Development of a Digital Twin Controlled by PLC in a Simulation Environment

In the era of rapid technological advancements and the continuous evolution of environments, digital twins have become a key tool for optimizing and innovating both manufacturing and transportation processes. The digital twin technology is a fundamental part of Industry 4.0, which belongs to the fourth industrial revolution and offers communication technologies for monitoring various systems, simulations, and modeling of processes, as well as data acquisition and analysis. Given the increasing significance of Industry 4.0 and cyber-physical systems in the industrial and transportation sectors, understanding and utilizing digital twins is essential for maintaining competitiveness and efficiency. This study explores existing knowledge and practical applications of digital twins and various implementation possibilities in simulation environments. Additionally, the article presents guidelines and control programs to address these challenges. The developed digital twin of a selected process is demonstrated. The ABB RobotStudio software tool was connected via OPC UA to a B&R (B&R Industrial Automation GmbH is an Austrian automation and process control technology company) control system programmed in Automation Studio from B&R. The objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of this topic and contribute to developing knowledge and practical applications of PLC-controlled digital twins in simulations.