What is a digital twin?

The value of the global digital twin market is set to grow to somewhere between $15 billion USD and $40 billion USD over the next decade. However despite the size of this large market, not many people have heard about the technology.

A digital twin fuses design CAD, simulation and sensor data to create actionable data—data that can be used to predict outcomes based on certain scenarios—and to help businesses make productive decisions. It works by having the 3D geometry of a part or system, connecting it with sensor data coming from operation, so that we can see a digital replica in 3D of the behavior of the part or system in service.

With this it is possible to run 2D and 3D simulations to predict behavior. 2D uses machine learning that looks at historical data to make predictions which is used for better control of the process and predictive maintenance. 3D uses physics to run innovative virtual scenarios to find new ways of improving efficiency of operation and reduce cost. Combining 2D and 3D gives the user a complete remote control of their physical asset.

Digital twins have traditionally been very expensive to operate and only used in defense and aerospace industries where there is fierce competition, there are few players, and these few players have relatively large resources. With Infinite Foundry cloud platform we have reduced the entry barrier to any industry that manufactures products, systems, or parts to benefit from predictive analysis, and therefore make good use of a digital twin.

André Godinho Luz

CEO Infinite Foundry