digitaler Zwilling

Today’s digital factory needs a large variety of different robot systems. For this purpose, the paper presents an approach which assembles the control software with standard function blocks for different axis groups and tests it with a digital twin. The robot simulation is based on the gaming software UnReal and can easily be adapted to different kinematics by specifying the Denavit-Hartenberg parameters. After successful virtual commissioning, the robot hardware is assembled as modularly as the control software by means of individual axes.

Today, manufacturing facilities are designed for mass-producing identical goods. Although they often have a certain flexibility, they are not fully changeable. Changes are associated with a high cost. Changeability allows producers to react more quickly to changing demand situations and to efficiently produce small quantities. The Digital Twin is a key concept for implementing the required changeability. In the reference project BaSys 4.0, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), we have developed a manufacturing concept that enables changeable production. Our open source middleware Eclipse BaSyx provides a reference implementation of the BaSys 4.0 concepts.

Simulation is an accepted method within modern engineering processes across different industrial domains. Especially automation engineers use modelling and simulation methods within various project phases to guarantee high quality products that are produced on high quality plants. The necessity of modern simulation technology rises due to the latest trends regarding the virtualization of production plants. This article describes the need for standards within the field of modelling and simulation of mechatronic factories and machines using a digital twin.