Towards digital twinning for additive manufacturing of medical implants
| dc.contributor.advisor | Van der Merwe, André Francois | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Anderson, Anje Marjorie | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-10-27T12:51:46Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-12-22T14:17:58Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-10-27T12:51:46Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-12-22T14:17:58Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021-12 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The level of complexity of a business increases as additive manufacturing (AM) is introduced into their process chains. As AM of medical implants is becoming more popular, more complexity within process chains arises. As more intricate technologies are used, more steps are added to the process chain, more workers and supervision are needed, and the flawless flow of the process chain becomes essential. As more activities occur within the business, time becomes an essential resource that needs to be allocated optimally. Finding a tool to help with the optimisation of resources can put a business on the right path. In this study, an intensive literature review was conducted to inform the researcher on the day-to- day operations at the Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM) and how it works. An in-depth investigation of the process chain at CRPM was furthermore done to identify problem areas. By studying the process chain thoroughly, it was possible to gain in-depth insight into what the as-is state and the desired to-be state were. The optimisation of time was identified as one desired goal for the to-be state. As time is a limiting factor that cannot be replaced or stored, finding a bridge to fill the gap between current and desired states becomes even more important. Hence this investigation into digital twinning. Digital twins are virtual replicas of businesses, processes, or systems. The steps needed to develop a digital twin were researched. Two basic digital twin examples were developed and illustrated how the user can adjust data and the process to solve problems. The digital twin examples include a basic costing system that can predict what the total cost of a certain product will be. Whether or not to use digital twin technology within a business can be a daunting decision; therefore, a decision- making tool was suggested to help the business decide when to use a digital twin and when other quality tools would be more appropriate. The decision-making tool was applied to CRPM and showed that a digital twin is a better fit than other quality tools in some instances. Digital twins are adaptable and can therefore be adjusted and changed to suit the needs of the business. They are also found to be valuable planning tools that can aid in the optimisation of time usage by ensuring that a business knows what will happen in each type of situation. Changes to the process chain can be made and the effects were seen without having to implement the changes physically, thereby optimising time usage at CRPM as no time is wasted with unnecessary processes or planning. This study concludes that a digital twin can act as a possible tool to aid in the optimisation of time usage in AM businesses. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met toename in die gebruik van laagvervaardiging in die proseskettings van besighede, verhoog die vlak van kompleksiteit. Omdat die laagvervaardiging van mediese inplantings meer populêr word, raak die kompleksiteit van prosesse ʼn groter uitdaging. Met die gebruik van meer ingewikkelde tegnologie word al hoe meer stappe in die prosesketting voorgestel, daarom word meer werkers en toesig benodig en word die foutlose vloei van die prosesketting uiters belangrik. Meer aktiwiteite beteken die gebruik van meer tyd, en die optimalisering van die beskikbare tyd word noodsaaklik. Daarom word ʼn hulpbron benodig om te help met die optimalisering van bronne. n hierdie studie is ʼn intensiewe literatuurstudie gedoen en ʼn goeie agtergrond gegee oor die dag- tot-dag werksaamhede van CRPM. ʼn In-diepte studie is verder gedoen oor die prosesketting by CRPM, wat ʼn aantal probleemareas geïdentifiseer het. Deur die prosesketting deeglik te bestudeer, kon die navorser agterkom wat die huidige toestand en die gewenste toekomstige toestand van CRPM was. Die optimalisering van tydsgebruik is as een van die gewenste toestande geïdentifiseer. Aangesien tyd ʼn beperkte bron is, word die aanvraag om die gaping tussen nou en die toekoms te brug al hoe belangriker, daarom het hierdie ondersoek oor digitale tweelinge begin. Digitale tweelinge is virtuele replikas van besighede, prosesse of sisteme. Navorsing is gedoen om die stappe vir die ontwikkeling van ʼn digitale tweeling te identifiseer. Twee basiese digitale tweeling voorbeelde is ontwikkel en het geïllustreer hoe die gebruiker data en die proses kan aanpas om probleme op te los. Die digitale tweeling voorbeelde sluit ʼn basiese koste-model in wat kan voorspel wat die totale koste van ʼn bepaalde produk gaan wees. Dit is nie altyd maklik om te besluit om ʼn digitale tweeling te gebruik nie, en daarom is ʼn besluitnemingsproses voorgestel om die gebruiker te help om te kan besluit wanneer ʼn digitale tweeling gebruik moet word en wanneer ander kwaliteitsgereedskap meer toepaslik sou wees. Die besluitnemingsproses is toegepas op CRPM se prosesketting en het aangedui dat ʼn digitale tweeling in sommige gevalle beter werk. Digitale tweelinge is aanpasbaar en kan verander om die behoeftes van die besigheid te akkommodeer. Hulle is ook waardevolle hulpmiddels in beplanning en kan help om te verseker dat tydsgebruik geoptimaliseer word deur seker te maak dat besighede vooraf weet wat in elke tipe situasie sal gebeur. Aangesien digitale tweelinge replikas van die proses, sisteem of subsisteem is, elimineer dit die onbekende, wat help met die beplanning van prosesse en tydsgebruik. Veranderinge kan gemaak word en die effekte daarvan kan gesien word sonder dat die besigheid fisies enige verandering implementeer. Sodoende word tydsgebruik by CRPM geoptimaliseer en word geen tyd gemors op onnodige prosesse of beplanning nie. Hierdie studie sluit af deur te bevestig dat digitale tweelinge ʼn voldoende hulpmiddel is om tydsgebruik in laagvervaardigingbesighede te optimaliseer. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Masters | en_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | 135 pages | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123725 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Digital Twin | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Additive Manufacturing | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Decision support systems | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Rapid prototyping | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Implants, medical | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Towards digital twinning for additive manufacturing of medical implants | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |