Computers & Industrial Engineering 181 (2023) 109306

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Computers & Industrial Engineering

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/caie

HIDT: A Digital Twin modeling approach through hierarchical integration

for industrial internet
Hongxia Zhang ∗, Qiqi Feng, Mengde Wu, Shiyu Xi, Peiying Zhang
QingDao institude of software, College of computer science and technology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, ShanDong, China

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Keywords: As the foundation of Digital Twin technology, modeling plays a pivotal role in the industrial internet. However,
Industry 4.0 the research still faces significant challenges in modeling complex production lines. This paper presents a
Digital twin hierarchical modeling approach by integrating multi-dimensional scenes for a complex production line(HIDT).
Modeling
The construction process of each dimension model at different levels is modeled firstly. Then the connection
Layer
and interaction rules between the models are defined. Finally, a clothing production line was taken to verify
its feasibility. The results show that the method can avoid repetitive work in the construction process. The
constructed model is more realistic and can collect data by classification, which provides help for data analysis

1. Introduction
‘‘Industry 4.0’’ (Kagermann et al., 2013) and information technology
have promoted the digital transformation of the industry. It is con-
ducive to constructing an information framework that combines data
collection, interconnection, intelligent control, and other production
links. However, the traditional industry problems in data collection
and information analysis hinder digital progress. For example, data
collection in complex procedures is difficult, and slow data analysis
cannot reflect the current production situation. Industrial internet can
connect all the factors involved in production into the network, for
managers to improve production efficiency by analyzing, forecasting,
and controlling these elements. Therefore, the industrial internet will
effectively solve the dilemma of traditional industries. The concept
of Digital Twins originated in the product lifecycle management field
(Grieves, 2014) and gradually applied to the military and aviation fields
(Tuegel et al., 2011). With advances in artificial intelligence, virtual
reality, and other technologies, Digital Twin technology is widespread
in industry (Fang et al., 2022; Tao et al., 2018), medicine (Elayan
et al., 2021; Garg, 2021; Hassani et al., 2022), construction (El Jazzar
et al., 2020; Opoku et al., 2021, 2022), energy (Francisco et al.,
2020; Sleiti et al., 2022), and other fields. It obtains multi-source data
by mapping and simulating entities in virtual space, and integrates
artificial intelligence technology to provide analysis and prediction
functions. In the industrial field, PTC, IBM, GE, and other companies
have made important contributions to the industrial internet develop-
ment by using digital twin technology. The implementation process of
the industrial internet implies the conception, forming, and fine-tuning
of corresponding Digital Twins, and the use of the technology in the
three stages is different (Leng, Wang et al., 2021). In the design stage
of the production system, the Digital Twin verifies the feasibility of
the physical scheme through simulation and finds the problem in time.
In the configuration phase, semi-physical commissioning is generally
adopted to detect the system performance to provide a more efficient
scheme (Leng et al., 2020; Leng, Zhou et al., 2021). During the system
operation, the Digital Twin technology analyzes and decides the pro-
duction situation and feeds back the adjustment instruction to guide the
production of the physical system (Leng et al., 2022, 2023). Meanwhile,
there is a significant relationship between Digital Twin technology and
the mass personalized service of the industrial internet (Aheleroff, Xu
et al., 2021). It means that the industrial internet will replace the
industrial internet of things and become an opportunity to promote the
transformation of the manufacturing industry from mass manufacturing
to personalized customization. Therefore, Digital Twin technology will
effectively solve the dilemma of traditional industries. Meanwhile, as
the basis of the technology, the Digital Twin is significant throughout
the whole life cycle of production.
Recently, researchers have shown an increased interest in Digital
Twin modeling in industrial fields. Most Digital Twin modeling focus
on the physical dimension (Ruan et al., 2021; Wei et al., 2021), which
provides support for the analysis and prediction of physical properties.
A few models are constructed based on the geometric features (Zhang
et al., 2021) and behavioral attributes (Boulfani et al., 2020; Luo et al.,
2020) of entities. The former realizes the visualization of the structure,
while the latter ensures the accuracy of the motion control. Later, due

