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Better than a Digital Twin, The Need for the Digital Triplet

The Digital Twin is a concept that is being established by the Enterprise CAD software crowd as well as people working in industrial automation. Heard among many a chin-chin with white wine and a smile; the digital twin could refer to just how well this term pairs with a higher “share of stomach” of manufacturer spending. Or it could very well relate to just how well this concept goes down with the Industrie 4.0 crowd along with with a reinheitsgebot beer and dreams of renewed German precision manufacturing hegemony.

The digital twin as a concept refers to the idea that in a digital manufacturing world mass customization coupled with software will mean that each and every single product in a company’s inventory will have a (perhaps) unique file encompassing all of the settings and necessary production information for that one part. A million unique hearing aids will all have accessible trackable digital twins that specify when and how they were created.

One can easily see how as a storage company this would make one salivate. For a manufacturer, as agile Chinese companies nip as one’s Achilles heels a renewed push into integration and complication with a side order of software could be just what staves off the competition and keeps everyone A6’s and A8’s for a while. Integration, software integration and plugging one’s product into the aorta of a firm sound very compelling. Once your process or machine is wrapped around the main artery along with ERP and PLM, they’re never going to rip any of that out. We have cured the patient forever; he need only keep taking our insulin. Forever revenue, annual maintenance fees, and a more high tech product, what’s not to like? What’s more, rather than make a device and sell it once we can write code and sell it lots of times. Perhaps this is a path for our stodgy firm to get a better multiple as well.

For manufacturers afraid of a future that they don’t understand, a vague, fluffy wave of a safety net sounds compelling as well. Track all of the products? Track all parts? Analyze all of the parts. Compliance on everything all of the time. Would you say no? After CRM, PLM, and ERP the digital twin could be the next multi-billion dollar dream of total control through software. For governments, the digital twin represents all of their dreams in one, and it seems like a future surefire innovation subsidy darling. Mittel GmbH, a family firm founded in 1810, the largest manufacturer of specialized hand tools for ski lifts in WestElbe Ostfalen, has implemented the digital twin to produce custom tools more efficiently using digital manufacturing in Germany. Perhaps in this century, European subsidies will produce mountains of code instead of butter.

Perhaps you can feel a slight skepticism on my part towards the digital twin. Just a smidgen maybe. Having worked in software, I’ve never seen it as a refuge for altruists. Historically much of software’s labor-saving potential has seemed to be absorbed by the vendor rather than have been created for the benefit of the client. I do however believe in digital manufacturing, and that 3D printing is quickly becoming a viable mass manufacturing technology for millions of highly detailed end-use parts. For that to happen, something like the digital twin has to exist. I had high hopes for something a bit more elegant, robust and open: a stuff DNA or sDNA where all of a files ingredients, parameters of the design, rights, and attributions are included in all 3D printing files themselves in an open format. I still think that this is a much better idea, but the digital twin with its fluffy enterprise software husk and the meaty, dense interior is a veritable beef wellington of profits compared to the ceviche thin earning potential of adding sDNA to all of the things in a universally accessible and free format.

They will PowerPoint this into our heads, and it will become what we need to want. Assuming then that the digital twin will, therefore, become commonplace I’ve been giving the concept some thought. I believe I’ve come up a much improved (and far more profitable!) addition to the idea. Enter: the Digital Triplet.

During production, each individual part will need one record of its precise making, and this will exist for the life of the product, available for tracking, querying, and analysis. We should keep this virtual sibling for reference, warranty, process optimization, and simulation. But, what could make it even more valuable? If a third sibling were added: a digital version of the product which entails everything that has happened to it throughout its lifetime. By implementing a “separation of concerns” between the recipe of what we thought we made and how the actual thing has been treated and has performed. Through doing this, we can compare what we thought we wanted to make and what we actually obtained. The third sibling would also be editable and expandable by notes from installers, customers, maintenance personnel and can be updated with new information on new replacement parts, telemetry, and IoT as well as other sensor data. Through this way we can after a year compare all of the versions of a product made on a single day with their deployed versions and actually find out how our products are doing in the wild.

By having a digital triplet we can truly have the product, its digital copy and a file of its actual use in the wild as three separate things which can all be analyzed and tracked. Interoperability of environments, systems, software, parts, and people can all be compared and continually updated. A manufacturer can not only see how well its parts have performed but also how well those serviced by Hans did. Manufacturers can track how well products do in certain countries and begin to develop more intelligent hypotheses on product life, maintenance cycles, and real-world performance. Complex systems suffer from concurrent interaction and feedback loops from various real-world forces as well as layers of interacting systems. By logging and tracking all of these in the log triplet, the effects of different firmwares, software updates and versions on part performance and interaction can be gaged.

