Towards the digital factory twin – design guide for creating a 3D factory model

Shorter product lifecycles are also leading to even shorter planning times for the development of production systems. In most companies, the restructuring is carried out within a few weeks during the annual holidays. Digital tools such as simulations or the digital twin are used to avoid delaying the restructuring during this time. However, the introduction of a 3D model of the factory is often the first point of failure for many companies. This article proposes a six-step process model that enables the transition from 2D to 3D design. The process model was evaluated in a research project.