∗ Correspondence to: No. 66, Changjiang West Road, West Coast New District, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
E-mail address: zhanghx@upc.edu.cn (H. Zhang).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2023.109306
Received 9 January 2023; Received in revised form 5 May 2023; Accepted 15 May 2023
Available online 18 May 2023
0360-8352/© 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
H. Zhang et al.
to the actual production demand, the model is gradually applied to
multi-dimensional and multi-scale complex scenes (Liu et al., 2020; Luo
et al., 2019). But most studies have only focused on critical equipment
or simple production lines. Few detailed modeling methods for complex
production lines involving equipment, workshops, workers, and other
production factors have been discussed. Generally, the Digital Twin
modeling methods for complex production lines are mainly hierarchical
(Phua et al., 2022; Zheng & Tian, 2022) and modular (Guo et al.,
2019; Mykoniatis & Harris, 2021). However, these approaches focus
on dismantling complex entities in a structured manner, and it is still
a challenge to realize the interaction between modules or layers.
The emergence of the industrial internet makes it more urgent to
model the digital twin for complex production lines. In this paper, we
propose a system incorporates multi-dimensional scenes and completes
the bottom-up progressive modeling hierarchically. First, three dimen-
sions models of geometry, physics, and behavior are built to simulate
entities at different layers of the production line. Then, the connection
integration rule and the data statistical integration rule are defined to
achieve the fusion and encapsulation of multi-dimensional models. The
event response rule and the state transition rule are defined to satisfy
the virtual-real interaction required through Digital Twin. Finally, the
feasibility and effectiveness of the Digital Twin modeling approach
through hierarchical integration(HIDT) are verified by Digital Twin
modeling of a complex clothing production line.
To summarize, the contributions of this paper are as follows.
(1) A hierarchically integration Digital Twin modeling approach for
complex production lines is proposed. This approach solves the problem
of repetitive build for similar structures, which realizes the flexible
invocation of modules and fast modeling of entities.
(2) We define geometric, physical, and behavioral models for each
entity involved in production, which realizes the comprehensive map-
ping of the physical world and promotes the simulation of the model
to the entity.
(3) We design a series of simulation rules to satisfy the fusion be-
tween different models of the same entity and the interaction between
layers. It helps the fast response and update of the model to events
logically.
The remaining part of the paper proceeds as follows. Section 2 is
the research of Digital Twin modeling in the industry field. Section 3
proposes a hierarchical modeling method for complex production lines
to meet the needs of the industrial internet. Section 4 verifies the fea-
sibility of the proposed method by constructing a clothing production
line model. Section 5 summarizes the research content.
2. Related works
Digital Twin (DT) promotes the comprehensive connection of hu-
man, machine, and material in manufacturing, and is the cornerstone
of realizing industrial internet. One of the challenges in implementing
the industrial internet is modeling technology, which serves as the
foundation of DT.
There are two types of DT modeling for equipment: performance
modeling and comprehensive modeling. Performance modeling can
provide accurate service for equipment, which is more in line with the
needs of production and manufacturing. Peng et al. (2019) designed a
low-cost modular software development platform to evaluate the health
of digital spacecraft lithium-ion battery packs. Ghosh et al. (2019) used
a hidden Markov model to construct the DT, and the wear condition of
cutting tools is mastered through the simulation of reproducing events.
However, the performance and index of each device are different, so
this modeling method is not universal. The comprehensive modeling
approach avoids this drawback by modeling all the features of the
equipment. Zhou et al. (2020) proposed a knowledge-driven DT man-
ufacturing unit modeling method which realizes intelligent perception,
simulation, prediction, optimization, and other functions of the DT
through a dynamic knowledge base and knowledge-based artificial
2
Computers & Industrial Engineering 181 (2023) 109306
intelligence technology. Lohtander et al. (2018) created a model to
simulate the behavior by analyzing the character attributes and limi-
tations of the DT. The above methods are applicable in simple scenes,
but actual production is a complex scene with multiple scales. To solve
this problem, Liu et al. (2021) suggested a DT modeling method based
on the principle of bionics to depict the actual physical processing
process through the interaction of geometric, behavioral, and process
models. Although the equipment model is described in detail using this
method, relationships between the models are not discussed, leading to
the impact of equipment changes on the production line being ignored.
Directly modeling the DT of the production line can address the
problem. Abbasi et al. (2021) built a DT model of the robot produc-
tion line to implement remote monitoring and production parameter
optimization. This method only achieves parameter optimization. Some
researchers have integrated the decision-making system into the model
to improve the automation of the manufacturing line. Gao et al. (2019)
presented an integrated intelligent sensing and decision system to form
a DT production line model. Xia et al. (2020) developed a 3D interac-
tion model based on Unity, together with the actual production line and
the engine responsible for interaction and intelligent computing consti-
tutes a DT model. To solve the problem of the high cost of production
line modeling, Leng et al. (2019) suggested that connect DTs of various
decentralized devices to create a system with manufacturing resources.
These methods are used well in simple production lines. The increasing
production line data and structure scale make the application cost of
complex production lines hard to estimate.
Scholars have proposed the concept of modularization or layering to
simplify the DT modeling of complex production lines. Um et al. (2017)
combined the data and associated models into an assembly module to
support the plug-and-play in the production lines of multiple suppliers.
Wang et al. (2019) proposed a DT model of industrial internet based
on layered multi-granularity, which enables the same-layer models to
cooperate to complete production tasks under the control of the high-
level models. However, these methods only provide the concept of
building DT models of complex production lines without clarifying the
