Models & sync
Structured representations of layout and logic, plus update pipelines when engineering sources move.
Industrial Automation · also in Software & Connected
Digital Twins
Build plant-floor digital twins from CAD layouts and PLC programs — so you can simulate, validate, train, commission, and troubleshoot without putting the live line at risk.
Why we do this
Why it matters
Live lines are expensive places to discover that a divert path is wrong, a sequence deadlocks under load, or a layout change no longer matches the controls. A digital twin lets teams exercise the spatial layout and the behavioral logic together — before, during, and after commissioning.
We treat twins as practical engineering tools: grounded in your CAD and PLC sources, updated when those sources change, and useful for simulation, validation, training, and troubleshooting. Soft claims only — exact depth and tooling are defined with you for each engagement.
How we do this
Our approach
CAD becomes the spatial model; PLC logic becomes the behavioral model; sensors, I/O, and HMI context connect them where it helps.
1
Start from CAD layouts
Use plant or cell CAD as the spatial backbone — conveyors, equipment footprints, clearances, and routing geometry — so the twin reflects how the floor is actually arranged.
2
Sync from PLC programs
Map modes, sequences, interlocks, and fault paths from PLC logic into a behavioral model the twin can run — not a disconnected animation.
3
Connect I/O, sensors & HMI
Where relevant, wire photoeyes, scanners, drives, and operator screens into the twin so decisions and status look like they do on the floor.
4
Keep the twin current
Plan for updates when CAD or PLC programs change, so the twin stays a trustworthy rehearsal space instead of a one-time demo.
5
Use it for real work
Simulate scenarios, validate logic, train operators, support commissioning, and troubleshoot offline — then take only proven changes to the live line.
What we do
Offerings
Representative ways we can help. Exact scope is defined with you for each engagement.
Twins from CAD layouts
Spatial digital twins built from plant, line, or cell CAD — useful for layout review, clearance checks, and visualizing material flow before steel and cable are committed.
Twins from PLC programs
Behavioral models driven by PLC sequences, modes, and faults so the twin behaves like the controls — not only like a 3D picture.
CAD + PLC combined twins
Bring spatial and behavioral layers together so layout and logic can be exercised as one system for simulation and validation.
Twin updates when sources change
Practical update paths when CAD revisions or PLC program changes land — so the twin stays aligned with engineering reality.
Simulation, training & commissioning support
Use the twin to rehearse sequences, train operators and maintainers, and reduce surprises during bring-up — without interrupting production.
Routing, sorting & AI test beds
Where natural, use twins as safe sandboxes for conveyor routing/sorting scenarios and for light industrial-AI or vision logic checks before live trials — see also Conveyor & PLC and Industrial AI.
Also in Software & Connected
Software-adjacent twin work
Digital twins sit on the plant floor and in software. The same specialty spans both streams.
Beyond the industrial control stack, twins often need application layers: data models, visualization clients, sync jobs when CAD or PLC exports change, and interfaces operators or engineers use to run scenarios. That work fits naturally alongside our Software & Connected stream — device-facing apps, clear UX, and maintainable integration code.
Scenario UIs
Interfaces to start sims, inject faults, review outcomes, and hand findings back to controls or layout teams.
Connected contexts
Where helpful, tie twins to sensors, HMIs, or inventory/ID flows so software and floor stay in the same conversation.
Listed under both Industrial Automation and Software & Connected — one page, dual placement.
Standards
Standards we design to
A digital twin is only as trustworthy as its data and connections. We build twins with manufacturing twin-framework concepts, versioned assets, open industrial protocols, and cybersecurity hygiene so simulation stays aligned with the real line.
ISO 23247 concepts
A digital twin framework for manufacturing — reference architecture for how observable manufacturing elements connect to digital representations.
How we follow it: We keep twin scope explicit (which assets, which signals, which fidelity) so the twin matches a defined manufacturing use case — simulate, train, or commission — not an unbounded mirror.
Data integrity & version control
CAD, PLC programs, and twin parameters drift unless revisions are controlled like any other engineering artifact.
How we follow it: We version twin models against known PLC/CAD baselines and document what changed between simulation runs.
OPC UA / MQTT interoperability
Open protocols that let twins and live equipment exchange structured data without one-off proprietary lock-in.
How we follow it: Where live or near-live sync is needed, we prefer documented OPC UA or MQTT contracts with clear namespaces and update rates.
Cyber considerations for twin connectivity
A twin that reaches into OT can become an attack path if connectivity is casual.
How we follow it: We limit twin network exposure, use authenticated channels, and keep read/write privileges appropriate to the twin’s purpose.
Exploring a digital twin for your line or cell?
Share CAD layout context, PLC program notes, and what you want to simulate or validate — we can outline a practical twin approach.
Get a quote