Troester – Digital Twin of an Extrusion Line in the Tire Industry
TROESTER GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Hanover, is the global leader in manufacturing systems for the rubber, cable, and compounding industries.
For over 130 years, TROESTER has delivered system solutions to its customers, backed by extensive experience and concentrated expertise.
The company stands for advanced high-end technology — progress rooted in tradition.
Today, this family-owned business employs around 650 people at locations worldwide, including Germany, China, the USA, India, Mexico, and Switzerland.
Assignment
For an extrusion line used in the production of tire components, the end customer required a digital twin.
The first step focused on the virtual commissioning of the PLC controls, followed by a second phase dedicated to operator training.
For a virtual Factory Acceptance Test (FAT), various test scenarios were specified.
Implementation
The emulation model, based on Emulate3D, was primarily developed by SimPlan and handed over to Troester for virtual commissioning.
Due to the complexity of the mechanisms involved, the emulation model was created using 3D CAD data. For kinematic modeling, Emulate3D’s CAD is the Model module was used.
Custom simulation modules were developed to emulate the various automation components.
Since the test scenarios required manual operation of the extruder head, comprehensive operator panels were also modeled.
In addition, trigger options for initiating fault scenarios were implemented.
Extensive testing of the emulation model and its individual components — still without PLC connection — marked the completion of the model development phase.
Outcome
Following the joint commissioning of the emulation environment, extensive virtual tests of the PLC controls were carried out, along with the virtual FAT involving the end customer.
Although the creation of the digital twin was externally driven, the PLC programmers agreed that the emulation significantly supported the development of the control code.
Even the visualization of processes and movements — often referred to as a by-product of emulation — proved to be extremely helpful for all parties involved.