Roadmap › Industry 4.0 & IIoT — Smart Manufacturing Software › Module: Advanced Use Cases
Lessons in this course (10)
9. Digital twins and simulation
AdvancedMediumLesson 9 of 10
A digital twin is a live digital representation of a physical asset, process or plant, kept in sync with real data, used to monitor, simulate and optimise.
| Level | Example |
|---|---|
| Component/asset twin | A pump with its live state, health score and maintenance history |
| Process/line twin | A production line model to test a new schedule or layout virtually |
| Plant/system twin | Whole factory — energy, flow, capacity planning |
| Product twin | Each serial's as-built data for service and warranty |
Technologies: Azure Digital Twins (DTDL models + twin graph), Asset Administration Shell (Industry 4.0 standard for asset information), NVIDIA Omniverse/Siemens tools for 3D simulation, discrete-event simulation (AnyLogic, Plant Simulation), virtual commissioning (test PLC code against a simulated machine before it exists).