The Digital Twin
Your Gateway to Industry 4.0
The Digital Twin is attributed with seemingly limitless potential. It is expected to optimise production, enhance efficiency across the value stream, enable entirely new digital business models, and facilitate simple, efficient, and cost-effective interoperability through cross-company data utilisation. Indeed, the connection between the physical and digital world provides the technological foundation and framework needed to turn these promises into reality.
The Digital Twin offers just that. It makes its physical counterpart available in a digital format, connects it with other objects or processes, and allows for digital access to information or conditions instead of physical access.
This creates utilisation opportunities across the entire product lifecycle: from planning and design to production, commissioning, operational use, and finally decommissioning and recycling. To achieve all this, a sophisticated model and the use of internationally accepted standards are essential.
Do you have questions about the Digital Twin? We’re happy to help!
Use Cases
A Universe full of Opportunities
The Digital Twin enables a wide range of applications to solve problems, optimise processes, or create added value. With our expertise, we can support you in the following example use cases:
With the increasing digitisation and connectivity of Industry 4.0, the demand for immediate access to comprehensive and up-to-date information about machinery and equipment is growing. Traditional physical nameplates can no longer accommodate this breadth of information. The need for digital solutions is on the rise.
The digital nameplate enhances the information density of traditional nameplates, making them multilingual and globally accessible while allowing for continuous updates. Accessed via a QR code, it provides a gateway to data and documents related to the physical asset. This simplifies information transfer and streamlines numerous processes, making them more efficient.
Increasing demands for sustainability and regulatory requirements such as the European Ecodesign Directive and the Supply Chain Act are pushing companies to make their product information more transparent and accessible. Customers and regulatory authorities are seeking detailed information about materials, origins, production details, and recycling options.
A Digital Product Passport based on a Digital Twin addresses this issue. It serves as a source of information that integrates all lifecycle data and makes it available digitally. This enables comprehensive product monitoring and optimisation, as well as data-driven decision-making. Furthermore, the Digital Twin approach allows for the interconnection of products, making it possible to identify and represent product dependencies and relationships.
Read more about the Digital Product Passport (German).
Download the free e-paper "The Digital Product Passport - Key to the Circular Economy (German)" now and take the first step towards a more sustainable and transparent future!
Looking at process manufacturing, companies are increasingly faced with the challenge of modernising their technical documentation processes. Standards such as guideline VDI 2770 provide a unified structure for the organisation and provision of manufacturing information to meet the growing demands for digital documentation.
The solution is the Digital Twin based on the Asset Administration Shell (AAS). This enables seamless, standardized integration according to VDI 2770 regulations, simplifies Document Handover, improves efficiency, and ensures compliance with legal requirements.
Read more about Document Handover according to guideline VDI 2770 (German).
Are you a manufacturer, plant operator, or system integrator in process manufacturing? Use the benefits of standardized technical documentation in accordance with guideline VDI 2770 with our comprehensive checklist (German) for implementation in your organisation! Our step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire implementation process—from the basics and adaptation of internal processes to integration into your IT infrastructure.
Looking at process manufacturing and discrete manufacturing, companies are under pressure to maximize the availability and efficiency of their products, machines, and equipment while simultaneously reducing maintenance costs. Additionally, the complexity of products and product relationships is increasing, necessitating greater expertise in maintenance and easily accessible maintenance documentation.
The use of digital twins and data-driven approaches offers the opportunity to optimise maintenance strategies. Providing up-to-date or even interactive maintenance documents directly at the machine further reduces the complexity of maintenance operations.
Looking at process manufacturing and discrete manufacturing, the commissioning of new products is becoming increasingly complex. Time pressure and high costs associated with installation and commissioning drive companies to seek more efficient methods. The use of Digital Twins offers many possibilities in this regard. Through virtual commissioning, digital simulations, and automatic parameterization of composites and products, this process is significantly simplified.