interactions between the models. The ideas of hierarchy and module
are combined to suggest a detailed modeling approach.
Although the DT modeling of a single device or a simple production
line has been relatively mature, DT technology is more oriented to
the complex production line composed of equipment and workshops
in the industrial internet scene. The process of building equipment and
simple production line models in sequence involves a lot of repetitive
work, which wastes the time and cost of modeling the entire complex
production line. As a result, many hierarchical or modular approaches
have been proposed, with little mention of implementing interactions
between composite structures, which is a challenge.
3. Hierarchical integration digital twin modeling
The diversity of the structure improves the complexity of the pro-
duction line, and the requirement of efficiency in the actual production
needs many similar equipment combinations involved, which also in-
creases the complexity. A Digital Twin (DT) modeling method through
hierarchical integration (HIDT) for complex production lines will be
proposed to meet the needs of industrial internet scenarios. Based on
the five-dimensional DT model (Tao et al., 2019), it extends the inter-
action between modules and layers. Different dimensions in models are
correlated, and the complex model is constructed layer by layer through
simulation rules to realize the virtual-real interaction. Fig. 1 shows the
entire process of modeling a complex clothing production line using
the HIDT method. The underlying devices are modeled according to
geometric properties, physical characteristics and production behavior
and are interrelated to form twin models. The workshops integrate the
lower-layer model according to the need and encapsulate the module
for the upper layer to call, forming a complete production line model.
This section will introduce the new DT modeling method HIDT
in detail. The models are built upon separate dimensions: geometry,
physics, and behavior. Define simulation rules for connections and
interactions between models and between layers.
H. Zhang et al.
Fig. 1. Hierarchical integration modeling process of the clothing line.
3.1. Digital twin model for layer integration
In order to realize the hierarchical and progressive modeling of
complex production lines better, the virtue model interaction between
modules and layers is shown in Fig. 2. The model is defined as 𝑀𝐷𝑇 =
(𝑃 𝐸, 𝑉 𝐸, 𝑆𝑠, 𝐷𝐷, 𝐶𝑁, 𝑉 𝐼), where PE and VE denote the physical entity
and virtual map respectively, which are the basis and premise of DT
modeling. Ss represents the services that VE provides for the PE, such
as simulation, analysis, forecasting, etc. DD provides data support for
Ss by collecting PE and VE information. Both CN and VI indicate
connection interaction. CN connects physical and virtual space, while
VI is the interaction inside VE. Under the thought of hierarchy, VI forms
the whole structure of VE in a series of simulation rules.
A complex production line is divided into different layers to simplify
the modeling process. Invoking the lower models is an effective way
to avoid the repetitive work of building the same structure. Therefore,
VE is defined as a collection of models, and 𝑉 𝐸𝑖𝑗 ∈ 𝑉 𝐸 is used to
distinguish the layer of models. 𝑉 𝐸𝑖𝑗 indicates the 𝑗th twin model
in the 𝑖th layer. Both i and j are limited to the number of layers 𝑁
and the number of models in the 𝑖th layer 𝑀𝑖 , respectively. Lower
VEs integration enables the construction of upper VE, so each model
needs to provide interfaces for convenient connections. The modeling
equation is shown in Eq. (1),
⎧𝑉 𝐸𝑖𝑗 = (𝑉 𝐸𝐿 , 𝑀𝐼𝑖𝑗 , 𝐶𝑁𝑖𝑗 )
⎪ avoids much repetitive work. In addition, the method saves time and
⎨𝑉 𝐸𝐿 = {𝑉 𝐸1𝑗 , 𝑉 𝐸2𝑗 , … , 𝑉 𝐸𝑖−1𝑗 }
⎪
⎩𝐿 ∈ [1, 𝑖 − 1]
where 𝑉 𝐸𝐿 and 𝑀𝐼𝑖𝑗 represent the lower model set and interface,
respectively, and the two are connected through 𝐶𝑁𝑖𝑗 to form the
higher layer VE.
The Geometric Properties(GP), Physical Characteristics(PC), and
Production Behavior(PB) features are obtained to construct the multi-
dimensional models of VE. The interaction of the three models is
realized through the Simulation Rules(SR) and is shown in Eq. (2),
𝑉 𝐸𝑖𝑗 = (𝐺𝑣𝑖𝑗 , 𝑃 𝑣𝑖𝑗 , 𝐵𝑣𝑖𝑗 , 𝑆𝑅)
Computers & Industrial Engineering 181 (2023) 109306
where 𝐺𝑣𝑖𝑗 , 𝑃 𝑣𝑖𝑗 , and 𝐵𝑣𝑖𝑗 denote the geometric, physical, and be-
havioral models, respectively. The construction process of each dimen-
sional model at different levels will be explained in detail next.
3.2. Geometric properties
The twin model of PE geometric properties simulates the appear-
ance structure of an entity, defined as Eq. (3),
{
(𝐸𝐷𝑖𝑗 , 𝐸𝑆𝑖𝑗 , 𝐶𝐴𝑆𝑖𝑗 ) 𝑖=1
𝐺𝑣𝑖𝑗 = (3)
(𝐸𝐷𝑖𝑗 , 𝐸𝑆𝑖𝑗 , 𝐶𝐴𝑆𝑖𝑗 , 𝐸𝐿𝑖𝑗 , 𝑃 𝑀𝑆𝑖𝑗 , 𝑆𝑀𝑆𝑖𝑗 ) 𝑖 > 1
The formulation for i = 1 depicts the construction of the underlying
Gv. Entity dimensions (ED), entity shape (ES), and component assembly
structure (CAS) reflect the shape structure features of PE. The formula
for i > 1 is a characterization of the upper Gv, which extends the
mapping of the lower Gvs relation based on the appearance description.
There are multiple ways of connecting the same lower Gvs, so the
upper GV must identify their structural relationships. Entity location
(EL), predecessor model set (PMS), and successor model set (SMS) of
the PE describe the composition between the lower Gvs in terms of
both layout and connection. The nature of progress is a feature of
Gv’s hierarchical modeling. Invoking lower Gvs to integrate the model
(1) improves the flexibility of modeling.
3.3. Physical characteristics
The twin model of PE physical features reflects the production
parameters and state change data during the operation process, shown
in Eq. (4). Different entities have unique physical parameters, so the
parameter data set (PPdata) is defined to store the data collected from
the entities. Although the physical properties of each entity are distinct,
(2) they follow the same state transition principle. Therefore, use the entity
3
H. Zhang et al.
Fig. 2. The framework of a hierarchical integration digital twin model.
status set (ESS) to record the corresponding state criteria for different
entity parameters.
{ (OSS) and present these solutions to the operator for selection. The
(𝐸𝑇 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑖𝑗 , 𝐸𝐼𝐷𝑖𝑗 , 𝑃 𝑃 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑗 , 𝐸𝑆𝑆𝑖𝑗 ) 𝑖=1
𝑃 𝑣𝑖𝑗 = (4)
(𝐸𝑇 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑖𝑗 , 𝐸𝐼𝐷𝑖𝑗 , 𝑃 𝑃 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑗 , 𝐸𝑆𝑆𝑖𝑗 , 𝐶𝐼𝑇𝑖𝑗 ) 𝑖 > 1
In the underlying formula for i = 1 of Pv, the entity type name
(ETname) and entity identification (EID) will help to distinguish PEs
and facilitate the selection of the upper Pvs. In the upper formula
for i > 1 of Pv, the accumulation of Pvs increases the data scale of
PPdata and ESS, leading to the risk of data chaos. The introduction of
call index table (CIT) can sort out the messy physical parameters and
status information, corresponding to ETname and EID. Meanwhile, it
indirectly realizes the operation of data classification.
