TWINSHIFT: Digital Twin Redefining Design of Tomorrow’s Mobility

Important results from the project

TWINSHIFT developed a digital twin platform that tracks the life cycle of an electric cargo bike chassis – from raw material to customer – with quantified CO₂ comparisons for aluminum, stainless steel and titanium. Simulations were validated against physical test data and the energy consumption of the STILFOLD process was documented. The project also generated a transatlantic collaboration with California Metals, direct method transfer to further research projects and commercial collaborations.

Expected long term effects

TWINSHIFT´s results are expected to lower the threshold for industrial change by creating a basis for decision-making for material selection and manufacturing processes through digital twins. The quantified material and process simulation provides the industry with a basis for decision-making based on real climate impact. The established collaboration creates the conditions for continued international research and commercialization in sustainable manufacturing.

Approach and implementation

The project was implemented in three phases: data model and traceability, virtual model validation, and physical demonstrator and dissemination. The schedule was slightly extended as process data collection and prototyping took longer than planned. The transatlantic collaboration with California Metals worked well. An unexpected insight was how much impact material and supplier have on the total CO₂ footprint versus the manufacturing process.