Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies procedures for commissioning digital twins in manufacturing environments covered by the ISO 23247 series.

It defines the key activities, requirements and procedures for the preparation of digital twins for operational use.

This document covers:

— initializing and configuring digital twins from different sources;

— connecting digital twins to digital threads from different sources;

— verifying the operation of each digital twin meets frequency, latency and fidelity requirements;

— confirming the readiness of the digital twins for operational use;

— enabling the cooperation of the digital twins from different sources.

This document does not address general commissioning practices unrelated to digital twins or sectors outside the scope of ISO 23247.

Purpose

Digital twins in manufacturing are virtual representations of physical assets, processes, systems, or services. These are constructed by collecting data from manufacturing, operations, maintenance, and the operating environment. A digital twin acts as a living model that evolves continuously to reflect the near real-time status, operating conditions, or spatial position of its counterpart.

To realise digital twins in manufacturing, digital representations of resources must be created. These representations describe both the static characteristics and the dynamic behaviours of resources such as personnel, equipment, physical assets, materials, and process segments. They are used to detect anomalies, understand capabilities, and monitor how resources operate and respond throughout the production lifecycle. By exchanging operational and environmental data with physical systems, digital twins support systematic identification, optimisation, accurate monitoring, and adaptability to change.

The ISO 23247 series addresses the digital twin framework for manufacturing. It covers the modelling and realisation of digital representations of manufacturing resources, including both their structural configuration and behavioural evolution. The following parts are currently published or under development:

— ISO 23247-1:2021, Overview and general principles

— ISO 23247-2:2021, Reference architecture

— ISO 23247-3:2021, Digital representation of manufacturing elements

— ISO 23247-4:2021, Information exchange

— ISO 23247-5:2026, Digital thread for digital twin

— ISO 23247-6:2026, Digital twin composition

— ISO/TR 23247-100:2025, Use case on management of semiconductor ingot growth process

— ISO/TR 23247-101:2026, Use case on management of robotic multilayer and multipass gasshielded metal arc welding process

This proposed Part 7 aims to define the commissioning for digital twins in manufacturing environments, serving as an integral extension of the ISO 23247 series. The commissioning process involves initiating, configuring, verifying and activating a digital twin prior to operational use.

As digital twins are increasingly deployed in diverse manufacturing scenarios, a consistent and scribe architectural and functional elements but do not provide specific provisions for commissioning procedures. Without a standardised protocol, discrepancies may occur during integration, leading to operational failures, data inconsistencies, or lack of traceability.

This standard is justified by the need to:

— initialize and configure digital twins from multiple sources;

— connect digital twins to digital threads from multiple sources;

— verify the operation of each digital twin meets frequency, latency and fidelity requirements;

— confirm the readiness of the digital twins for operational use;

— enable the cooperation of the digital twins from multiple sources.

It will also support the development of reliable and maintainable digital twin environments, particularly in cases involving advanced configurations such as AI-based control, cloud platforms, and edge computing infrastructures.