NSTU-NETI developed a digital twin of electric furnaces. The unique IT solution, created within the framework of the Priority 2030 program, allows staff to train in real time, work out emergency scenarios and accumulate data, but most importantly, it saves companies significant funds.
The interactive digital twin of electric furnaces is a complete copy of the real equipment of the metallurgical industry: from thermal furnaces to steel furnace processing devices. With the help of VR glasses, the development allows company employees to immerse themselves in a virtual environment, learn, work out accident scenarios and keep an archive of emergency situations. In addition, the digital doppelganger can act as an advisor to the furnace operators. According to Viktor Serikov, head of the youth laboratory of Automated Electrotechnological Systems, Candidate of Technical Sciences, a neural network uses a huge number of stories, so it can tell you how to behave in a given situation.
"A hint does not mean a direct order, the program acts only as an adviser. In fact, the digital twin is a simulator that allows you to remotely practice the actions of employees in emergency situations in order to prevent expensive breakdowns and equipment downtime. 15 people can use the digital twin online at the same time — when connected, they will all find themselves in one virtual workshop," said Viktor Serikov.
To create the software, drawings from one of the leading companies in the industry were used, accumulated over more than 15 years, and the software itself was developed in a year at NSTU-NETI. The result is a digital replica of expensive equipment, which has no analogues in Russia and the CIS countries, as well as technology for creating a digital twin of complex equipment in other industries.
"We can make a twin of technological equipment of any complexity in a few months, from furnaces to crushers and mills," Viktor Serikov emphasized.
The digital twin is already being used at enterprises such as NPO Electroterm LLC, MRK LLC, and is being prepared for implementation at the Aktobe Ferroalloy Plant, the Novosibirsk Switch Plant and the Metalex company. The developers plan to use a digital twin to generate applications, repair and automatically manage the workflow, as well as connect to real equipment to display the results of work.