SAS is seeking to help transform critical processes in the manufacturing industry with enhanced digital twin capabilities that combine SAS’ artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics with Unreal Engine (UE) from Epic Games.
As today’s factories generate huge quantities of data from multiple systems and thousands of sensors, properly harnessed data can help optimize operations and achieve unprecedented efficiency, productivity and innovation.
With these digital twins, manufacturers like Georgia-Pacific (GP) can experiment with new strategies in simulated digital worlds that will result in best practices to implement across businesses and industry.
Georgia-Pacific Pilot
GP is piloting these enhanced digital twins at its Savannah River Mill that manufactures napkins, paper towels and toilet tissue. GP is leveraging SAS’ technology to optimize its use of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and other processes.
“With the help of SAS and Unreal Engine, we can create realistic simulations of factory operations. Imagine watching AGVs navigate through a bustling factory floor, reacting to proximity alerts, obstacles and rare adverse events in real time,” said Roshan Shah, GP’s Vice President of AI & Products, in a statement. “The powerful analysis and photorealistic simulations delivered by SAS’ enhanced digital twins can enable decision making and boost output at Savannah River Mill. And they hold great promise for improving productivity, safety and efficiency at other GP facilities.”
Tech Behind the Digital Twins
SAS used RealityScan, a mobile app developed by Epic, to capture photorealistic renderings of GP’s Savannah plant and import them into UE as well. UE, the world’s most open and advanced real-time 3D creation tool, enables developers and creators to build interactive 3D experiences.
Epic operates Fortnite, battle testing the latest UE rendering technology in one of the world’s largest games. Epic makes this same technology available for use across games, film and television, architecture, automotive, simulation and other industries.
Combining SAS analytics and UE, GP is fine-tune operations without disrupting actual production lines. SAS software, including SAS Viya, helps turn massive amounts of data from factory operations and sensors into useful insights and smarter decisions—including connecting UE simulations with Viya optimization routines.
By integrating Viya capabilities into digital environments, users can run simulations to find the best solutions. Instead of time-consuming and expensive testing, businesses can use digital twins to spot any issues they might have missed. The pilot is expected to deliver cost savings and higher-quality products, according to company officials.
Better Digital Models
“With SAS’ advanced analytics and Unreal Engine, GP created an amazing example for how a digital twin can create real-world value for businesses,” said Bill Clifford, Vice President and General Manager of Unreal Engine at Epic Games. “SAS is opening the door for manufacturers to bring complex data and automated systems to life through 3D visuals. This will make high-fidelity, interactive digital twins more accessible so manufacturers can upgrade their operations, gain better real-time insights and save money.”
UE’s physics simulation and its next-generation lighting and refractive surface effects help create highly detailed and realistic digital models. These features allow manufacturers to visualize and interact with their operations in a digital environment, and when combined with advanced AI, lead to more accurate predictions and better business decisions.
The enhanced digital twins offered by SAS and UE make advanced analytics more accessible to a wider group of people with varying job roles and experience. In addition to data scientists and quantitative experts, frontline workers, machine operators and engineers can now more easily use data and AI.
Beyond the Manufacturing Floor
SAS plans to extend these capabilities to additional manufacturers and explore other industries that could benefit from enhanced digital twins. In health care, this solution could significantly strengthen hospital operations by simulating and optimizing patient flows, predicting equipment maintenance and enriching staff training. Additionally, it could improve patient outcomes, reduce operational costs and ensure resources are used efficiently.
Similarly, in urban planning, enhanced digital twins can model and optimize the development of smart cities, helping create more sustainable and livable urban environments.
Bryan Harris, Chief Technology Officer of SAS, notes that for a generation that grew up playing video games, gaming technology is a way to transform business decision making from charts and spreadsheets to immersive experiences with amazing visual fidelity.
“As manufacturers hire the next generation of workers, they need to make the use of data and AI more engaging and appealing,” said Harris. “Gamifying business processes and tasks can make them less repetitive and more engaging, boosting productivity and bottom-line results.”