Interscale Content Hub – From making manufacturing more productive to changing how healthcare is delivered, the use of digital twins is set to add a lot of value to the Australian economy.
Standards Australia’s 2023 white paper, “Digital Twin White Paper,” highlights the potential of digital twins for the whole country.
There are lots of benefits to using digital twins. They can help us trade and invest more, be more productive, avoid disruption and waste, and open up new markets and services for the nation.
So, why don’t we get into the specifics?
How Digital Twins Work
A digital twin is more than just a 3D model. It’s a dynamic, living replica of a physical object, process, or system.
As Adam Beck and Gavin Cotterill explain in the Digital Twin White Paper, this virtual copy of the real-world object is updated in real time with data from sensors and other sources.
This constant data stream lets the digital twin simulate how the physical entity behaves, which gives us valuable insights into its current state and potential future performance.
The level of detail in a digital twin can vary a lot depending on what it’s for and what we need to know.
For example, a digital twin of a wind turbine might focus on simulating its mechanical operations and energy output, while a digital twin of a city could model everything from traffic patterns to energy consumption.
The key is that a digital twin isn’t just a snapshot in time. It’s a dynamic model that evolves alongside its physical counterpart.
The report on foundational research gaps and future directions for digital twins says that the virtual representation should be “fit for purpose.”
This means that the type of model, how detailed it is, how finely it’s divided up, and what it tracks should all be chosen to suit the task at hand.
For instance, a digital twin used for real-time monitoring of an intensive care unit would need more frequent updates than one used for long-term planning of an ambulatory care system.
As a starting point, kindly read “Why Digital Twin is Important: Guide to a Multiverse and Saving Millions.”
How are Digital Twins Used in Business?
There are so many ways businesses can use digital twins. They can be used in almost any industry and for a wide range of tasks.
This proactive approach helps cut maintenance costs and boost operational efficiency.
For example, using digital twins in predictive maintenance can help you avoid machine failures and cut down on downtime.
It does this by letting you schedule maintenance based on what your machine actually needs, rather than just following a set schedule.
In healthcare, digital twins are changing the game when it comes to patient care. They’re helping to create personalised treatment plans, simulate surgeries, and speed up the drug development process.
MarketsandMarkets says the global digital twins in healthcare market was worth about $1.6 billion in 2023.
However, it’s expected to grow a lot and reach $21.1 billion by 2028, with a great compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 67.0% during that period.
The construction industry is also seeing the benefits of digital twins, especially in Building Information Modelling (BIM), construction planning, and facility management.
Justin Keeble and his colleagues at Accenture say in their research report, “Designing Disruption, The Critical Role of Virtual Twins in Accelerating Sustainability,” that the construction industry could save $288 billion on building operating costs by reducing energy use, maintenance, planning, and commissioning costs.
This is all made possible using proven and commercially available virtual twin technologies.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on “Digital Twins—Virtual Models of People and Objects,” also talks about how they can be used to make wind turbine manufacturing more efficient, predict project costs for the U.S. Navy, and even help rebuild war-torn cities.
Benefits of Using Digital Twins
One of the best things about digital twins is how they help make processes more efficient.
The digital twins can help you predict when something might need maintenance, and they can also help you make your operations more productive, which saves money.
Another way digital twins help businesses innovate is by making it easier to quickly prototype and test new products and processes.
This lets companies get new ideas to market faster and more efficiently.
Another big plus is the way digital twins help you manage risk. By running through different scenarios, like natural disasters or equipment failures, businesses can spot potential weak spots and come up with ways to reduce their impact.
Take healthcare, for instance. Digital twins can simulate different treatment options and their potential outcomes, which helps doctors make better-informed decisions.
On top of that, digital twins give you real-time insights into how physical assets, systems, and processes are performing and how they’re behaving.
This data-driven approach gives businesses the info they need to make better decisions, which leads to better results and more competitiveness.
