Overview
ISO 23247-6:2026 is part of the ISO 23247 series that establishes a digital twin framework for manufacturing. This standard focuses on digital twin composition, offering guiding principles, methodologies, and use-case examples for the effective communication, aggregation, and interoperation of digital twins within manufacturing environments. It classifies digital twin composition into three types-integration, unification, and federation-and provides requirements and step-by-step implementation guidelines for each. The goal is to facilitate interoperability between digital twins developed by various parties, such as vendors, solution providers, and in-house teams, enabling scalable, flexible, and reusable digital twin solutions for manufacturing operations.
Key Topics
1. Digital Twin Composition (DTC)
Digital twin composition involves selecting, connecting, and combining multiple digital twins to create a comprehensive, composed digital twin, enhancing the ability to monitor, optimize, and control manufacturing processes.
2. Types of Digital Twin Compositions
- Integrated DTC: Combines component digital twins into a central system using a common data model and centralized control.
- Unified DTC: Connects independently developed digital twins while maintaining their distinct schemas, using an interoperability layer or middleware for coordination.
- Federated DTC: Enables peer-to-peer communication among autonomous digital twins without centralized control, suitable for decentralized environments.
3. Benefits of Digital Twin Composition
- Enhanced reusability of digital twins across multiple use cases
- Improved efficiency in monitoring and analyzing manufacturing systems
- Increased flexibility for configuration and scenario testing
- Cost reduction and faster deployment by leveraging existing digital assets
- Scalability for complex and expanding manufacturing operations
4. Lifecycle of Digital Twin Composition
- Specification: Define objectives, requirements, and select the DTC type.
- Design: Plan architecture, data standards, and deployment strategies.
- Development: Implement, interconnect, test, and document composed digital twins.
- Operation: Deploy, monitor, update, and maintain the composed system in real-world manufacturing.
Applications
The practical application of ISO 23247-6 is central to digital transformation in smart manufacturing. By standardizing the composition of digital twins, organizations can:
- Integrate digital representations of equipment, robots, processes, and materials to optimize factory performance.
- Enable multi-vendor and cross-domain interoperability, supporting collaborative production environments.
- Implement modular, scalable solutions that adapt to changes in manufacturing lines or supply chains.
- Enhance predictive maintenance, process optimization, and in-process adaptation through composed digital twins.
- Support plug-and-play deployment and rapid system prototyping, reducing downtime and engineering effort.
Use-case examples in the standard include:
- Integrating a robot arm with an end-effector through an integrated DTC.
- Unifying digital twins for a cutting process with product and machine data.
- Federating automated guided vehicle (AGV) digital twins for logistics across assembly lines.
Related Standards
- ISO 23247-1: General principles and requirements for manufacturing digital twins.
- ISO 23247-2: Reference architecture with functional views for digital twin systems.
- ISO 23247-3: Basic information attributes for observable manufacturing elements.
- ISO 23247-4: Technical requirements for information exchange between entities.
- ISO 23247-5: Guidance on connecting manufacturing lifecycle data to digital twins using digital threads.
These related ISO standards collectively support the implementation of comprehensive, interoperable, and future-proof digital twin solutions for smart manufacturing environments.
By referencing ISO 23247-6:2026 for digital twin composition in manufacturing, organizations can harness standard methods for combining digital twins, ensuring interoperability, efficiency, and reliability in advanced automation systems.
Open preview (PDF)Automation systems and integration — Digital twin framework for manufacturing — Part 6: Digital twin composition