The hierarchical modeling of Pv will directly obtain the classi-
fication data, which is conducive to reducing the difficulty of data
processing. In addition, the recording of data changes by PPdata and
ESS reflects the characteristics of real-time updates of DT technology.
3.4. Production behavior
The DT model of PE production behavior simulates the logical
response to various events and reverses control PE according to the
optimal decision during production, as shown in Eq. (5). Since Bvs need
to simulate production according to real-world response logic and guide
the optimization of PE, multiple processes handle both the simulation
and control phases. Process number p is used to distinguish, where p
= 0 is the production simulation process, and the rest is the control
process to optimize different performances.
{ realize the fusion between model dimensions. The state transition rules
(𝑆𝑇𝑖𝑗 , 𝑀𝑆𝑖𝑗 , 𝑅𝐿𝑖𝑗 , 𝑂𝐵𝑆𝑖𝑗𝑆 , 𝐼𝑆𝐶𝑖𝑗 ) 𝑝 = 0
𝐵𝑣𝑖𝑗 = (5)
(𝐼𝑆𝐶𝑖𝑗 , 𝑂𝑆𝑆𝑖𝑗 , 𝐷𝑆𝑖𝑗 , 𝑂𝐵𝑆𝑖𝑗𝐶 ) 𝑝≠0
During the simulation process, Bvs convert the real occurrence time of
the event to the simulation time (ST) and obtain the associated event
messages through the event response rules (Section 3.5.4). The required
message content and the simulated operations performed are different
according to the responsibilities of the PEs, so they are represented by
the message set (MS) and simulated operation behavior set (𝑂𝐵𝑆 𝑆 )
respectively. The set response logic (RL) converts MS into 𝑂𝐵𝑆 𝑆 that
Bvs can recognize quickly, and realizes the information flow from
PEs to VEs and the autonomous updating of VEs. In addition, Bvs in-
voke service components during the simulation to evaluate production
performance, and the number of performance evaluation components
invoked is the number of control processes.
4
Computers & Industrial Engineering 181 (2023) 109306
During the control process, the Bvs continue to invoke more
decision-related components to generate optimization schemes set
final decision set (DS) is transformed into the corresponding operation
behavior set (𝑂𝐵𝑆 𝐶 ) to guide and control PEs, realize the reverse
control of VEs to PEs. It is worth noting that the OBS has discrete
commands (such as switching and selection) and continuous com-
mands related to parameter adjustment, which can accommodate all
operational behaviors of PEs and VEs.
Bvs affect the structure size of Gvs and the status of Pvs. Parameter
data in Gvs and Pvs help the performance evaluation and solution
decision of Pvs. The simulation and control functions of VEs satisfy the
closed-loop interaction between virtual and real.
3.5. Simulation rules
The establishment of simulation rules is the key to realizing DT mod-
eling. It connects virtual and real, model to model, layer to layer, and
integrates into a complete real-time model that provides DT services.
In HIDT, simulation rules contains two aspects, one is used to correlate
Gv, Pv, and Bv at the same layer, the other is used to integrate the
hierarchical model and happens between layers.
3.5.1. State transition rule
The state transition rule defines the impact of the production behav-
ior on the physical state, it combines Pv and Bv at the same layer to
offer assistance for the real-time update of the DT model in multi-scale
scenes.
The response of the behavior to the physical state transformation
is shown as Fig. 3. The entity states are defined as a ‘‘ready’’ state,
a ‘‘running’’ state, and a ‘‘blocked’’ state. When the real production is
interrupted, the VE receives event signals sent by the PE. Pv updates the
physical parameters and state of the model through event simulation
and transmits the data to the Bv. The Bv uses the information to control
the simulation behavior, and VE will achieve the map of PE. When it
reaches the ‘‘blocked’’ state, the root cause is determined by analyzing
the Pv data, and it is convenient to generate different corresponding
decisions. Each decision result is simulated and predicted in Bv, and
VE selects a decision with optimal performance to guide the actual
production.
H. Zhang et al.
Fig. 3. State transition rule flow.
Fig. 4. Connection integration rule.
3.5.2. Data statistical integration rule
The same-layer statistical rule and the upper-layer integration rule
make up the rule, which is separated based on their range of applica-
tion. The statistical rule obtains the data of Gv, Pv, and Bv and fuse
them for analysis, so it is conducive to mastering the overall situation
of the entity. In addition, since the upper VE is integrated by the
lower VEs invoked, its statistics are from lower Gv, Pv, and Bv. The
integration rule summarizes the condition of each entity to realize the
management from detail to global. Therefore, the integration rule is
defined to summarize the lower data set., as shown in Eq. (6).
{ ∑ ∑𝑛
𝐷𝑚𝑛 = 𝑚 𝑖=1 𝑗=1 𝜆𝑑𝑖𝑗
(6)
𝐷𝑖𝑗 ∈ {𝐸𝐷𝑖𝑗 , 𝐸𝐿𝑖𝑗 , 𝑃 𝑃 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑗 , 𝐹 𝑆𝑖𝑗 , 𝐶𝐸𝐶𝑖𝑗 }
𝐷𝑚𝑛 is the total amount of data information 𝑑𝑖𝑗 of all called models that
compose the 𝑗th model in layer i. 𝜆 is a two-component that determines
whether the model is invoked and 𝑑𝑖𝑗 analyzes the layout, state, and
cost separately.
3.5.3. Connection integration rule
The connection integration rule combines lower VEs with distinct
functions to perform more complex operations. It realizes the hierar-
chical integration of models in structure, and the module connection
improves the flexibility and modifiability of modeling.
Eq. (1) illustrates the elements required for model integration. The
components are defined in Eq. (7), where k denotes the 𝑘th connection
that makes up the model.
⎧𝐶𝑁𝑖𝑗𝑘 = {𝑃 𝑀𝑆𝑖𝑗𝑘 , 𝑆𝑀𝑆𝑖𝑗𝑘 }
⎪ with the entity. Therefore, a message channel is set between models
𝑘 (7)
⎨𝑃 𝑀𝑆𝑖𝑗 ∈ {𝑉 𝐸𝐿 , 𝑀𝐼𝑖𝑗 }
⎪ 𝑘
⎩𝑆𝑀𝑆𝑖𝑗 ∈ {𝑉 𝐸𝐿 , 𝑀𝐼𝑖𝑗 }
5
Computers & Industrial Engineering 181 (2023) 109306
The connection integration rule is shown in Fig. 4. On the one hand,
it can integrate the upper model through connect models at the same
layer, as shown in Fig. 4(a). On the other hand, it enables integration
between models at different layers, as shown in Fig. 4(b).
Fig. 4(a) illustrates the process of connecting the underlying models
VE11, VE12, and VE13 to form the two-layer model VE21. Fig. 4(b)
shows the underlying model VE11, VE12, and two-layer model VE22
constitute the three-layer model VE31 process. For cross-layer integra-
tion, an upper model containing multiple models encapsulates itself as
a module for the higher-layer model to invoke. Through observation,
it can be found that both the underlying VE of a single entity and the
upper VE integrating multiple entities provide two types of interfaces
for information flow and material flow.
3.5.4. Event response rule
The event response rule realizes the information fusion between
different layers, and the behavior state change of the lower VEs reflects
the update of the upper VE. In addition, the setting of the message
channel is conducive to the behavior interaction of VE in the same
layer, showing the correlation between the models.
