Simulation-based Analysis of the Interaction of a Physical and a Digital Twin in a Cyber-Physical Production System

Abstract Digital twins perform process-accompanying services of machining processes or even of complete production systems. This article examines the interconnection between a physical production system and its digital twin, focusing on required sensors and the number of synchronization points to realize a dedicated control by the digital twin. Therefore, the physical system is modeled within AnyLogic to simulate different sensor configurations and breakdowns. A simulation-based digital twin is implemented to control the production system over a TCP/IP interface. As a result, a simulation-based examination of sensor configurations and their impact on the overall production system’s performance is proposed.