An Engineering Digital Twin to Accelerate Time to Production

Accelerating Time to
Production with a Digital
Twin Prototype
Ueli Schläpfer
Head of Mechatronics Development
Helbling Technik AG

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An Engineering Digital Twin to
Accelerate Time to Production
• About Helbling
• Why we looked at using a Digital Twin
• Case study – how we used the Digital Twin in a pilot project
• Take-aways from a pilot project and outlook
COPYRIGHT © PDA 2021

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We develop innovative products
and enhance our clients’ overall competitiveness.
We develop technologically
sophisticated products and
bring innovation to life – a
matter of heart, soul and
actions.
Helbling Technik
We develop and implement
sustainable solutions that
enhance clients‘ long-term
competitiveness.
Helbling Business
Advisors
We bring complex real
estate, industrial and
infrastructure projects to
a successful conclusion.
Helbling Beratung +
Bauplanung
We create IT solutions
that enable cross-
functional collaboration
with organizations.
Helbling PLM Solutions
Helbling Group – Valuable through Innovation

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We serve customers in a wide variety of industries
Automation &
Production Machinery
Lab Automation,
Devices
IT & Software
Engineering
Home Appliances
Power Tools
Embedded
Electronics
Transportation
Medical Technology

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• About Helbling

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What our customers expect
Fast project
completion.
Outstanding
quality and
ingenuity.
First time
right.
No surprises.
 vs.

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• About Helbling

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Main requirements
: 1– Ease of use

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Main requirements: 2 – Multi-CAD compatibility

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Main requirements:
3 – Simple maintenance / Associativity

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Main requirements: 4 – Bridging between disciplines

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Main requirements:
5 – Multi-control platform compatibility

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Our main requirements to a digital twin platform

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First stage: Mechatronic model
Physics engine
Mechatronic model
3D CAD model

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Concept phase: Even the first models come alive
✓Understanding the design and its
interaction with the environment
✓Support dimensioning
✓Early exploration of limits and testing in
the virtual world
✓Support definition of good real-world tests
✓Support communication within the team
and to a wide range of stakeholders
(50% of true speed)

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Second stage: Add a virtual PLC
Physics engine
Mechatronic model
3D CAD model
Virtual PLC

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Design phase: Add a simple VPLC, implement and test
the control logic
✓Quickly develop a first feeling for the
behavior of a system
✓Implement and test control logic
independent of the physical system
✓Identification and preliminary testing of
optimizations (e.g., cycle time)

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Third stage: Add intelligent devices
Physics engine
Mechatronic model
3D CAD model
Virtual PLC
Intelligent
devices

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Build phase: Increasingly faithful modelling
✓Expected: Focus on process optimization,
not on SW debugging
✓Parallelization of testing and programming
– additional “machine” time on the digital
twin
o Significant effort for a faithful model with
intelligent components

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• About Helbling

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Faster to production – why?
Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1 Analysis & requirements
2a Sol. finding, conceptual design, integration
2b FuMos & key components verification
3 Detailed design, programming
4a Sourcing, programming cont’d
4b Assembly, start-up & test
5 Transfer
Ph1 review
Kick-off
Manufacturing doc.
All parts sourced
Ph2a review
Feasibilities
established
FAT
Assembly, start-up & test
SAT
Process testing &
optimization
Control logic testing
Electrical testing

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Faster to production – why?
Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1 Analysis & requirements
2a Sol. finding, conceptual design, integration
2b FuMos & key components verification
3 Detailed design, programming
4a Sourcing, programming cont’d
4b Assembly, start-up & test
5 Transfer
Ph1 review
Kick-off
Manufacturing doc.
All parts sourced
Ph2a review
Feasibilities
established
FAT
Assembly, start-up & test
SAT
Process testing &
optimization
Control logic testing
Electrical testing

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Additional take-aways from the pilot project
• The tools and methods as presented work best for handling systems that
deal with discrete products.
• Our expectations – positive effects on quality, risk management, and
project lead time – were met to a high degree.
• If you consider a digital twin, make it an integral part of the development
process from the very beginning. And be sure to
understand your requirements when you choose a platform!

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Take-aways from the pilot project
• Know the limits of your modelling and its inherent simplifications. It’s
where you need to focus your verification and testing efforts.
• Digital twin technology is still evolving quickly. While it got simpler over
time, the inherent complexity does shine through when the models are very
detailed or heterogenous. Good support by the supplier will add a lot of
value to whatever tool you go for.

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Outlook: What’s on our roadmap?
• Make the digital twin a standard in equipment development
projects.
• Extend to other control platforms as required.
• Enhance modelling capabilities for intelligent components.
• Extension of digital twins with models for specific
processes, i.e., other physical domains.

Thank you for your interest!
Your contact:
Ueli Schläpfer (ueli.schlaepfer@helbling.ch)
Head of Mechatronics Development
Helbling Technik AG

An Engineering Digital Twin to Accelerate Time to Production

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