Life_TWIN - Digital twins for the life cycle planning of resource-intensive electronic products

Initial situation and problem definition

Electronic products (EE products) such as e-scooters, pedelecs or power tools cause considerable environmental impacts, especially outside the use phase - i.e. in production, sales and disposal. Studies show that the share of these non-use phases in the CO₂ footprint (Global Warming Potential, GWP) is considerable. There is also a clear discrepancy between the actual and climate-neutral required service life of products. The reuse and recycling of components holds great potential for saving resources and reducing CO₂ emissions. Against this background, the Life_TWIN project aims to use digital technologies and systematic repair strategies to significantly extend the service life of resource-intensive renewable energy products and thus contribute to the circular economy and climate neutrality.

Project goals

The aim of the Life_TWIN project is to improve the resource efficiency and carbon footprint of RE products through targeted repair and reuse solutions. With the help of digital twins, life cycle data is to be recorded and evaluated in order to enable well-founded decisions for reuse, repair and recycling measures. The aim is to extend the useful life by up to 50%, increase the repair rate by 60% and increase the material recycling rate by up to 30%. The focus is on both existing product groups (e.g. pedelec batteries) and future mass products such as autonomous delivery robots.

Solution approach

Life_TWIN is developing a prototype Digital Life Cycle Workbench that integrates digital twins to evaluate and manage life cycle options. Sensor-based recording and data-supported analysis of product statuses should enable usage-based recommendations for repair, reuse and recycling. The application is being tested in two pilot projects: one addresses existing product groups such as e-scooters or rechargeable batteries, while the other investigates sensor-integrated design strategies for future products such as autonomous delivery robots ("Design for R"). The application partners Bosch and Olbrich are testing the integration into repair and refurbishment processes in practice. The workbench also serves as a recommender system to support repair decisions. Best practices, design guidelines and implementation strategies will be developed on the basis of the pilot studies. An accompanying network will ensure the transfer to industry and universities and promote the broad application of digital twins in the sense of the circular economy.

Funding reference