As more firms adopt iterative versions of product development and more agile engineering methods we will have many more interactions of many different parts upon each other. With 3D printing, especially files, slicing and toolpath generation will have effects on part strength and longevity. With only the digital twin one could tell that a part was made on a particular day with a specific machine. But, you wouldn’t be able to understand what has happened to the part. The digital twin is just the product and its birth but what is its biography? What has happened to it over time? Perhaps if we learn that all of the parts that fail five years later were installed on days which were humid and rainy, then we can begin to understand the effect that life in the real world has had on that particular thing. With the complexities of additive thrown in it is through this process that we can finally begin to understand not just how unique things are made but how they live their lives as products in the real world.

https://www.quora.com/Have-3-D-printer-manufacturers-agreed-upon-a-universally-accepted-programming-language-that-accepts-templates-while-also-permitting-user-friendly-customization/answer/Joris-Peels

Images Creative Commons Attribution: Joel Cooper, Thomas and Phil Dolby.

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Dan Wellers, Digital Futures Lead at SAP “3D Printing will Expand into 4D Printing”

We’re seeing an increased focus by software firms in our teeny tiny industry. Simulation, PLM, CAD, the Digital Twin, Industry 4.0 have some very large and influential firms salivating about that peanut butter and jelly sandwich that is the combination of the digital and manufacturing. If we are to grow digital manufacturing and 3D printing then our soft and hard assets will have to be managed and controlled through software. The more conventionally manufactured parts we replace with 3D printing the more files, settings, and process information will have to be monitored and accessed through software packages. This in part explains Dan Wellers’ interest in 3D printing and enthusiasm around the technology. He leads Digital Futures at SAP Global Marketing where in effect he has to be SAP’s Nostradamus and predict the impacts of technologies such as ours.

What is 4D printing?

Building upon existing 3D printing technology, 4D printing uses dynamic materials that perform differently when they encounter changing conditions such as water, light, heat, or electrical current. These materials—hydrogels, shape memory polymers, carbon fiber, custom textile composites, and more – have properties that enable objects to self-assemble, reshape themselves, or otherwise react to changing events or conditions. It’s called 4D printing because it incorporates what’s often referred to as the fourth dimension: time.

Why is it important?

4D printing can expand what is currently achievable in prototyping, design, manufacturing, and post-production adaptability and usage. Examples include: self-flattening boxes to be used in warehouses and logistics companies; plumbing system pipes capable of changing their diameter in response to flow rate or water demand. 4D printing has opened up entirely new innovations, such as medical implants made of dynamic biomaterials, which are already saving lives.

Because of its self-assembling capability, objects too big to be printed via conventional 3D printers can be compressed for printing and then expand after manufacturing. 4D printing could also be used to eliminate the mundane problem of furniture assembly. In addition, researchers have demonstrated how smart materials used in 4D printing can enable an object to “remember” its shape. That capability could be used to flat-pack a self-assembling shelter that springs into place after a natural disaster, or develop bridges and temporary roads made from materials that expand to heal damage and cracks.

How important will 3D printing be?

3D printing represents the digital transformation of both design and production in the manufacturing industry and will have a profound impact on everything from logistics to extended supply chains to trucking. 3D printing eliminates many of the design and production constraints inherent in traditional manufacturing. Product design can now be optimized for customer need and function, instead of production efficiencies.

Over the last few years, 3D printing has advanced in the way it employs different materials—not only plastic, but also metal, resins, sandstone, wax, and ceramics—increasingly incorporating multiple materials at once. These improvements are paving the way for significant benefits, including cost reductions, streamlined supply chains, faster time to market, increased personalization, optimized resource usage, improved prototyping, and the manufacture of new designs not possible in the past.

Commercial applications continually emerge to power 3D printing of everything from everyday household products to customized medical devices and prosthetics to nearly all the components of a house. 3D printing will expand into 4D printing in the coming years by adding a fourth dimension: time. By using specially engineered materials that perform differently when they encounter changing conditions, 4D printing promises to further shift the shape of manufacturing.

How will people and machines work together in the future?

Artificial intelligence is getting better at solving increasingly complex problems. If we want to retain humanity’s value in an increasingly automated world, we need to start recognizing and nurturing skills that are uniquely human.

To learn more, read “The Human Factor In An AI Future” and “Human Skills for the Digital Future”.

 

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Interview With Valuechain on ERP and MRP for Additive Manufacturing