The Digital Twin can greatly streamline the commissioning process by enabling tests and simulations before physical installation. This reduces errors and adjustments on-site and accelerates the entire process. Additionally, composites (the compound of e. g. mechanical, electrical, and thermal information) provide a detailed and structured view of the physical object, helping to identify problems and errors before the actual commissioning takes place.
We find your Use Cases
These are just a few examples of how you can leverage the Digital Twin. Additional use cases include, but are not limited to, calculating the Product Carbon Footprint, Predictive Maintenance of your equipment, implementing the Battery Passport, managing Replacements and Successor Products, and handling Firmware Updates. With these and many other versatile possible applications, the Digital Twin supports you in making your processes more efficient and sustainable.
Schedule a meeting with our TOPIC OWNER Digital Twin Christian Günther to review your digital strategy and identify potential use cases together.
Our Approach
The Potential of the Asset Administration Shell (AAS)
Digital Twins can be created in various ways. However, not all deliver the desired results. Technological approaches often fall short, leaving project participants feeling disillusioned and frustrated.
A holistic approach is needed, one that starts with the specific use cases a company aims to achieve with a Digital Twin.
The Asset Administration Shell from the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA) provides exactly this. The metamodel created by this powerful alliance, implemented within a suitable infrastructure like twinsphere, offers users a foundation to implement use cases and integrate the Digital Twin into their processes and IT/OT landscape.
Our Value Proposition
The Digital Twin starts here - and we bring it to life
With our services combined with the twinsphere suite - the platform for Digital Twins - we support you in identifying relevant use cases and making them a reality. Leveraging our expertise, particularly in component manufacturing and mechanical engineering, along with insights from active Digital Twin projects and knowledge from industry associations, we bring your Digital Twins to life: From the first idea through implementation and operation - across the entire value stream.
We have developed a three-phase procedure model that provides all the necessary expertise: Think – Check – Make.
- Think: Roadmap and strategic orientation for the Digital Twin and its use cases.
- Check: We validate specific use cases in terms of their value and feasibility within the value stream.
- Make: Implement use cases holistically with a user-centered approach. End-to-end, from architecture and development to live operation, and from sensor through the cloud to the end user.
Our Product
twinsphere: The AAS Platform for Digital Twins
With twinsphere, conplement AG offers a tailored platform for the easy creation, management, and utilisation of Digital Twins. It connects data, IoT technologies, and innovative software solutions to seamlessly integrate Digital Twins into existing systems. This way, the Digital Twin becomes not just a virtual representation but a genuine success factor for companies looking to drive their digital transformation forward.
Erleben Sie die Power der Asset Administration Shell auf der SPS in Nürnberg
Zusammen mit der Open Industry 4.0 Alliance zeigen wir wie nahtlose Interoperabilität über Unternehmensgrenzen hinweg mit der Asset Administration Shell gelingt.
Besuchen Sie uns in Halle 6 Stand 240 oder lesen Sie hier mehr zu unserer AAS-Plattform.
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We want to eliminate data silos and provide the necessary, standardized product information where our users need it.
With conplement, we have developed a trusting partnership that we are happy to recommend to others.
Our Services
Our Mutual Journey: We meet you exactly where you are
We support you from the initial idea of a Digital Twin to its implementation and operation (our complete package for you). We start exactly where you are - whether it's with foundational understanding of the topics, structuring use cases, or implementing your Digital Twin.
No company is like another - your market, your network, and your business models!
Together, we will examine your market position, your competitors, and your network of partners and customers, and develop a suitable strategy for creating business models or dedicated use cases for the Digital Twin.
We refine your digitalization vision, develop your use cases, and derive the procedure model (roadmap) for the implementation of your Digital Twins.
Together, we will create your personal path to the Digital Twin - ranging from simple to complex use cases.
Do you already have ideas in mind about which of the various applications of the Digital Twin could be crucial for your company?
We provide in-depth analysis, assessing feasibility, effort, and operational scenarios.
The focus is, how the Digital Twin will be used and its integration into the company/the value stream.
