Production Digital Twin
New product development was gated by physical machine availability. the only way to test a configuration was to make it, which meant R&D competed directly with production for capacity.
- Timeline
- Phased 6 month build: data structuring and model calibration in months 1, 3, simulation interface and validation against known historical outcomes in months 4, 5, live deployment and R&D team onboarding in month 6. Ongoing model refinement as new trial data is generated.
- Scope
- Historical sensor data audit and structuring (3 year archive), physics informed model architecture and calibration to specific machinery configuration, R&D simulation interface build, real time sensor integration, glass fibre hybrid model calibration using available trial data, knowledge transfer and training for R&D and production engineering teams.
- Model
- R&D engineers operate the simulation interface independently. Model recalibration triggered quarterly using new physical trial data, the twin improves as the product portfolio expands. Production engineering team retains final sign off on all configurations before physical validation trials are commissioned.
The outcome
Product configuration trials reduced from 8 to 12 physical runs to 2 to 3; development cycle time cut by 60%.
Findings
What we built it around.
Sensor data integration layer, three years of historical production data (line speed, needle parameters, temperature profiles, weight, tensile results) structured and ingested
Physics informed ML model calibrated against production history for the specific needlepunch machinery configuration
Parameter configuration simulator, R&D interface for specifying product targets and receiving predicted output profiles
Out of spec probability scoring with recommended parameter adjustment outputs
Real time synchronisation with active production sensor feeds, twin updates as production conditions change
Glass fibre reinforced hybrid construction model layer (separately calibrated using reinforced product trial data)
Results
What changed.
Physical trial runs per new product configuration reduced from an average of 8, 12 runs to 2, 3 validation runs, a 75% reduction in physical development iterations
New gramage variant development cycle time cut by 60%, from an average of 14 weeks to 5, 6 weeks from concept to production ready specification
Primary line capacity recovered from R&D trial use, equivalent to approximately 8, 10 additional production days per quarter
Glass fibre reinforced hybrid product development accelerated significantly: first viable Orbond Plus equivalent configuration achieved in 3 physical validation runs vs
11 runs for the previous standard product development cycle
Institutional process knowledge formalised into a queryable model, reducing dependency on individual senior engineers and creating a transferable knowledge base for operator development
Takeaway
Product configuration trials reduced from 8 to 12 physical runs to 2 to 3; development cycle time cut by 60%.
Manufacturing
Start a discovery
Most engagements begin with a conversation about context.
We do not send a proposal before we understand the problem. Start by telling us about your decision context. We will identify the highest leverage intervention areas before any scope is agreed.