disclosure
Siemens unveils a next-generation digital model of FREYR battery factories that was developed using NVIDIA technology at the Hannover Messe event. The template was created in part to highlight a strategic partnership announced by Siemens and FREYR, with Siemens becoming FREYR's preferred supplier in automation technology, enabling the Norway-based group to increase production and maximize plant efficiency.
Created by Siemens, the demo uses the development platform NVIDIA Omniverse to provide an immersive experience of FREYR factories and follows the joint vision of an industrial metaverse unveiled last year by Siemens and NVIDIA.
Shown as part of an industrial metaverse experience at the Siemens booth during Hannover Messe 2023, the world's largest industrial technology fair, the demos incorporate operational data from the FREYR factory in Norway.
Highlighting the integration between Siemens Xcelerator and NVIDIA Omniverse, the demo features 3D representations of the infrastructure, plant, machinery, equipment, human ergonomics, safety information, robots, automated guided vehicles, and detailed product and production simulations.
These technologies will help FREYR meet the growing demand for cost-effective, high-density battery cells for stationary energy storage, electric mobility and marine applications.
Amid growing global sustainability initiatives and the rapid electrification of transport, the battery industry is expected to grow by US$ 400 billion by 2030. Battery cell manufacturing is a critical step in the battery value chain, with manufacturers investing billions of dollars into new battery cell factories to meet this new demand.
In the demo, Siemens shows a vision of how teams can leverage digital twins across the industrial metaverse using models of existing and future factories.
In moments, FREYR can arrange a meeting with potential investors or customers to take place inside FREYR's digital factory in Norway and explore the facility's exterior before going inside to see current production processes at work.
The impressive "flythrough” interior instantly conveys the size and scale of the installation. Physically accurate real-time simulation shows how machines and robots inside the factory move and can even simulate complex processes. Sensors that capture machine information allow real-time performance visualization and ergonomic assessments.
“This collaboration shows the importance of digital twins in the industry. Through the NVIDIA Ominverse platform, it is possible to contribute and provide an immersive experience in factories. It is something innovative to share with customers and potential investors from anywhere in the world”, highlights Marcio Aguiar, director of NVIDIA's Enterprise division for Latin America.
The demo also shows how the model can be used for production planning, highlighting how a factory plant manager can quickly assess plant performance using a custom Siemens application, which provides an overview of facility operation.
From there, the manager starts a Microsoft Teams meeting with colleagues in a manufacturing “cell” – which places people, machines and important supplies in a strategic location – within the virtual factory.
The team can examine a robotic arm with poor cycle time issues, access machine performance data, identify specific cycle time issues, and view a live video stream of sensor data on machine performance.
This demo at Hannover Messe is just the beginning as more industries embrace and implement the industrial metaverse.