When the behavior state of the actual production line changes, a DT
can update the model by mapping the activity to the virtual space, as
shown in Fig. 5. The trigger event is defined as 𝑒𝑛 = {𝐵𝑣𝑖𝑗 , 𝑃 𝑣𝑖𝑗 }, so
that the occurrence time, response range, behavior state transition and
other components can be accurately determined. Thus, en can find the
right place and respond in the hierarchically integrated model.
While 𝑒𝑛 seeks and responds to the corresponding entity through
the hierarchy, the response result will affect other entities associated
connected at the same level to simulate the subsequent effects of the
event.
H. Zhang et al.
Fig. 5. Event response rule flow.
4. Case study: clothing production line
A clothing production line is built by Tecnomatix Plant Simulation
(Bangsow, 2020) to confirm the benefits and viability of the suggested
approach. Meanwhile, the virtual-real interaction process was simu-
lated by connecting KEPServer through the OPCUA interface (Tang &
Zhao, 2022). Since Industry 4.0 has led to mass personalization as an
emerging manufacturing paradigm (Aheleroff, Mostashiri et al., 2021),
it is necessary to verify the method performance in personalization
services.
4.1. Layered design and construction of the model
Production line modeling pass through three stages: design, con-
struction, and optimization. During the design phase, VE is modeled
progressively from the device to the shop and then to the production
line. The clothing production line is divided into the cutting shop,
production shop, and packaging shop, and distinct device cooperation
to achieve the function of each shop. The construction phase is shown
in Fig. 6.
First, the geometric properties, physical characteristics, and pro-
duction behavior of the devices are analyzed, and the corresponding
models are designed. The state transition rule, data statistics integration
rule, and join integration rule link the models to make up the underly-
ing VE. Then, according to the workshop function, the corresponding
underlying VEs are selected and combined into the framework through
the connection integration rule. The framework and the underlying VE
are the modules needed to build the production line model. Finally, the
event response rule realizes the interaction between VE and PE.
The ‘‘device’’ layer is the underlying of the production line and
needs to model Gv, Pv, and Bv for its characteristics. The three models
are related to others through simulation rules to form the VE. As the
middle layer, the ‘‘workshop’’ layer needs to integrate the underlying
VE and encapsulate itself as a module for the upper layer to invoke,
which constructs the VE of the ‘‘production line’’ layer.
4.2. Model validation
The simulation of the digital twin model on the authentic pro-
duction situation is described below. Which can not only verify the
integration rules but also face the state of the random test rules of
incident response capability.
6
Computers & Industrial Engineering 181 (2023) 109306
Table 1
Comparison of two models simulation time.
Digital twin model HIDT Traditional
Cutting shop 1:44:42.0000 Null
Production shop 2:29:51.1664 Null
Simulation time(H:M:S)
Packaging shop 2:24:56.3334 Null
Production line 2:36:33:6664 2:36:33.6664
4.2.1. Verification of connection integration rule
Through the same experiment of the model constructed by
HIDT(referred to as the HIDT model following) and the model built by
the original digital twin modeling method(referred to as the traditional
model following), the influence of connection integration rules on the
simulation function is verified. Suppose the production line receives an
order of 300 L-size B-type clothes, and the comparison of simulation
time between the HIDT model and the traditional model is shown
in Table 1. The experiment shows that the simulation time of the
two models is the same, but the HIDT model obtains more simulation
information in workshops. It means the interface connection does not
affect the simulation, and more data can be collected.
4.2.2. Verification of event response rule
The random events in the production process generally include
machine failure, environmental impact, and new order requests. The
real-time update and adaptability of the event response rule are verified
when one of the situations occurs.
The experiment will verify the performance of event response rules
in real-time updating when equipment failure occurs. During the ex-
ecution of the order, it is assumed that the failure occurred in the
cutting shop. The breakdown of the cutting machine lasted from the
20th minute to the 40th minute, which extended the processing time
by 5 min. The simulation results are shown in Table 2. It not only offers
the change of one updated model caused by failure but also displays
the data of multiple updated model from the occurrence of the fault to
the end. According to the results, the event response rule can adapt
to sudden equipment failure and receive multiple updates messages
in real-time. In addition, the completion time of other workshops also
changes, which proves that the updating of a single VE has an impact
on other VEs. The experiment proves that the event response rules
can respond to the occurrence of equipment fault related events in
real time. Assume that the environment interferes with the cutting and
packaging shop during the order processing on the production line. The
processing time of each device in the affected workshop is extended at a
rate of two seconds every ten minutes, resulting in frequent changes in
PE. Therefore, the model simulation data of event responses are given
in Table 3. The results show that the event response rule has good
adaptability to environmental interference, and implements the event
response for different VE simultaneously. In addition to dealing with
equipment failures and environmental disturbances, the event response
rule under new order requests also needs to be validated. Assume that A
new order of 150 M-size A-type clothes is received 30th minutes after
the original order is executed on the production line. The new order
request is different from the other two cases in that it does not affect the
processing time of a single product by the device. Therefore, a visual
way is used to observe whether VE has received a new order task and
is ready to execute it.
As the first processing process of the product, the cutting shop
can see the processing of orders by the production line, as shown
in Fig. 7. Fig. 7(a–c) shows the order processing of the HIDT model
at the 30th minute, 110th minute, and 200th minute, respectively.
The mark indicates the conveyor belts carrying raw materials of A-
type and B-type, which can observe the order execution. The results
show that the new order is started immediately after completing the
original order, which indicates that the event response rule receives
and responds to the new order request. The experiment proves that a
H. Zhang et al. Computers & Industrial Engineering 181 (2023) 109306

