A Digital Twin Creation Method for an Opensource Low-cost Changeable Learning Factory
Tarek AlGeddawy
Abstract
Learning factories demonstrate applications and technology to students in a real industrial environment. While turnkey changeable learning factories are supplied by many vendors, with some digital twin capabilities, they are mostly a closed box, with very little flexibility to change the underlying architecture or technology, hindering the maximum benefit of student hands-on experience. This paper presents a method to build a simulated changeable learning factory and link it to the physical system to create a digital twin. The studied learning factory (LEAF) is an opensource low-cost changeable automated system. The suggested digital environment is ‘RoboDK’, which is a 3D simulation and offline/online programming environment, mainly for industrial robots, but it also offers an open source ‘Python’ programming library, allowing the extension of the capabilities of the software to adapt to LEAF. The method is also using the opensource Modbus TCP and OPC UA industrial communication protocols to establish the connection between the physical modules and the digital objects. The results show a capable digital system that is accurately mirroring the physical system layout and material flow, with a flexible structure to allow future extensions.