Designing, building and operating a manufacturing facility is a complex process with countless moving parts and vast amounts of data. Every phase of a facility's life cycle — from determining production flow and equipment placement to installation, operation and maintenance — requires seamless integration and precise data management.
A modern solution to the challenges of building and operating a manufacturing facility, especially in the face of supply chain shortages and labor gaps, is the optimization of technology like digital twins. In the simplest terms, a digital twin is a virtual replica of a real-world object or system. Through an interactive virtual design program, integrated project teams develop a virtual prototype that mirrors all the elements of a manufacturing facility, down to the last electrical wire. By creating virtual replicas of physical systems, companies like PCL Construction can help manufacturers enhance their understanding of operations, optimize production scheduling and simulate “what-if” scenarios to assess the impact of potential line, speed or process enhancement or interruptions from down time upon production.
PCL has long been committed to continuous innovation — like those offered by digital twin technology — to enhance value for clients. Across North America, the company excels in the planning, design and construction of a wide range of manufacturing facilities, having built more than 48 million square feet of manufacturing projects. To further capitalize on this growing sector, PCL operates a manufacturing division, bringing together a group of manufacturing experts within the company under one fully integrated team.
“Integrating digital advancements like digital twins has become a part of PCL’s standard operations,” says Andrew Ahrendt, director of national manufacturing with PCL. “By leveraging a digital twin, we can guide our owners through upfront scenario planning and lifecycle savings. We call this the ‘Art of the Start.’”
By following key stages throughout the life cycle of a manufacturing facility, PCL can streamline data management, enhance operational efficiency and provide robust solutions for modern manufacturing and construction challenges.
- Design and Planning Phase: The project team creates 3D BIM models of the manufacturing facility, including equipment placement, piping and electrical systems. Production processes are simulated within the digital twin to determine material flow, cycle times and potential obstacles. Additionally, all data from engineering drawings, equipment specifications and materials are incorporated into the digital twin.
- Construction Phase: Sensors are installed on critical equipment and infrastructure to collect real-time data on progress, environmental conditions and potential issues and delays to the construction phase through interaction with Job Sight Insights IoT site monitoring. Throughout construction and until scope completion, the project team integrates quality inspection data into the digital twin.
- Commissioning and Startup Phase: The project team works with the operations team to calibrate sensors and validate the digital twin against actual operational data to ensure accuracy. The team then uses the digital twin to monitor key performance indicators such as production rates, energy consumption and equipment uptime.
- Operations Phase: The operations team continuously collects data from sensors and integrates it into the digital twin to provide a live representation of plant operations. This data can be analyzed to identify potential equipment failures before they happen, allowing for preventative maintenance. The digital twin can also be used to simulate capabilities by testing different operational scenarios and identifying areas for improvement.
By using a digital twin, teams can monitor every aspect of a manufacturing project, from preconstruction through operations, all within one integrated platform.
While the complexity of a digital twin can vary based on the amount of data incorporated, PCL develops comprehensive digital twin models for manufacturing facilities, offering operators detailed insights into all systems and assets within the building — right down to individual production lines.
In manufacturing, PCL leverages digital twins for a variety of applications, including:
- Unified Data Management: Integrate separate data systems to ensure data consistency and seamless communication.
- Reduced Costs: Minimize downtime by predicting maintenance requirements and optimizing resource utilization. This also addresses workforce shortages by leveraging AI for autonomous plant operations.
- Enhanced Quality: Monitor and control production to ensure consistent product quality.
- Faster Innovation: Test new designs and processes virtually before implementing them in the physical plant.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Leverage real-time data insights to make informed operational decisions.
To best optimize these applications, implementing digital twin technology requires careful consideration of several key factors. Accuracy is paramount — ensuring the digital twin remains a valuable tool depends on high-quality data collection and seamless integration. Achieving this requires close collaboration between design, engineering, construction, operations and IT teams. Additionally, the model must be scalable, allowing for future modifications and expansions as the manufacturing facility evolves.
The manufacturing team at PCL has a deep expertise in optimizing these critical elements and can adapt to a client’s preferred data management programs and digital twin software. Moreover, PCL excels at training operators to effectively utilize the digital twin model.
"We can map everything, enabling seamless communication between different databases,” says Ahrendt. “Whether the information is in advanced design software, commissioning software or spreadsheets, we can cross-reference it all to ensure it is traceable and integrated into a single platform. Data democratization is key."
PCL's innovative use of digital twin technology is revolutionizing the way manufacturing facilities are designed, built and operated. By creating virtual replicas of physical systems, PCL enables manufacturers to gain deeper insights and make data-driven decisions. This commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology not only enhances operational efficiency and reduces costs but also ensures the highest standards of quality and safety.