Fig. 6. Layer integration modeling of the clothing line.

Table 2
Event response under equipment failure.
HIDT model Original One updated Multiple updated
Cutting shop 1:44:42.0000 2:03:07.0000 1:47:57.0000
Production shop 2:29:51.1664 2:26:54.1664 2:28:52.1664
Simulation time(H:M:S)
Packaging shop 2:24:56.3334 2:22:28.8334 2:24:26.8334
Production line 2:36:33:6664 2:34:01.1664 2:35:59.1664

Table 3 are provided to the operators to make the final decision selection.
Event response under environmental interference.
The effectiveness of simulation rules and reverse control is verified by
HIDT model Origin Real-time updated
taking the packaging shop as an example.
Cutting shop 1:44:42.0000 2:52:33.0000 The operation state of the devices in the workshop is divided into
Production shop 2:29:51.1664 2:50:54.6664
Simulation time(H:M:S) two stages, namely, preparation stage A before the product arrives and
Packaging shop 2:24:56.3334 2:45:31.3334
Production line 2:36:33:6664 2:57:13.6664 operation stage B after two hours of production. Visualize the state
transitions of the three main devices and show the results in Fig. 8.

It is observed that the block of Device D2 is the cause of load

complex production line can be constructed by the HIDT method to
realize the virtual-real interaction and real-time update. Meanwhile,
the definition of simulation rules can optimize production and face
unexpected problems in the actual process.
4.3. Model optimization
After verifying that VE can simulate following real-world logic, it
can also adjust PEs parameters through reverse control to optimize
production. Balancing load is one of the priorities of optimization. The
VE can combine the state transition rule with service components that
evaluate device status to determine whether the load is balanced and
locate the position to be optimized. Then the service component of
the decision is invoked, and the results of each optimization decision
are stored using the data statistics integration rule. These schemes
imbalance, so create a buffer for D2 to alleviate the blocking problem.
Therefore, the balanced load decision is closely related to the state of
D2. Table 4 shows the initial state of the device in the workshop and the
results after the implementation of each decision scheme. The time of
the device blocked is delayed with the increase of buffer size until the
blocked state disappears completely. Meanwhile, when the ratio of the
blocked state decreases, the percentage of the running state and ready
state increases gradually. However, when there is no block in stage A
or stage B, all state proportions remain unchanged no matter how the
buffer size changes. The reason is that the buffer has enough capacity
to wait for subsequent devices to run without affecting the production
of the precursor devices. Therefore, considering both load and cost, the
operator chooses a buffer size of 150 to be more appropriate.
When the final decision is selected, VEs perform reverse control
on PEs to optimize production. After reconfiguration, the visualization

7
H. Zhang et al. Computers & Industrial Engineering 181 (2023) 109306

Fig. 7. Event response under new order request.

Fig. 8. Visual results of device state transitions. Fig. 9. Visual results of device state transitions after reconfiguration.

Table 4
The results of different decision schemes.
result of the state transformation of the main devices in the packaging
Buffer size Blocked start(H:M:S) Period State radio(%)
shop is shown in Fig. 9.
Running Ready Blocked
A 4.07 2.71 93.22 4.4. Mass personalization as a service
0 41.0000
B 15.34 0.28 84.38
A 17.63 29.84 52.53 After optimization, the model can be formally used to simulate
10 5:42.0000
B 16.73 3.07 80.2
entity operation and apply the data obtained to the services required
A 31.19 56.96 11.84
20 10:41.0000 for production. In the industrial internet, the mass personalization of
B 18.13 5.86 76.02
products has become a hot topic, and the ability of this model to
A 34.29 65.71 0
30 20:12.0000 provide personalized services also needs to be verified. In the pro-
B 19.52 11.16 69.32
cess, KEPServer randomly generates clothing requirements, including
A 34.29 65.71 0
50 40:11.6664
B 22.31 22.51 55.15
style, size, and quantity. After the experiment began, the progress was
observed every two minutes. The experimental results in the first six
A 34.29 65.71 0
100 1:30:20.6664 minutes were shown in Fig. 10.
B 29.28 50.33 20.38
A 34.29 65.71 0
150 Null 5. Results
B 33.43 66.57 0
A 34.29 65.71 0
200 Null
B 33.43 66.57 0 To solve the problem of difficulty in constructing Digital Twin
models of complex production lines, this paper proposes a Digital
Twin modeling approach through hierarchical integration (HIDT) to
build a hierarchical model. On the one hand, the twin model can be
progressively constructed by the mapping of geometric, physical, and