We analyse the data along the value stream based on your use case, structure it, and establish a mapping between sub-models and source systems for the implementation of the Digital Twin.
We advise you as recognized experts for Cloud (AWS and Azure), IoT, software development, and architecture, including the utilisation of our twinsphere suite, and we take a holistic view of your system landscape.
With your use cases, we define the needed architecture and appropriate data management and create a solution.
We are your partner fore the customised software implementation of your vision.
In addition to our expertise in Digital Twins, we leverage strong know-how in software and system architectures, cloud, and Device Management.
We utilise best practices, industry standards, and ready-made solution components.
Together, we develop the operating concept that suits you best. We focus on your requirements regarding availability, scalability, and the existing processes and skills within your company.
Various operational model options are conceivable, ranging from service delivery and enabling your team to full service for your solution, or even our AAS platform twinsphere as a SaaS model.
More Information
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How can we assist you with your Digital Twin?
Contact us now for a non-binding discussion about the first steps.
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Christian Günther
Innovation & Portfolio Architect
TOPIC OWNER Digital Twin
"Do you have questions about the Digital Twin? I have been advising companies in the areas of strategy, process optimisation, and digital transformation for over 20 years. I’m here to assist you and I am looking forward to our conversation!"
Twincases von conplement
Welche der vielfältigen Anwendungsfälle sind für Sie relevant? Wo liegen die "Low-Hanging Fruits", die am ehesten einen Mehrwert erzielen?
In unserem Think-Check-Make Ansatz kommt der Check-Phase eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Hier wird evaluiert, ob ein Vorhaben wirtschaftlich, wünschenswert und umsetzbar ist. Um Sie bei der Evaluierung von Anwendungsfällen des Digitalen Zwilling in dieser Phase optimal zu unterstützen, haben wir ein Produkt zur einfachen Evaluierung von Anwendungsfällen entwickelt - twincases.
Twincases hilft Ihnen, Ihren Kunden und internen Stakeholdern Anwendungsfälle eines Digitalen Zwillings auf Basis echter Verwaltungssschalen zu erfahren.
Twincases ist eine smarte SaaS-Lösung, um für Ihre Prozesse und Produkte Anwendungsfälle auf Basis echter Verwaltungsschalen zu demonstrieren.
Sie ermöglicht es Ihnen, Anwendungsfälle des Digitalen Zwillings zu erleben. Durch das Erleben und Verproben mit Ihren Kunden lassen sich wichtige Erkenntnisse erzielen. Dies bildet eine valide Basis für eine zukünftige Investitionsentscheidung hin zum Digitalen Zwilling.
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Our Partnerships
We are Members of IDTA and OI4
The Digital Twin and its variations are highly relevant for us as a digital enabler. The IDTA is a powerful alliance that actively and innovatively shapes the future of the Digital Twin, providing the necessary momentum for international success in Industry 4.0.
The slogan of the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance is: "Talkers Talk, We Implement." This is precisely our approach - we aim to create pragmatic and practical solutions for our clients. The OI4 network supports us in this endeavor as well.
conplement AG is a Member of LNI4.0
We are proud to be a member of the Labs Network Industry 4.0 e.V. (LNI 4.0). As a neutral association, LNI 4.0 enables pre-competitive collaboration, allowing us to develop innovative solutions. Access to specialised testbeds and testing centers also gives us the opportunity to test and further develop new technologies under real-world conditions. Furthermore, the extensive network of industry partners and academic institutions that LNI 4.0 offers provides us with numerous opportunities for networking and initiating cooperative projects. We are confident that our membership in LNI 4.0 will help us further expand our expertise, share our knowledge, and actively shape the future of digital industrial technologies.
We are Microsoft Partners
conplement AG has been a long-standing partner of Microsoft. In our IoT solutions for smart, connected products, we leverage the services of Microsoft Azure. As an exclusively and directly supported partner, we collaborate closely with Microsoft Deutschland GmbH in marketing and supporting customers in the SME sector. Microsoft is also a member of IDTA.