Formula 1 is a $ 3.2-billion hi-tech, exhilaratingly competitive sport, with a race every fortnight, in different parts of the world. An F1 car can cost up to $12 million with over 14,000 individual components and about 300 sensors when a race starts, but up to 600 sensors during testing.

Up to 3GB of data is transmitted during a practice session, with up to 3TB of data during an entire race.

The viewing public sees the same cars — normally two cars, one for each driver — during the season. However, after every race, the cars are disassembled, components are checked and often replaced before the next event. Hundreds of component parts are produced each week for the cars because of continual design upgrades. Testing, shipment and assembly have to be done in days and weeks, not months. Mistakes are not an option.

The technology that supports this is the Digital Twin. It relies on humongous amounts of data from the sensors, so that decision-making by the driver and the engineers — both kerb side and in the factory — can be real-time. After all, a race is won, or lost, by a mere fraction of a second.

Digital twin technology has unlimited applications in space, where decisions have to be taken in real-time in split seconds, with huge cost and reputation implications. Therefore, building virtual replicas of satellites is a significant application.

Virtual replica

Digital twinning is a technological innovation that can revolutionise the manufacturing industry. By creating a virtual replica of physical assets, processes or systems, digital twins can enable businesses to monitor, simulate and optimize real-world scenarios, in real time.

This can then result in enhancing productivity, improving efficiency and enabling predictive maintenance dramatically. With the rise of Industry 4.0, digital twinning will become indispensable.

A digital twin is a virtual model that mirrors a physical entity in real-time. The physical entity could be a machine, a production line, or even an entire factory. The data from the physical entity is collected through sensors, IoT devices, and other data-gathering instruments and then fed into the digital twin, allowing manufacturers to monitor and control operations virtually.

The digital twin continuously updates itself with real-world data, reflecting the exact condition of the physical asset. This ability to observe, simulate and control physical systems, makes digital twins particularly valuable in manufacturing, where efficiency, precision, time and cost-effectiveness are paramount.

The concept of digital twinning can be applied at various levels:

(i) Component Level: Monitoring the health of individual machine parts.

(ii) System Level: Tracking and optimising an entire machine or system.

(iii) Process Level: Simulating and optimizing an entire production process.

One of the critical advantages of digital twins is the ability to predict potential equipment failures before they occur. Predictive maintenance, facilitated by real-time data, reduces unplanned downtime, which can be very costly.

Second, digital twinning can enable manufacturers to simulate and test product designs and production processes without the need for physical prototypes. This reduces the time spent in development and testing, allowing companies to bring products to market much faster.

Third, digital twins can play a critical role in realising the next generation of electric vehicles, which will shape the future of the automobile industry. They will also bring a host of advantages, including autonomous vehicles and smart grid integration.

The digital twin provides real-time data on the car’s performance, including sensor readings and operational conditions.

Fourth, the increasingly critical aspect of supply chain management in an uncertain world can be digitally twinned. By creating a digital duplicate of the entire supply chain, manufacturers can observe the real-time movement of raw materials, component parts and sub-assemblies. This visibility enables processing of customer orders to time and running plants optimally.

Upskilling workers

Fifth, manufacturers can train their workers virtually with simulations in digital twins. In doing so, they can enable workers to skill, upskill or reskill before going hands-on with the actual equipment. This reduces the likelihood of accidents and overall worker productivity, especially on vital and expensive equipment.

Digital twins can therefore be utilised in every aspect of the manufacturing value chain. They can create a platform for greater collaboration across different departments and locations within an organisation. Through digital twins, engineers, designers and operators can collaborate in real-time to address production issues, explore new ideas and implement innovations significantly faster.

The rise of Industry 4.0, which focuses on smart manufacturing through the use of advanced technologies such as AI, IoT and Robotics, is increasingly being adopted in India. Digital twins can form a critical component of this transformation.

Indian manufacturers, particularly OEMs in the automotive, aerospace and defence sectors have begun exploring the use of digital twins to create smarter factories, streamline supply chains and enhance innovation.

The challenges

Despite the immense potential of digital twinning in manufacturing, there are several challenges that need to be addressed for widespread adoption in India. One major challenge is the high upfront cost of implementing digital twin technology, which can be prohibitive, especially for small and medium enterprises.

Additionally, the lack of skilled talent capable for managing and analysing digital twin systems is a significant barrier. Data security and privacy concerns are also key issues, particularly in industries where sensitive information is involved. These challenges will need to be attended to.

However, the future of digital twins in manufacturing in India looks promising to start with and revolutionary, when applied to the entire business process. As technology continues to advance and become more affordable, especially sensors, the adoption of digital twins is expected to grow exponentially.

In India, initiatives like the National Program on Artificial Intelligence and the focus on smart manufacturing under the Make in India campaign are expected to drive further adoption of digital twins in the years ahead. The manufacturing industry would be well advised to gear up and invest for its use, to gain global competitive advantage early.

The writer is Independent Director and Former MD&CEO, Ashok Leyland and JCB India

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