Building a Digital Twin of a CNC Machine Tool

Digital twin technology can positively transform manufacturing decision-making including supporting optimal utilization of machine tools on the shop floor. However, building digital twins faces several challenges, such as, data management, data security, connectivity, and insufficient standardized modeling procedures. Recently, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a new series of standards, ISO 23247 Digital Twin Framework for Manufacturing, to provide guidance for implementing these aspects of digital twins in a manufacturing environment. This paper provides a case study of using the ISO framework to build a digital twin of a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine tool. This research demonstrates how the ISO standard, system modeling, machining data standards, messaging protocols, data processing, and data visualization tools support the creation of a digital twin of a CNC machine tool. The approach of this paper can be used by manufacturers to implement their digital twin applications.