8
H. Zhang et al.
Fig. 10. Mass personalization production progress.
behavioral characteristics. Meanwhile, the defined simulation rules can
realize the fusion between models and the interaction between virtual
and real. On the other hand, behavioral models can provide physical
system with control strategies to optimize production through commu-
nication between models and simulation capabilities. The advantages
and feasibility of the HIDT method are verified by the experimental
results of a clothing production line. First, the hierarchical modeling
method can flexibly construct complex models and avoid repetitive
work. Secondly, with the help of physical models and the state tran-
sition rule, behavior models can find production problems and provide
better control strategies for actual production through Digital Twin ser-
vices. Thirdly, the complex structure model realizes the timely update
between the virtual and real with the rapid response of simple modules,
which can be proved in three different emergencies.
The Digital Twin model constructed by the HIDT method can be
well applied to the design and operation stage of the system. Perfor-
mance monitoring during the design phase can quickly check low-
efficient production links and prevent further deterioration of pro-
duction. In the running stage, the adjustment instructions generated
according to the situation can optimize production and improve ef-
ficiency. However, our research is realized on a virtual platform by
writing the model behavior logic and connecting the software to gener-
ate simulation data. Compared with the semi-physical commissioning
method in the system configuration stage, the driving capability of the
physical system controller cannot be verified, which lacks authenticity.
The intelligent decision-making provided by Digital Twin for managers
to reference and the mass personalized customization reflect the idea of
serving people in the production process. It coincides with the human-
centered advocacy of industry 5.0, but the model does not fully consider
the field of human-machine collaboration. Therefore, in the subsequent
work, the semi-physical debugging in the production process and the
expansion of industry 4.0 to industry 5.0 are worth considering.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Hongxia Zhang: Conceptualization, Methodology, Resources, Writ-
ing – review & editing, Supervision, Funding acquisition. Qiqi Feng:
Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Investigation, Writing –
original draft. Mengde Wu: Software, Validation, Formal analysis,
Writing – review & editing. Shiyu Xi: Validation, Investigation, Data
curation, Writing – review & editing. Peiying Zhang: Validation,
Formal analysis, Visualization, Project administration.
Data availability
Data will be made available on request.
9
Computers & Industrial Engineering 181 (2023) 109306
Acknowledgments
This work is partially supported by the Natural Science Foundation
of Shandong Province under Grant ZR2020MF006, partially supported
by the Major Scientific and Technological Projects of CNPC under Grant
ZD2019-183-006, partially supported by the Open Foundation of State
Key Laboratory of Integrated Services Networks (Xidian University)
under Grant ISN23-09.
References
Abbasi, R., Yanes, A. R., Villanuera, E. M., & Ahmad, R. (2021). Real-time implementa-
tion of digital twin for robot based production line. In Proceedings of the conference
on learning factories.
Aheleroff, S., Mostashiri, N., Xu, X., & Zhong, R. Y. (2021). Mass personalisation as
a service in industry 4.0: A resilient response case study. Advanced Engineering
Informatics, 50, Article 101438.
Aheleroff, S., Xu, X., Zhong, R., & Lu, Y. (2021). Digital twin as a service (DTaaS) in
industry 4.0: An architecture reference model. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 47,
Article 101225.
Bangsow, S. (2020). Tecnomatix plant simulation. Springer.
Boulfani, F., Gendre, X., Ruiz-Gazen, A., & Salvignol, M. (2020). Anomaly detection for
aircraft electrical generator using machine learning in a functional data framework.
In 2020 global congress on electrical engineering (GC-ElecEng) (pp. 27–32). IEEE.
El Jazzar, M., Piskernik, M., & Nassereddine, H. (2020). Digital twin in construction: An
empirical analysis. In EG-ICE 2020 workshop on intelligent computing in engineering,
proceedings (pp. 501–510).
Elayan, H., Aloqaily, M., & Guizani, M. (2021). Digital twin for intelligent context-aware
IoT healthcare systems. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 8(23), 16749–16757.
Fang, X., Wang, H., Liu, G., Tian, X., Ding, G., & Zhang, H. (2022). Industry application
of digital twin: from concept to implementation. International Journal of Advanced
Manufacturing Technology, 1–24.
Francisco, A., Mohammadi, N., & Taylor, J. E. (2020). Smart city digital twin–enabled
energy management: Toward real-time urban building energy benchmarking.
Journal of Management in Engineering, 36(2).
Gao, Y., Lv, H., Hou, Y., Liu, J., & Xu, W. (2019). Real-time modeling and simulation
method of digital twin production line. In 2019 IEEE 8th joint international
information technology and artificial intelligence conference (pp. 1639–1642). IEEE.
Garg, H. (2021). Digital twin technology: Revolutionaryto improve personalized health-
care: https://doi.org/10.52152/spr/2021.105. Science Progress and Research (SPR),
1(1), 32–34.
Ghosh, A. K., Ullah, A. S., & Kubo, A. (2019). Hidden Markov model-based digital twin
construction for futuristic manufacturing systems. AI EDAM, 33(3), 317–331.
Grieves, M. (2014). Digital twin: manufacturing excellence through virtual factory
replication. White Paper, 1(2014), 1–7.
Guo, J., Zhao, N., & Sun, L. (2019). Modular based flexible digital twin for factory
design. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 10, 1189–1200.
Hassani, H., Huang, X., & MacFeely, S. (2022). Impactful digital twin in the healthcare
revolution. Big Data and Cognitive Computing, 6(3), 83.
Kagermann, H., Helbig, J., Hellinger, A., & Wahlster, W. (2013). Recommendations
for implementing the strategic initiative INDUSTRIE 4.0: Securing the future of
