Digital twins for additive manufacturing using direct energy deposition methods

Jinjiang Li, Matthew Roy (Editor), Joseph Kurebwa (Editor), Lee Margetts (Editor)

Research output: Contribution to conferenceAbstractpeer-review

Abstract

This paper presents work carried out to develop a digital twin of a Wired Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) cell. WAAM is a Direct Energy Deposition manufacturing method, garnering much attention from researchers focused on enhancing the efficiency and quality of this type of manufacturing process. The study shows the practical steps taken to integrate digital twins into additive manufacturing, thereby creating a digital twin assisted manufacturing capability that can improve quality control and enable process optimization.

A digital twin of a WAAM cell has been implemented using the NVIDIA Omniverse platform. This was achieved by creating a digital geometric representation of the manufacturing cell and its contents, as well as writing new software for data transmission and data aggregation. Instrument and process data can be visualised on screen, in AR and VR. The digital twin is capable of real-time remote monitoring of the movement of the industrial robotic arms housed in the manufacturing cell, as well as monitoring progress in the manufacturing task. The robotic arm movement is mirrored in the digital space using the NVIDIA PhysX physics engine.

The NVIDIA Omniverse platform exhibits a remarkable degree of scalability and extensibility. Its Plug-in architecture allows for swift transitions between system configurations, aligning seamlessly with the evolving landscape of WAAM simulation technology and process control systems. This work will inspire researchers interested in new technologies for data-driven smart manufacturing.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 12 Jun 2024

Keywords

  • Digital twin
  • Additive manufacturing
  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Digital Manufacturing
  • Robotic and Automation

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

  • Henry Royce Institute

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Digital twins for additive manufacturing using direct energy deposition methods'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this