration will be aknown cost
• Making planning easier, more
confident––––

Improved maintenance with lower cost
Better trained personnel
True predictive maintenanceGreater up time, longer sustained
production cycles– The profits achieved from CapEx
can be easily measured• The customer will know when thesystem has paid for itself

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Benefits of Digital Twins• Digital Twins bring the FUN back to Automation Systems• Bring the fun back toAutomation• Make automation attractive
to the Millennial Generation– It is more digitally connected– New facet to automation– Ties the skillset of Millennials
to real automation systems
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2018 Industry Conference & 19th Annual Meeting
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Conclusion• Digital Twins are the future• When not if, those without lose
• CapEx/OpEx gains are theselling points• We are all in this together• Standardization is a must• I am not a “Mad Scientist”• Or perhaps, we are all “MadScientists”
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2018 Industry Conference & 19th Annual Meeting
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THANK YOU