Digital twins in additive manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing (AM), a transformative production method, is gaining momentum across industries due to its ability to fabricate complex geometries with minimal waste. However, challenges in optimizing process parameters and ensuring quality control hinder its full potential. Digital Twins (DTs), virtual replicas of physical systems, have emerged as a solution to enhance AM processes by enabling real-time monitoring, simulation, and predictive analysis. The paper highlights key advancements in combining DTs with Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies, such as machine learning, augmented reality, and high-performance computing, to improve efficiency, scalability, and sustainability in manufacturing. Challenges including data quality, system integration, and computational demands are discussed, with a vision for adaptive and intelligent DT systems.