Defining a Digital Twin-based Cyber-Physical Production System for autonomous manufacturing in smart shop floors

TLDR

Smart manufacturing, central to the fourth industrial revolution, relies on real‑time monitoring, simulation, and prediction to enhance production efficiency and flexibility. This study introduces Cyber‑Physical System and Digital Twin technologies to interconnect and enable interoperability between a physical shop floor and its cyber counterpart. The authors establish a Digital Twin‑based Cyber‑Physical Production System, detailing its configuration, operating mechanisms, and real‑time data‑driven control. The DT‑CPPS is expected to serve as a foundation for shop floors transitioning toward smart manufacturing.

Abstract

Smart manufacturing is the core idea of the fourth industrial evolution. For a smart manufacturing shop floor, real-time monitoring, simulation and prediction of manufacturing operations are vital to improve the production efficiency and flexibility. In this paper, the Cyber-Physical System (CPS) and Digital Twin technologies are introduced to build the interconnection and interoperability of a physical shop floor and corresponding cybershop floor. A Digital Twin-based Cyber-Physical Production System (DT-CPPS) is further established, and the configuring mechanism, operating mechanism and real-time data-driven operations control of DT-CPPS are discussed in detail. It is expected that DT-CPPS will provide the basis for shop floors to march towards smart manufacturing.