The Digital Twin of Moving Things

09/20/2022

From the real physical to the digital world: For years now, the Digital Twin has been a central buzzword in industry. But so far, only very few companies have managed to build up this supporting pillar of industrial automation. The reason: the lack of transparency about the moving components within a production.

So far, companies have primarily digitized their machinery. But in order to exploit the full potential of a digital twin, they need sufficient qualitative data about the dynamic processes in their operations. This is because moving objects play a major role in almost all production processes - from materials to pallets to tools or automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

The keyword of the hour: location-based process automation

To gather the missing information about this and close this data gap, KINEXON, as one of the leading providers of software and hardware for the Internet of Things (IoT), is taking a location-based approach. The keyword here is: Location-based Process Automation (LPA). Companies can generate location data using sensors in real time. They can then feed this into a software solution and translate the data into a location-based digital twin. This provides valuable insights and ensures seamless transparency to analyze, optimize and automate processes.

"Real-time localization is an essential and integral part of tomorrow's smart factory. With the transparency on the store floor that can be achieved in this way, companies are able to improve their production throughput and logistics. Innovative and agile companies can play an important role here and pave the way to a digitized store floor," says Jan Burian, Senior Director, Head of IDC Manufacturing Insights EMEA.

From BMW to Continental: Renowned companies rely on LPA

In order to be able to collect data on the dynamic processes along the complete supply chain, companies rely on a variety of localization technologies. For example, they use UWB and BLE for indoor tracking and GPS for outdoor tracking. They can then process this information in software, analyze it, and convert it into value-added use cases. Until now, however, there has been a lack of a central platform that manages to combine the data from the various technologies and can be connected to third-party systems, such as a Warehouse Management System (WMS), Manufacturing Execution System (MES) or an IoT platform.

The LPA software solution KINEXON OS provides companies with this missing piece of the puzzle. It enables them to draw from a central data pool. For example, their WMS can react quickly to events on the store floor and reprioritize orders in real time. In the process, an MES benefits from better machine control and planning. LPA software also creates great added value for IoT platforms, such as those offered by Amazon, Microsoft and Co. From the supplier to the customer: With the help of the position data of all moving things, they can for the first time analyze the processes along the complete supply chain holistically. This end-to-end transparency is essential for a successful digital transformation.

Famous companies such as BMW or Continental already rely on KINEXON OS to create full transparency in their production and supply chain and to automate processes. In this way, they succeed in increasing their efficiency and productivity while reducing their costs. In doing so, they make use of a wide range of applications - from tool control and container management to automated order management.

About the Author

Mehdi Bentanfous is Chief Revenue Officer at KINEXON Industries. He studied industrial engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Prior to joining KINEXON, he held various senior positions in consulting (BCG), private equity (Waterland Private Equity) and senior management. Until 2020, he built up KINEXON's US business and has been responsible for the global industrial business since 2021.