The Digital Twin White Paper says there’s a great chance Australia can become a global leader in digital twin technology.
If Australian businesses invest in digital twin capabilities, they can tap into new markets, improve their services, and develop more advanced business strategies. This will ultimately give the national economy a boost.
Key Industries Leveraging Digital Twins
Manufacturing
As Standards Australia shows, the manufacturing industry has been quick to embrace digital twin technology, seeing it as a way to boost efficiency and innovation.
In addition, the National Academies of Sciences report, “Foundational Research Gaps and Future Directions for Digital Twins,” shows that digital twins can make manufacturing more efficient by giving a complete view of how products are used.
This helps companies plan when to fix machinery and get products to market faster.
Healthcare
In healthcare, a digital twin represents a patient, allowing us to monitor their health, simulate treatment outcomes, and personalise medical care.
The National Academies report says the use of digital twins can help to predict how a patient will respond to different treatments, which in turn can help to make better clinical decisions and improve patient outcomes.
For instance, digital twins of cancer patients can simulate tumour growth and the effectiveness of different therapies, which allows doctors to tailor treatments more precisely.
Smart Cities
Smart cities use digital twins to manage urban infrastructure, optimise traffic flow and improve public services.
Digital twins give city planners access to real-time data and predictive insights, which helps them manage resources better and improve urban mobility.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report explains how digital twins of transportation systems can be used to simulate traffic patterns, which helps to reduce congestion and improve efficiency.
Aerospace and Defense
The aerospace and defence industry has also started using digital twins for all sorts of applications.
They’re also used in aircraft design and testing, mission simulation, and pilot training.
For instance, digital twins of aircraft engines can predict when parts might need replacing, helping to optimise fuel efficiency and improve inventory management.
The National Academies’ report shows that digital twins let us test designs in extreme conditions, so we can be sure they’re safe and perform well.
AEC Industry
The AEC industry uses digital twins for things like building information modelling (BIM), project management and facility maintenance.
The National Academies shows how digital twins can be used to simulate a building’s entire lifecycle, from design and construction to operation and maintenance. This can lead to improved efficiency and safety.
Standards Australia also points out the value of BIM in the Australian context and how it can help make the construction process more efficient and collaborative.
If you want to know more, have a look at “BIM to Digital Twin: Upgrading Your Projects From Old Nokia to iPhone 15.“
Energy and Utilities
The energy and utilities sector is another area where digital twins are really making a difference.
The National Academies’ report explains how digital twins can be used to model energy systems, predict the impact of renewable integration, and help balance supply and demand.
On top of all that, the GAO report shows how digital twins can be used to keep an eye on wind turbines and flag up any issues before production gets too big.
How Interscale Helps You Use Digital Twins Strategically
It’s easy to see how useful digital twins can be in a complex maze of industries.
But, the intricacies of creating, maintaining, and utilising digital twins often require expertise and resources that many businesses may not have in-house.
That’s why we at Interscale are here to help you get to grips with digital twin integration.
We can provide a wide range of services, including BIM management, digital twin creation and implementation, and training and support.
Our team of experts knows digital twins and their applications in many different industries.
We work closely with our clients to understand their needs and develop solutions that add value.
One example of our work is our collaboration with Ewert Leaf, a leading Australian construction company.
We helped Ewert Leaf implement a digital twin solution for one of their big projects, which saved them a lot of money and improved their results.
We know we offer a wide range of services, so we’d like you to do some background checks. We’d love for you to visit and read our Interscale BIM management service page.
Or, if you need to make a few more adjustments, we’d be happy to discuss them with you. Let us know when you can get together and we’ll talk. We’re here for you 24/7.
In Closing
It looks like digital twins are set to bring about a lot of economic growth and make a big difference to how businesses operate in different sectors.
Working with experts like Interscale can make the implementation process easier and help you get the most out of it.
Embracing the use of digital twins today will help Australian businesses become more efficient and innovative in the future.
