A digital twin-driven production management system for production workshop

With the rapid development of smart manufacturing, some challenges are emerging in the production management, including the utilization of information technology and the elimination of dynamic disturbance. A digital twin-driven production management system (DTPMS) can dynamically simulate and optimize production processes in manufacturing and achieve real-time synchronization, high fidelity, and real-virtual fusion in cyber-physical production. This paper focuses on establishing DTPMS for production life-cycle management. First, we illustrate how to integrate digital twin technology and simulation platforms. Second, a framework of DTPMS is proposed to support a cyber-physical system of production workshop, including product design, product manufacturing, and intelligent service management. Finally, the proposed DTPMS is applied to the production process of a heavy-duty vehicle gearbox. The experimental results indicate that the defective rate of products and the in-process inventory are reduced by 34% and 89%, respectively, while the one-time pass rate of product inspection is increased by 14.2%, which demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of the DTPMS.