Digital Twin Infrastructure: Hybrid and Future-Proof Technology

Sustainable and resistant Data Management with Eclipse BaSyx.

OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL TWIN INFRASTRUCTURE

The Digital Twin Infrastructure (DTI) offers an innovative solution that enables the consolidation of proprietary product data from various sources into a standardized digital twin. These digital twins provide a foundation for versatile applications, allowing companies to access digital information globally, develop innovative business models and build robust value networks.

A central feature of the DTI is its dynamic approach: digital twins are created only when they are specifically requested. This avoids duplicate data storage and ensures that users always have access to up-to-date information.

IMPACT OF EU REGULATION (EU) 2024/1781 ON DIGITAL TWIN MANAGEMENT

The introduction of the new regulation (EU) 2024/1781, which establishes a framework for setting eco-design requirements for sustainable products (ESPR), imposes new demands on the management of digital product data. In particular, the introduction of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) requires that the associated information be archived in the digital twin for several years. This archiving requirement presents a particular challenge for ,digital asset management designed especially for dynamic data processing

To meet these requirements, the DTI is already pursuing a hybrid approach:

• Dynamic Data Management: Maintaining the dynamic nature of the DTI at its core
• Persistent Digital Twins: Expanding the infrastructure to allow access to persistent digital twins

This hybrid approach is crucial for digital twin technology in the industry, where both real-time data and long-term data retention are essential.

IMPLEMENTATION WITH BaSyx COMPONENTS

To address this challenge, an application based on BaSyx components was developed. Eclipse BaSyx, an open-source platform that supports the development and use of digital twins in the context of Industry 4.0, provides a solid base for implementing these solutions. By integrating BaSyx components into the DTI, digital asset management is improved as the data can be efficiently archived and retrieved when needed.

Through the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) interface of the DTI core, users have direct access to current data. The digital twins are created at the time of the query using the latest information from the company’s internal systems (e.g., ERP, MES, production databases, …). If access to historical data is required, it can be retrieved from the archive. BaSyx provides discovery and registry services that enable the identification of archived data for any asset based on the asset ID. A DTI application manages the archiving processes, ensuring secure and efficient data management.

BENEFITS OF THE HYBRID APPROACH IN DTI

This hybrid approach combines the best of both worlds:

• Flexibility and Timeliness: The dynamic digital twin generation ensures the flexibility and timeliness of data.
• Reliability and Durability: Persistent storage ensures the reliability and durability of data.

This approach not only ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, such as the Digital Product Passport, but also lays the foundation for future digital business models and innovative applications. By combining dynamic and persistent data storage, the DTI offers a flexible and scalable infrastructure that adapts to the ever-changing demands of the industry while fully leveraging the benefits of digitalization and supporting broader digital transformation initiatives.

CONCLUSION

The DTI’s hybrid approach to digital twin management combines the flexibility of dynamic digital twin generation with the durability of persistent storage. This solution not only meets regulatory demands like the Digital Product Passport but also supports the development of future digital business models, providing a scalable infrastructure for the evolving industry.

To learn more about Digital Twin Infrastructure, visit our page: Digital Twin Infrastructure.