A sustainable approach to smart manufacturing: The IndustriSphere digital twins initiative

Modern industrial production faces several critical challenges, including inefficiency, lack of adaptability, and unsustainable practices. Traditional manufacturing systems struggle with high operational costs, suboptimal resource utilization, and limited capabilities for predictive maintenance, leading to frequent downtime and increased environmental impact. Moreover, existing production processes often lack integration with advanced technologies like IoT and AI, restricting real-time monitoring and innovation potential. The IndustriSphere initiative pioneers a sustainable shift in manufacturing by applying digital twin technology to optimize industrial processes. Integrating IoT, AI, 3D scanning, and augmented reality, it enhances real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and resource efficiency. Validated at B&T Composites, the project combines academic expertise with practical implementation, advancing Industry 4.0. Through lifecycle sustainability analysis and immersive digital models, IndustriSphere demonstrates how smart manufacturing can reduce environmental impacts while boosting competitiveness and innovation across industrial sectors.