A Deep-Reinforcement-Learning-Based Digital Twin for Manufacturing Process Optimization

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Bibliographic Details
Title: A Deep-Reinforcement-Learning-Based Digital Twin for Manufacturing Process Optimization
Authors: Abdelmoula Khdoudi, Tawfik Masrour, Ibtissam El Hassani, Choumicha El Mazgualdi
Source: Systems, Vol 12, Iss 2, p 38 (2024)
Publisher Information: MDPI AG
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles
Subject Terms: digital twin, smart manufacturing, deep reinforcement learning, twin delayed DDPG algorithm, PPO algorithm, manufacturing process optimization, Systems engineering, TA168, Technology (General), T1-995
Description: In the context of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing, production factories are increasingly focusing on process optimization, high product customization, quality improvement, cost reduction, and energy saving by implementing a new type of digital solutions that are mainly driven by Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing. By the adoption of the cyber–physical systems (CPSs) concept, today’s factories are gaining in synergy between the physical and the cyber worlds. As a fast-spreading concept, a digital twin is considered today as a robust solution for decision-making support and optimization. Alongside these benefits, sectors are still working to adopt this technology because of the complexity of modeling manufacturing operations as digital twins. In addition, attempting to use a digital twin for fully automatic decision-making adds yet another layer of complexity. This paper presents our framework for the implementation of a full-duplex (data and decisions) specific-purpose digital twin system for autonomous process control, with plastic injection molding as a practical use-case. Our approach is based on a combination of supervised learning and deep reinforcement learning models that allows for an automated updating of the virtual representation of the system, in addition to an intelligent decision-making process for operational metrics optimization. The suggested method allows for improvements in the product quality while lowering costs. The outcomes demonstrate how the suggested structure can produce high-quality output with the least amount of human involvement. This study shows how the digital twin technology can improve the productivity and effectiveness of production processes and advances the use of the technology in the industrial sector.
Document Type: article in journal/newspaper
Language: English
Relation: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/12/2/38; https://doaj.org/toc/2079-8954; https://doaj.org/article/31ca2694304146da8950366ddfa5075f
DOI: 10.3390/systems12020038
Availability: https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12020038
https://doaj.org/article/31ca2694304146da8950366ddfa5075f
Accession Number: edsbas.EAC1D981
Database: BASE
Description
Abstract:In the context of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing, production factories are increasingly focusing on process optimization, high product customization, quality improvement, cost reduction, and energy saving by implementing a new type of digital solutions that are mainly driven by Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing. By the adoption of the cyber–physical systems (CPSs) concept, today’s factories are gaining in synergy between the physical and the cyber worlds. As a fast-spreading concept, a digital twin is considered today as a robust solution for decision-making support and optimization. Alongside these benefits, sectors are still working to adopt this technology because of the complexity of modeling manufacturing operations as digital twins. In addition, attempting to use a digital twin for fully automatic decision-making adds yet another layer of complexity. This paper presents our framework for the implementation of a full-duplex (data and decisions) specific-purpose digital twin system for autonomous process control, with plastic injection molding as a practical use-case. Our approach is based on a combination of supervised learning and deep reinforcement learning models that allows for an automated updating of the virtual representation of the system, in addition to an intelligent decision-making process for operational metrics optimization. The suggested method allows for improvements in the product quality while lowering costs. The outcomes demonstrate how the suggested structure can produce high-quality output with the least amount of human involvement. This study shows how the digital twin technology can improve the productivity and effectiveness of production processes and advances the use of the technology in the industrial sector.
DOI:10.3390/systems12020038