Fluid technology company SPX FLOW has collaborated with Siemens to highlight cutting-edge digital twin technology at the new Manufacturing x Digital (MxD) center.

Based in Chicago, US, MxD is described as a hub for innovation in manufacturing, driving advances across industries such as food and beverage, chemicals, and batteries. The transformative potential of digital twin technology is said to be further enhanced by industrial 5G connectivity and modular production using software-defined module type package, or MTP, concepts, showcased through an automated mixing tank with an associated digital twin.

The collaboration combines SPX FLOW's fluid processing solutions, including mixers, pumps, and valves, with Siemens' Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity solutions and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation capabilities to create a digital twin, which is a precise virtual replica of the physical systems of an autonomous mixing tank concept. This enables users to design, test, and optimise fluid systems virtually, aimed at helping to mitigate risks, improve efficiency and accelerate innovation.

SPX FLOW says it helps Siemens to demonstrate the potential of its virtual simulation technologies by creating a digital twin of a flexible, autonomous production process that manufacturers can use to optimise production, validate throughput, and boost efficiency and flexibility when compared to traditional fixed production lines. The approach also allows for continuous mixing of materials or ingredients while the autonomous mobile robot, or AMR, navigates the plant to ensure optimal production capacity and quality.

"Our innovative fluid technologies combined with simulation-based digital twins and AI-driven modelling enables us to deliver faster, customer-focused solutions," said SPX FLOW VP: global manufacturing and supply chain Tyrone Jeffers.

CFD modelling and IoT conditional monitoring support product development by:

• Accelerating innovation: reducing modelling time while improving precision.
• Improving efficiency: refining designs with enhanced flow analysis.
• Integrating seamlessly: aligning digital twins with real-world applications.
• Smart products: leveraging IoT conditional monitoring to optimise equipment performance and enable predictive maintenance.

"Working together with SPX FLOW and harnessing the power of live connections between the physical and digital worlds in digital twin models, we are helping customers to achieve faster time to market, optimise system performance, reduce costs and resource usage, and deliver tailored, application-specific solutions to meet their unique needs," said Siemens digital industries software: Americas MD Del Costy.