Modelling a Scalable, Reusable and Realistic Digital Twin for Virtual Commissioning : Investigating possibilities with custom SmartComponents in ABB RobotStudio

Abstract: The Advanced Manufacturing section at ÅF Pöyry AB is exploring the possibilities of virtual commissioning and digital twins. As part of this exploration, this thesis sets out to demonstrate a method of developing scalable, reusable and realistic digital mechatronic models – the heart of a digital twin – for the virtual environment in RobotStudio. Research has shown that one of the major obstacles to implementing virtual commissioning as a standard in industry today is the lack of scalable and reusable digital twins. This is also the experience of ÅF Pöyry AB. After reviewing existing and proposed methods for developing digital twins, this thesis explains the necessary steps for developing a SmartComponent in RobotStudio, using the programming language C#. The results show that the SmartComponent developed is scalable and thus reusable. It works with grippers with any number of fingers and allows gripping by applying pressure to the target object from both the outside and the inside. It is also realistic in the sense that the interaction between the grippers and the objects to be picked in the virtual environment behaves and looks like it does in reality. The implementation of the SmartComponent developed is much faster and less complex than the method used today at ÅF Pöyry AB. The downsides of the developed method are the added competence required of the automation engineer and the risk that the digital twin may not be future-proof.