German manufacturing industry; final report of the industrie 4.0 working group.
Forschungsunion.
H. Zhang et al.
Leng, J., Chen, Z., Sha, W., Lin, Z., Lin, J., & Liu, Q. (2022). Digital twins-based flexible
operating of open architecture production line for individualized manufacturing.
Advanced Engineering Informatics, 53, Article 101676.
Leng, J., Liu, Q., Ye, S., Jing, J., & Chen, X. (2020). Digital twin-driven rapid
reconfiguration of the automated manufacturing system via an open architecture
model. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 63, Article 101895.
Leng, J., Wang, D., Shen, W., Li, X., Liu, Q., & Chen, X. (2021). Digital twins-
based smart manufacturing system design in industry 4.0: A review. Journal of
Manufacturing Systems, 60, 119–137.
Leng, J., Zhang, H., Yan, D., Liu, Q., Chen, X., & Zhang, D. (2019). Digital twin-driven
manufacturing cyber-physical system for parallel controlling of smart workshop.
Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 10(3), 1155–1166.
Leng, J., Zhou, M., Xiao, Y., Zhang, H., Liu, Q., Shen, W., Su, Q., & Li, L. (2021). Digital
twins-based remote semi-physical commissioning of flow-type smart manufacturing
systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 306, Article 127278.
Leng, J., Zhu, X., Huang, Z., Xu, K., Liu, Z., Liu, Q., & Chen, X. (2023). ManuChain II:
Blockchained smart contract system as the digital twin of decentralized autonomous
manufacturing toward resilience in industry 5.0. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man,
and Cybernetics: Systems.
Liu, S., Bao, J., Lu, Y., Li, J., Lu, S., & Sun, X. (2021). Digital twin modeling method
based on biomimicry for machining aerospace components. Journal of Manufacturing
Systems, 58, 180–195.
Liu, C., Jiang, P., & Jiang, W. (2020). Web-based digital twin modeling and remote
control of cyber-physical production systems. Robotics and Computer-Integrated
Manufacturing, 64, Article 101956.
Lohtander, M., Ahonen, N., Lanz, M., Ratava, J., & Kaakkunen, J. (2018). Micro
manufacturing unit and the corresponding 3D-model for the digital twin. Procedia
Manufacturing, 25, 55–61.
Luo, W., Hu, T., Ye, Y., Zhang, C., & Wei, Y. (2020). A hybrid predictive main-
tenance approach for CNC machine tool driven by digital twin. Robotics and
Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 65, Article 101974.
Luo, W., Hu, T., Zhang, C., & Wei, Y. (2019). Digital twin for CNC machine
tool: modeling and using strategy. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized
Computing, 10(3), 1129–1140.
Mykoniatis, K., & Harris, G. A. (2021). A digital twin emulator of a modular production
system using a data-driven hybrid modeling and simulation approach. Journal of
Intelligent Manufacturing, 1–13.
Opoku, D.-G. J., Perera, S., Osei-Kyei, R., & Rashidi, M. (2021). Digital twin application
in the construction industry: A literature review. Journal of Building Engineering, 40,
Article 102726.
Opoku, D.-G. J., Perera, S., Osei-Kyei, R., Rashidi, M., Famakinwa, T., & Bamdad, K.
(2022). Drivers for digital twin adoption in the construction industry: A systematic
literature review. Buildings, 12(2), 113.
10
Computers & Industrial Engineering 181 (2023) 109306
Peng, Y., Zhang, X., Song, Y., & Liu, D. (2019). A low cost flexible digital twin
platform for spacecraft lithium-ion battery pack degradation assessment. In 2019
IEEE international instrumentation and measurement technology conference (I2MTC)
(pp. 1–6). IEEE.
Phua, A., Davies, C., & Delaney, G. (2022). A digital twin hierarchy for metal additive
manufacturing. Computers in Industry, 140, Article 103667.
Ruan, H., Xie, H., Wang, J., Liao, J., Sun, L., Gao, M., & Li, C. (2021). Numerical
investigation and comparative analysis of nanofluid cooling enhancement for TEG
and TEC systems. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 27, Article 101331.
Sleiti, A. K., Kapat, J. S., & Vesely, L. (2022). Digital twin in energy industry: Proposed
robust digital twin for power plant and other complex capital-intensive large
engineering systems. Energy Reports, 8, 3704–3726.
Tang, L., & Zhao, J. (2022). Development of upper computer software based on OPC
UA technology. Academic Journal of Science and Technology, 4(1), 20–22.
Tao, F., Liu, W., Zhang, M., Hu, T., & Qi, Q. (2019). Five-dimensional digital twin
model and its ten applications. Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems, 1–18.
Tao, F., Zhang, H., Liu, A., & Nee, A. Y. (2018). Digital twin in industry: State-of-the-art.
IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 15(4), 2405–2415.
Tuegel, E. J., Ingraffea, A. R., Eason, T. G., & Spottswood, S. M. (2011). Reengineering
aircraft structural life prediction using a digital twin. International Journal of
Aerospace Engineering, 2011.
Um, J., Weyer, S., & Quint, F. (2017). Plug-and-simulate within modular assembly line
enabled by digital twins and the use of automationml. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 50(1),
15904–15909.
Wang, S., Wang, Y., Yang, B., & Wang, S. (2019). Fog manufacturing: new paradigm
of industrial internet manufacturing based on hierarchical digital twin. Computer
Intergrated Manufacturing Systems, 25, 3070–3080.
Wei, Y., Hu, T., Zhou, T., Ye, Y., & Luo, W. (2021). Consistency retention method
for CNC machine tool digital twin model. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 58,
313–322.
Xia, L., Lu, J., & Zhang, H. (2020). Research on construction method of digital twin
workshop based on digital twin engine. In 2020 IEEE international conference on
advances in electrical engineering and computer applications (pp. 417–421). IEEE.
Zhang, X., Liu, L., Wan, X., & Feng, B. (2021). Tool wear online monitoring method
based on DT and SSAE-phmm. Journal of Computing and Information Science in
Engineering, 21(3).
Zheng, M., & Tian, L. (2022). A hierarchical integrated modeling method for the digital
twin of mechanical products. Machines, 10(1).
Zhou, G., Zhang, C., Li, Z., Ding, K., & Wang, C. (2020). Knowledge-driven digital
twin manufacturing cell towards intelligent manufacturing. International Journal of
Production Research, 58(4), 1034–1051.