At the Lürssen shipyard in Bremen , the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University and the PLM specialist PROSTEP are working to drive digitization of shipbuilding forward. In the context of the joint ProProS project that is running until 2022 and has been funded with a grant of EUR 3.2 million from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) , a demonstrator for a digital twin is being created for production and assembly processes in shipyards.

The model simulates target data, such as assembly sequences, for the product structure or planned timings, and compares them in real time with actual values from ongoing production. Those involved in the project first develop a solution for early detection of process disruptions which can occur, for example, as a result of components that are missing or have not yet been made ready. In a subsequent development stage, the digital twin should then be in a position to intervene in process control and recommend alternative production and assembly processes to reduce or completely eliminate delays.