Introduction of a comprehensive Structure Model for the Digital Twin in Manufacturing

The discussion about the term "Digital Twin" and its associated concepts has expanded remarkably in the scientific community in recent years. In the context of industrial production, the Digital Twin refers to a holistic, linked, virtual representation of a physical entity. The spectrum of these entities ranges from individual products to specific manufacturing processes up to complex automated production systems. Due to this diversity, many authors offer different interpretations of the topic, resulting in a wide range of use case-specific models. However, a common meta-model that integrates and classifies the different aspects is still to be presented. Starting with a brief overview of developments in recent years, this paper introduces a novel Digital Twin Structure Model in the context of manufacturing. After providing an overview and explanation of the dimensions, functionality and coupling of the Digital Twin in relation to its surroundings, specific Digital Twin realizations are characterized and compared using the proposed structure model.