Digital Twinning: Welcome from the Editor
Read the full Digital Twinning eBook:
By Deborah Ray, Mouser Electronics
When you think about engineering in the context of Industrial Revolution, do you think of innovations and
advancements that previous generations made possible, or do you think of the innovations and advancements yet to
come? Perhaps both?
Indeed, engineering innovations belong to eras defined by advancements. In the First Industrial Revolution,
engineers harnessed water and steam to advance mechanical production. In the Second Industrial Revolution, engineers
harnessed electricity to further advance efficiency in manufacturing and distribution. In the Third, engineers
brought information technology to the forefront, connecting resources, companies, and people via the Internet, with
technologies, business systems, and manufacturing outgrowths that have taken on lives of their own.
At the tail end of Industry 3.0, we find ourselves a bit whiplashed from the seemingly rapid-fire advances of
recent years. We find ourselves connected to everybody and every “thing” through the Internet, mobile
devices, and the smart infrastructure around us. Yet we also find ourselves not truly integrated with the physical
and cyber systems around us. As a result, we cannot see the larger picture, are limited in the problems we can
solve, and are engineering in relative isolation.
Before we even catch our breath, Industry 4.0 has already begun and has firmly claimed its own identity, purpose,
and scope: To combine the physical systems of the early revolutions with the cyber systems of the recent revolution
with the people, companies, and industries that have come to rely on them. An era of integrative engineering is upon
us. One engineering technique already in use holds tremendous promise in helping us meet these goals. Digital
Twinning maps physical assets to a digital platform that can analyze components, products, systems, and processes;
provide real-time feedback as to efficiency, health, environmental conditions, maintenance needs, and more; and as a
result, enable engineers to create smarter, more efficient, more reliable, more maintainable products, systems, and
processes.
In 2018, we are privileged to have the physical and cyber systems that came before us and to be an integral part of
shaping Industry 4.0. Mouser Electronics is pleased to be on the leading edge supporting the proliferation of
digital twinning as a significant part of the revolution ahead. In this issue of Methods, we hear from one of the
world’s foremost experts on digital twinning; discuss the technology landscape and types of twinning; reveal
the many potential benefits; describe the role of sensors, edge-nodes, and communications; and present security and
end-user privacy implications and solutions. We also present an interesting paradox of digital twins: They require
more sensors and related hardware, yet simultaneously help engineers solve component selection challenges.
As we bring Industry 3.0 to a close and embark on Industry 4.0, we take pause: To acknowledge the engineering
innovation that came before us, to fathom the unique juncture we’re at, and to marvel at the possibilities to
come—the possibilities we will create.
Deborah Ray joined Mouser in early
2017 as Executive Editor of Technical Publications, bringing more than 20 years of experience in technical
publishing. As an author, she has coauthored more than 20 computer books, has published a dozen journal articles,
and previously authored two nationally syndicated newspaper columns. Deborah spent 11 years as Publisher and
Editor-in-Chief of TECHWR-L Magazine, the oldest and one of the largest online publications for technical
communicators worldwide. As an educator, Deborah has taught graduate courses in technical communication at three
universities, as well as undergraduate engineering communications courses, in traditional, online, and broadcast
classrooms. She currently serves as a reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.
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