Session: 02-07-01: IoT and Digital Twins

Paper Number: 150689

150689 - Digital Twins in the Timber Industry: Case Studies and Insights 

Digital Twins in the Timber Industry: Case Studies and Insights
Digital Twins are a cutting-edge technology increasingly being applied across various industries. They involve creating virtual replicas of physical assets, processes, or systems, enabling enhanced monitoring, analysis, and optimization. Digital Twins are currently more widely adopted in industries with high-volume, easily standardizable, low-margin business models, where cost-savings and productivity efficiency are necessary to achieve economies of scale. This technology is rarely adopted by small and medium-sized manufacturers due to costly technological risks and a lack of best practices. Additionally, while the development of Digital Twins is widely explored in domains such as automotive and aerospace, their applications in other industrial sectors, such as the timber industry, are mostly limited to logistics and business endeavors rather than supporting manufacturing activities.
The 5G-TIMBER project, funded by the European Commission, addresses these challenges by developing and implementing field trials for various small and medium-sized manufacturing industries in the wood sector. Specifically, Digital Twins are being developed by integrating physics-based simulations, virtual reality tools, and artificial intelligence, leveraging the latest advancements in 5G network technology.
This presentation aims to showcase the comprehensive architecture devised for the development of Digital Twins specifically tailored for the timber industry. It will delve into the methodologies, approaches and tools to create these virtual replicas and to integrate advanced technologies into traditional timber manufacturing processes.
To illustrate the practical applications and benefits, two detailed case studies will be presented. The first case study focuses on the development of a Digital Twin for a handling machine operating in sawmills. This Digital Twin leverages web-based virtual reality and physics-based simulations to optimize the performance and efficiency of the manufacturing system, providing simulated scenarios to explore the design space before the setup of the machine on the field.
The second case study highlights the use of computer vision technology to enhance safety on the shop floor of a wood-house manufacturing facility. This involves implementing advanced imaging and analysis techniques to monitor and ensure the safety of workers, thereby reducing the risk of accidents and improving overall workplace safety standards.
Throughout the presentation, the results and insights gained from these case studies will be discussed in detail. This will include the challenges faced during implementation, the solutions developed to address these challenges, and the measurable benefits achieved. By examining these real-world applications, the presentation will demonstrate the transformative potential of Digital Twins in revolutionizing the timber industry, enhancing both efficiency and safety.

Presenting Author: Marco Rossoni Politecnico di Milano

Presenting Author Biography: He is a Researcher at the department of mechanical engineering at politecnico di milano

Authors:

Marco Rossoni Politecnico di Milano
Francesco Berardinucci Politecnico di Milano
Giorgio Colombo Politecnico di Milano
Marcello Urgo Politecnico di Milano