Component Digital Twins are a Requirement of Industry 4 0

Подробнее о видео

Require Component Digital Twins from Suppliers



One challenge to implementing a fully model-based enterprise and achieving Industry 4.0 is the lack of quality supplier data, especially supplier CAD data. To understand why supplier CAD data is of such poor quality, you first must understand how engineers are getting supplier data.

Engineers typically access supplier data in one of three ways:

Through a physical or digital supplier spec sheet
Requesting a CAD model from a supplier
Downloading a neutral CAD file from the internet

These methods present issues both with the lack of efficiency for engineers and with the low data quality.

Spec Sheets
When using a supplier spec sheet, a design engineer must create a CAD model representing the supplier’s data.

The first issue with this method is the margin for human error when translating the information from a spec sheet to a 3D CAD model. Engineers typically only embed the metadata they need for their specific job. Data required for downstream processes often won’t make it into the model.

Having engineers create 3D models from parts that already exist is a colossal waste of time. Engineers admit to spending 25% of their time searching for and recreating supplier parts.

That’s a lot of time!

Requesting CAD

If a part is complicated or requires customization, engineers will request a CAD model from the supplier. It typically takes three to fourteen days for the engineer to receive the CAD model. The model is typically a neutral CAD format, which doesn’t have essential metadata required for Industry 4.0 initiatives.

Downloading a neutral CAD file from the internet

The final way engineers gain access to supplier data is by downloading a CAD model from the supplier’s website or a third-party site. Unfortunately, CAD from supplier websites is often delivered in a neutral CAD format, lacking quality data, or only offered in one native CAD format.

All these options slow down the engineering process, weaken component manufacturers’ ability to sell parts, and are full of low-quality CAD data.

That’s where component digital twins come into play.

Component Digital Twin
What are component digital twins?
Component digital twins are high-fidelity native CAD models that are equipped for industry 4.0. Native CAD formats are the power behind component digital twins. Native CAD formats preserve design intent and contain critical data.

Supplier Component Digital Twins

Typically, component manufacturers provide a neutral CAD file for engineers to spec into their designs. That worked great in the past when engineers needed less metadata embedded in the CAD model.

Today’s engineers need component digital twins. To meet crucial Industry 4.0 requirements, component manufacturers must provide CAD models in a native CAD format. By offering native CAD formats to engineers, the manufacturer’s CAD files match any CAD software their customers use, preserving vital metadata and design intent.

Native CAD files can store data necessary for departments downstream from engineering when compared to neutral CAD formats.

You can learn about the differences between Native CAD formats and neutral CAD formats in this eBook.

Metadata for Industry 4.0
CAD metadata is data embedded within a CAD model that provides supporting information, increasing data fidelity. Here are a few examples of CAD metadata for enabling Industry 4.0 functionality:

End of life information
Obsolescence
IIoT tags
Materials
Finish
Tolerances
Battery capacity and longevity
wattage
Speeds, horsepower, max RPMs
Full range of motion data
Unique manufacturer part number
The metadata needed varies by component type.

When making cost projections for a project, it is critical to factor in the cost of collecting and embedding this metadata if your suppliers don’t provide it. When engineers must manually collect and embed the required CAD metadata for Industry 4.0, supplier parts add high costs throughout the product life cycle. Having to collect this information causes bottlenecks and breaks the digital thread.

When suppliers provide Industry 4.0 enabled component digital twins, they save engineers much time and ensure data quality for their customers.

In some cases, having high-fidelity metadata certified by the manufacturer is worth more than the component itself, considering the cost of finding and adding the data after the fact.

3D Model STEP File

Why Component Digital Twins are Good for Manufacturers
Component digital twins give manufacturers a competitive advantage now and future proof their CAD catalog investment as more companies require Industry 4.0 metadata from suppliers.

The second reason is that component digital twins are more likely to be purchased by procurement professionals and digital procurement software.

Learn more: