Based on the data analysis program BeltGenius ERIC (Efficiency and Reliability Intelligent Control), Voith GmbH shows that even a traditional industrial sector such as mining can benefit from digitization. The system collects the performance data of belt conveyors, such as engine power, temperature, belt pretension, and belt speed. It feeds this data to a digital twin, located on an external server at Voith, that maps numerous other parameters, including the belt length, diameter of the drive drums, and the topography.

Based on these values, BeltGenius ERIC determines a standardized efficiency value for the respective system, which also enables a direct comparison of the systems in use. The system triggers an alarm in the event of sudden deviations in the efficiency value. The use of additional RFID chips allows a quick identification of individual belts. This means that less efficient systems or system sections can be replaced as needed. In addition, the comparison between the actually retrieved and the maximum power consumption enables the identification and use of power reserves. But digital twins are also gaining in importance in other industrial areas: The University of Bayreuth, for example, is currently working on the HiPerSim4all project , which aims to enable small and medium-sized enterprises, among other things, to use digital twins for simulation-based product development.