3D printing is still for many companies something that is divorced from regular business processes. Somewhere in a ventilated room a few printers hum and prototypes are taken out of them every once in a while. Meanwhile, in businesses that use 3D printing for manufacturing, 3D printing software controls, logs and verifies builds is being implemented. In large enterprises, systems integrators and IT departments now have to find a way to tie 3D printing production to internal systems such as ERP and PLM. Early on, I was once sitting next to a nice man on a plane who warned me to never ever get involved with an ERP implementation. Ignoring his advice, a few years later I found out it’s like trying to cram your whole company on an Excel sheet while an external vendor sells you the most expensive thing ever without anyone understanding what it does and how to use it. Its kind of like a super complex corporate Kinder Egg toy but you never manage to assemble it and instead of tossing it you’re stuck with it forever and now only Mary knows how to get more Post Its. I’ve always seen it as either multivitamins for corporations or one of those magnet therapy wristbands for companies. Either once you’re old an wise enough you start doing it because its smart to do so or its a special kind of hokum that some believe in fervently while the majority of people ignore its existence. Somewhere between that experimental department in the office and 3D printing for manufacturing ERP, CRM and all the IT tooling in your firm will meet, however. And its going to suck. Systems integration companies will do well trying to knit together the improvised processes we have with the established ways of managing a company. Being involved in this process and being a player that could extricate firms from this mess would be a good play indeed. More and more grafting 3D printing onto a firm will be a fast growing business. This is why 3DPrint.com reached out to Jim Walters, MD of DNA ltd. to talk about Valuechain a company that purports to have a way to do just that.
What is Valuechain?
“Valuechain Technologies is a global enterprise software business which provides modular ERP solutions for advanced manufacturing sectors, and supply chain intelligence solutions. Focusing on niche processes such as additive manufacturing, Valuechain’s modular ERP integrates CRM, compliance auditing, data capture, advanced reporting, NPI and supplier portals to digital business processes to improve productivity. Valuechain’s supply chain intelligence applications include supply chain performance management, multi-tier supply chain mapping, and supplier / customer portals. Designed by Valuechain’s leadership team, with over 100 years’ experience owning and running advanced manufacturing companies, Valuechain’s solutions are developed in collaboration with our 500+ SME clients and leading manufacturing companies including Airbus, Bentley Motors and Rolls-Royce, to provide scalable solutions for companies of all sizes.”
Do you believe in the Digital Twin concept?
“The ability to visualise products and processes in a virtual environment can reduce waste significantly by accelerating technical problem solving and knowledge transfer through lower risk prototypes and simulated pilots. This compresses new product introduction and enables businesses to engage stakeholders prior to major investments in people, product, plant, processes and systems which not only mitigates risk but also reduces quality non-conformances, costs and drives on-time in full delivery.”
How would I digitize my entire manufacturing process?
“The priority must be to create capacity for change which for many companies is about streamlining data capture and removing waste caused by fragmented systems and processes. It is important to understand current performance measures and prioritise improvement areas with tangible success criteria. Through digital production control, work flow and business intelligence solutions such as Valuechain’s solutions it is then possible to do more with less and operate smarter by providing key personnel with reliable business intelligence to make informed decisions. Too many businesses focus on historic KPIs ie. what happened, rather than focusing on why things are happening and what is likely to happen, it is therefore critical to capture diagnostic analytics to capture risks and lessons learned to embed corporate learning that can underpin AI driven predictive analytics.”
What kind of Additive Manufacturing software do you have?
“We have either a complete end to end MRP solution including our AM TRACE module, which will handle the whole of life production and sub con / post processes operations from estimating through to invoice or alternatively the AM TRACE module is available as a bolt on “app” for existing and legacy MRP ERP or MES solutions. We also currently have two versions of this, AeroDNAam DNAam and new this year is our DNAam Start-Up Program to assist smaller SME companies enter the AM sector.”
For what industries is DNAam meant?
“DNAam was designed for AS9100 Aerospace manufacturing initially but since its launch at Paris Air Show in 2017 with the backing of our first clients and innovation partners AIRBUS and Zenith Tecnica in New Zealand. However not surprisingly the unique and dynamic TRACE solution for materials and consumables associated with the manufacturing process has attracted interest from the Medical Automotive and Heavy industries also such as shipbuilding along with Oil & Gas. That will only continue to grow for us.:
How does this optimize build planning?
“We have 2 levels of capacity planning / scheduling – which can show machine availability + planning control.”
Do you optimize nesting as well?
“DNAam manages the production process for AM parts, and integrates with software for design which may optimise nesting.”
Is this meant only for powder bed fusion operators?
“Initially, DNAam was developed for EBM production, however, over the last year we have expanded its capabilities to work with a variety of technologies, including FDM, Laser, SLS, WAAM, Polyjet… pretty much anything.”
Why is traceability so important?
“Highly regulated sectors such as aerospace and automotive require end-to-end traceability to ensure accountability for compliance throughout the product lifecycle. Additive manufacturing offers significant opportunities to optimise raw material usage but only if unused powders and materials can be recycled. However scaling up traceability for all recycled and blended AM material batches has prior to DNAam has been complex, manual and prone to human error.”
What unique features do you have?
Visual Stock management tool: DNAam’s visual stock location management Drag and drop Gins between locations as they progress along the production process, from Goods In to Powder Storage, to Machining to Blend area. Any time you move a Gin, a record is automatically recorded of who moved what, when, and to where; so you have complete audit traceability.
  • Configurable chemical elements for each material , to store sample results.
  • Graded material control.
  • Detail production data capture forms (iQapture)
  • Visual AM-Trace tool: Two major challenges of implementing AM parts in aviation are traceability of the powder and achieving repeatability in the process to standardise it. The trace tool allows us visualise every build in which a batch of powder has been used by clicking on it. This intuitive tool provides complete traceability which can be used to scale-up AM production, not only in aerospace but in all types of industries.
Why should I buy this?
“DNAam has been innovated in collaboration with some of the world’s leading advanced manufacturing companies such as Airbus, to embed best practice, scalable AM business processes and capture AM business intelligence. As a modular solution DNA.am can work alongside existing ERP solutions for primes and tier 1’s, or as a cost-effective turnkey ERP system from quotation through to invoicing for smaller AM businesses or even start-up AM bureaus.”