Knowledge-Based Engineering Design Supported by a Digital Twin Platform

Data generated throughout the product development lifecycle is often unused to its full potential, particularly for improving the engineering design process. Although Knowledge-Based Engineering (KBE) approaches are not new, the Digital Twin (DT) concept is giving new momentum to it, fostering the availability of lifecycle data with the potential to be transformed into new design knowledge. This approach creates an opportunity to research how digital infrastructures and new knowledge-based processes can be articulated to implement more effective KBE approaches. This paper describes how combining a DT-based Digital Platform (DP) with new engineering design processes can improve Knowledge Management (KM) in product design. A case study of a company in the energy sector highlights the challenges and benefits of this approach.