Digital twin for machine safety

Safety Digital twin for machine safety

2024-11-13 Source: Press release | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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K.A. Schmersal GmbH & Co. KG

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Schmersal is presenting a 4D model of its safety components for the first time at SPS 2024 in Nuremberg: a digital twin of the AZM40 solenoid interlock and the DHS door handle system.

The Schmersal Safety 4D model simulates all the properties and functions of the physical safety switching devices.(Image: K.A. Schmersal GmbH & Co. KG) — The Schmersal Safety 4D model simulates all the properties and functions of the physical safety switching devices.
(Image: K.A. Schmersal GmbH & Co. KG)

In addition to the 3-dimensional representation (3D), the virtual image simulates all properties and functions of the physical devices as a fourth dimension (4D). If, for example, a safety gate is unlocked using the real button on the door handle, the LEDs light up in the digital twin just as they do in the physical counterpart. According to Schmersal, this makes it one of the first companies to have developed a digital twin for safety components.

Virtual commissioning of the machine possible

The Schmersal Safety 4D model not only simulates individual components, but also entire process and control sequences by virtually mapping the signal streams. The advantage: in addition to early fault detection and optimization, the 4D model can also be used to carry out virtual commissioning of the machine in future, even before the real machine is mechanically assembled. This saves costs and unnecessary development loops. In the future, it should also be possible to monitor the components as a prerequisite for predictive maintenance.

"We are planning to offer the Schmersal Safety 4D model to our customers as a service in future, for example via our homepage or via the online store for 4D models "TwinStore"—a platform on which component and system suppliers make their digital twins available," says Volker Heinzer, Strategic Product Manager Programmable Electronic Systems and Industry 4.0 / IIoT at the Schmersal Group. To this end, digital "model catalogs" with the 4D models of Schmersal products are to be successively built up.

Loss-free real-time physics simulation

Schmersal uses the ISG-virtuos simulation software from ISG Industrielle Steuerungstechnik GmbH for the Safety 4D model. The computationally intensive simulation model is calculated on the ISG real-time target. With this powerful ultra-compact industrial PC, it is possible to carry out a loss-free real-time physics simulation. It represents the entire machine or system from the perspective of the control system, is mobile thanks to its compact design and can also be installed in the control cabinet.

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