Innovative potential of ‘digital twins’ can boost the efficiency of the Amazon industry

innovation in industry

Experts discuss how the application of technology can anticipate and help solve problems in the industry

Manaus (AM) — Having a “copy” of yourself in a digital universe where you can predict scenarios that anticipate problems and thus resolve them before the impacts arrive in “real life” may seem like the plot of a science fiction, but it is something that is already more present in our daily lives than we can imagine. With this proposal, in the Industry 4.0 scenario, this concept of “digital twins” has stood out as a crucial tool for boosting efficiency and innovation in industrial processes.

To better understand how this concept is applied and the benefits in practice, specialist Ricardo Moura, project manager at Fundação Desembargador Paulo Feitoza (FPFtech), focused on advanced technological solutions aimed mainly at industry, explains the ways in which this can help in day-to-day operations of companies.

According to Moura, a digital twin is an accurate virtual representation of a real-world object, system or process. This digital model reflects the behavior and characteristics of the object in real time, using technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced simulation, 3D modeling, real-time data analysis, Big Data and artificial intelligence.

“The expression ‘digital twin’ has its origins in the analogy with identical twins in the biological context. Just as biological twins are genetic copies of each other, digital twins are precise virtual representations of objects. Digital twins are frequently used in various areas, such as industry, engineering, healthcare, using modern technologies. In some cases, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies are also used, among other Industry 4.0″ enabling technologies,

contextualizes Moura.

At FPFtech, the application of digital twins is a constant practice to increase the competence of researchers in technologies that enable Industry 4.0. This enables the development of cyber-physical systems, contributing to the industrial maturity of customer processes.

“After implementing a digital twin, numerous opportunities for improving processes are identified, and this drives changes that impact the dynamics of interactions between those involved in the processes in a real way. These transformations invariably lead to the need for adaptations, encouraging people to develop new skills and evolve professionally”,

says Moura.

To exemplify how digital twins have been successfully applied in practice, one of the cases with the best results has been that of TPV, an electronics industry located in the Manaus Industrial Complex. Rômulo Fabrício, senior technical R&D manager at TPV, shares how the partnership with FPFtech brought some benefits and required some adaptation of the culture in different sectors of the company.

Success story: TPV

TPV worked on a challenging industrial automation project, the T800, in partnership with FPFtech. Rômulo highlights that, initially, there were difficulties in acculturating the team to digital twins, since the idea of ​​thinking digitally in industry 4.0 is something new for many.

“Although we faced challenges, such as convincing managers of the importance of more robust and flexible automation, we saw significant results. For example, our energy efficiency digital twins directly contributed to our ISO 50001 certification,”

reports Romulo.

The manager also shared some barriers that needed to be broken from the implementation to the evolution of digital twins at TPV. Some notable challenges included adapting organizational culture to the digital era, the need for flexibility in automation to meet product diversity and constant technological evolution.

“We have recorded, without a doubt, very positive results and we are in the process of acculturating our team, instilling in their heads the importance of us having a structured way of capturing, processing, analyzing data, which today is still a culture a little below what we would like it to be. But we have been working on it hard and things have changed”,

adds Romulo.

Ricardo Moura also remembers that the proper functioning of a digital twin requires a robust infrastructure, so that a large volume of data can travel in real time.

“In this sense, technologies such as 5G are essential, guaranteeing low latency and good system response times. Once infrastructure challenges have been overcome, and this large volume of data has been accessed, the use of artificial intelligence techniques can help identify patterns never before observed in processes, leading to the formulation of new and disruptive solutions to improve processes”,

highlights Moura.

Whether optimizing production processes, simulating new products, training employees in virtual environments and even reducing costs, digital twins have the potential to transform the operations of PIM companies, making them more efficient and prepared. to the challenges of Industry 4.0.

*With information from consultancy

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