Creation of a digital twin from a mechanical model

A method for creating a simulation model of an industrial automation system, comprising:

• receiving, by a computer-aided design (CAD) system via interaction with a graphical interface display, mechanical design input data;
• generating, by the CAD system, a three-dimensional (3D) mechanical model of an industrial automation system based on the mechanical design input data;
• displaying, by the CAD system, an aspect toolbar that displays selectable control aspects associated with respective simulation properties, wherein the selectable control aspects correspond to respective types of industrial assets or control elements;
• receiving, by the CAD system via interaction with the aspect toolbar, aspect specification input data that selects a control aspect from the selectable control aspects, corresponding to an industrial asset or control element;
• receiving, by the CAD system via interaction with the 3D mechanical model, selection of a component of the 3D mechanical model;
• and
• in response to the receiving of the selection of the component of the 3D mechanical model, assigning, by the CAD system to the component, a simulation property of the industrial asset or control element associated with the aspect,
• wherein the assigning of the simulation property converts the 3D mechanical model from a static mechanical representation to a digital twin of the industrial automation system capable of simulation within a simulation platform in accordance with the simulation property.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computer-aided design (CAD) system comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

• receiving mechanical design input data via interaction with a graphical interface display;
• generating a three-dimensional (3D) mechanical model of an industrial automation system based on the mechanical design input data;
• displaying a toolbar that displays selectable control aspects, wherein the selectable control aspects correspond to respective types of industrial assets or control elements and define respective simulation properties of the types of industrial assets or control elements;
• receiving, via interaction with the toolbar, selection of an aspect from the selectable control aspects, corresponding to an industrial asset or control element;
• receiving, via interaction with the 3D mechanical model, selection of an element of the 3D mechanical model;
• in response to the receiving of the selection of the element, assigning a simulation property of the industrial asset or control element defined by the aspect to the element,
• wherein the assigning of the simulation property causes the 3D mechanical model to be converted from a static mechanical representation to a digital twin capable of simulating behavior of the industrial automation system within a simulation platform in accordance with the simulation property.