How the auto industry leverages ‘virtual twin’ tech to speed production and slash costs

With a few swipes and pinches of the fingers, a perfectly formed silicon wafer pops out of a machine.

The wafer—used to power any number of electronic functions—is a figment of virtual reality in this case, as is the production process and the pristine laboratory where it’s made. Tech Brew got a demo of this “virtual twin” technology during a May 16 visit to French multinational software company Dassault Systemès’ suburban Detroit tech center.

“The amount of pressure that all of the OEMs are under, all the suppliers are under, is absolutely tremendous,” Bill DeVries, Dassault’s VP of industry transformation and success, said. “EVs, autonomous driving, competitive pressure from low-cost countries…These are all factors that are driving automotive OEMs to consider new technologies.”

That’s where the virtual twin, which Dassault offers via its 3DEXPERIENCE platform, comes into play. The technology differs from digital twins, executives explained, in that it can provide a more dynamic, three-dimensional view of data.

The silicon wafer laboratory is just one example of a virtual twin solution. There, using a virtual reality headset, users have an immersive view into a wafer fabrication facility and can simulate the process of making a silicon wafer. The initiative, a collaboration between Dassault, Purdue University, and Lam Research, is aimed at aiding research and workforce development in the semiconductor industry.

Tom Acland, CEO of Dassault’s 3DEXCITE brand, said that new workforce needs have emerged in response to growing demand for silicon: “Intelligent driving systems are increasingly powered by…AI-driven algorithms,” he said. “The ability to actually execute these algorithms means you need a certain type of chip.”

The program aims to make the training process more efficient. Students can learn laboratory basics via the VR tool and use their time in the physical lab more effectively, thus reducing the amount of time needed in physical spaces, Acland explained.

The applications go beyond training; DeVries said that Dassault’s customers are using virtual twins of electric vehicles and battery plants, for example. In the EV sector, the technology has proven especially helpful for startups that don’t have manufacturing experience to fall back on, DeVries said.

“Speed and cost: That’s what they’re all about. They want to figure out how they can…get their product to market faster and do it at a lower cost,” he said. “That is what [Dassault’s] 3DEXPERIENCE platform is enabling. That is what virtual twins are allowing our customers to do.”