Three real-life examples of how manufacturers can become more flexible, resilient, and sustainable using digital transformation technology

Earlier this year, Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board and CEO of Digital Industries at Siemens, explained in a speech held in Detroit how digital transformation can help accelerate production, scale up and cope with challenges that manufacturers face today. Here are three real examples.

The first problem Siemens solved with a customer, BioNTech Pfizer, was the production of vaccines. As Cedrik explained, never ever have we discovered a virus, developed a vaccine, and built it for billions of people within one and a half years. It usually takes five to six years.

Thanks to digital twins, this was possible so quickly. The companies were researching personalized cancer treatment. So, they needed a digital twin to be able to simulate it and then produce it. So, when the production came, Siemens and BioNTech Pfizer were capable of taking Siemens’ technology and scaling it out massively so that they could produce the amount which we needed for vaccinating as many people as possible. So, that’s one example of what Siemens did in the pharma industry.

Another successful example of using digital twin technology is in the food & beverage industry. For example, there is one company that was looking for maximum flexibility. They wanted to produce ice cream, have a recipe, and produce that ice cream the next day.” It normally takes two to three months, up to six months to do that. Also, they wanted to be able to create one-day ice cream and the next day shampoo, if needed.

Also, the same company wanted to be able for each one of those ice creams they sell to track and measure their carbon footprint.

Another goal was to know exactly the product carbon footprint (PCF) for each ice cream produced. All these goals became a reality using digital transformation technologies.

And here is the third example focused on battery manufacturing. In Europe, Asia, and the U.S., hundreds of billions of dollars will go into manufacturing batteries. And they will go in the next three years. And building batteries is a very inefficient process. Building a battery is extremely energy inefficient and very water-intensive. Just hardening the battery at the end of the process takes 40% of all energy. Just to make it dry, to dry it out, according to Neike.

This idea of dreaming of a better battery, making a better one, and using the battery the better way became a reality again using simulation and digital twin technology.

So, this is what Siemens achieved in a short period: to change the product life cycle and optimize the production factory plant.

Disclaimer: This article is published in partnership with Siemens. Siemens is paying for my engagement, not for promotional purpose. Opinions are my own.