Digital Twin Success for Machine Builders: Part 3

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital manufacturing, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or machine builders face the dual challenge of leveraging digital twins to enhance functionality while safeguarding their intellectual property (IP). This article explores best practices for achieving this balance, drawing insights from our industry expertise and experience in deploying digital twins.

The Challenge: Sharing Enough Detail for Functionality While Safeguarding IP

Digital twins offer immense value by replicating physical assets in a virtual environment, enabling machine builders to optimize performance, predict maintenance needs, and streamline operations. However, the process of creating digital twins involves sharing detailed information about the equipment, which can expose sensitive IP.

Best Practices for Protecting IP

CAD Simplification: Removing Sensitive Mechanical Details While Retaining Core Utility

One effective strategy for protecting IP is CAD simplification. By removing sensitive mechanical details from CAD models, Machine builders can retain the core utility of the digital twin while safeguarding proprietary information. CAD simplification involves removing unnecessary details such as bolts, screws, and specific logic operations, while maintaining the essential functionality required for simulation.

Encryption and Abstraction

Encryption and abstraction are critical techniques for protecting IP within digital twins. Encryption allows functionality without visibility, ensuring that sensitive information remains hidden while the digital twin operates effectively. Abstraction means removing useless details and maintaining the ones useful to the simulation, protecting the integrity of the logic from outside parties. This involves simplifying the model to include only pertinent details, thus preventing reverse engineering.

Negotiating the Balance: Sharing “What” Needs to Be Done, Not “How” It’s Achieved

This involves clearly defining what needs to be done without revealing how it is achieved. It's usually a negotiation between the OEM and the client, determining the requirements for testing and simulation while safeguarding sensitive details. For example, in a physical system, components like cams and drives control motion and determine how many degrees a motor must rotate to move an object a certain distance along a conveyor. However, when working with digital twins, we don’t need access to the underlying control logic or Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) code. What matters is the outcome: the object moves 100 cm. This distinction is key to protecting intellectual property. The digital twin focuses on the observable behavior (the What) not the proprietary mechanisms behind it (the How).

Satisfying Both Suppliers and End Users

Achieving the right balance is crucial for satisfying both suppliers and end users. Successful partnerships often involve transparent communication and mutual understanding of the value each party brings to the table. It’s important to emphasize the importance of aligning with digital twin providers to understand what details can be removed or abstracted, ensuring both functionality and IP protection.

Conclusion

Protecting intellectual property while sharing value through digital twins is a complex but achievable goal for machine builders. By implementing best practices such as CAD simplification, encryption, abstraction, and negotiating the balance between sharing and safeguarding information, machine builders can leverage digital twins to enhance their operations without compromising their proprietary knowledge. Our expertise in deploying digital twins further ensures that manufacturers can achieve significant business outcomes, from improved OEE to reduced maintenance costs.

As the industry continues to evolve, these strategies will be essential for maintaining competitive advantage and fostering successful collaborations.