Virtual commissioning

Virtual commissioning means testing and validating an automation system in a digital environment before physical implementation.

In practice, this is done using a digital twin: a functional virtual model of a machine, piece of equipment or production line. It is more than a 3D model. It simulates the system’s actual behavior, including PLC control logic, processes, signals and sensor data.

With virtual commissioning, you can:

• Optimize both automation and mechanical design
• Test different operating and fault scenarios
• Make changes quickly without affecting manufacturing schedules or costs

Virtual commissioning is intended for machinery and equipment manufacturers, automation system suppliers and project managers responsible for commissioning, schedules and delivery reliability.

For these professionals, commissioning is not just another phase in the project. It is the point at which everything is put to the test:

• Does the design work in practice?
• Will the project stay on schedule?
• Will the customer’s expectations be met?

This is exactly when risks are highest and errors are most expensive to correct.

With the traditional approach, the system’s actual performance is only confirmed on site. In practice, this means that changes are expensive, commissioning may be delayed and key personnel are tied up on site for long periods.

Individual errors are not the real problem. The problem is that they are discovered at the stage when they are most expensive to correct.

Virtual commissioning moves automation testing into the design phase. We build a digital twin in which the complete system runs using the actual control logic, responds to signals and simulates processes. It provides a functional environment for validating the automation before anything is built.

Tammermatic built its first next-generation Velox 9005 tunnel car wash, designed for unattended operation and future requirements. The project involved several new safety solutions, numerous parties and strict requirements for speed and reliability.

The doors of the car wash open once a wash program has been selected and payment has been completed at the payment terminal, provided that the line is ready to receive the next vehicle. The vehicle is then driven into the hall, where a conveyor carries it through the washing equipment. Multiple vehicles can be washed on the line simultaneously.

Coresbond built a simulator for the car wash, accelerating the development and testing of the control system. The 3D models of the car wash were imported into the simulator, and an interface was created so that the existing control system could be used without modification.

Virtual commissioning made it possible to test and develop the software before physical implementation. Testing was straightforward because a virtual vehicle could be run through the system in seconds without having to source or move real vehicles.

As a result, risks were significantly reduced and commissioning was accelerated. By verifying the system’s performance in advance, this demanding project was completed on schedule.

The project also made it possible to produce visual marketing materials at an early stage, allowing sales to begin without delay.

Virtual commissioning directly results in shorter commissioning times, fewer errors, better predictability and a faster production start-up.

At the business level, this means lower project risk and less capacity tied up in individual projects. In turn, this creates more opportunities to take on new projects.

Simulation is often treated as visualization, a standalone tool or an isolated project phase. Coresbond makes it an integral part of the entire project.

For us, virtual commissioning is not a standalone deliverable. It is a way to ensure that the automation works before on-site commissioning begins.

➡️ We do not add another project phase
➡️ We remove risk where it originates

Commissioning a new machine or system will not be any cheaper tomorrow, but the way you prepare for it can be. Virtual commissioning ensures that problems are corrected before they cause additional costs, projects stay on schedule and key personnel are not placed under unnecessary strain.

Our work does not begin with a tool. It begins with your objectives and risks. Here is how we proceed:

1. We identify the critical points: Where do errors cost the most?
2. We build the right simulation: We focus our efforts where they create the greatest value.
3. We test before implementation: We validate the automation before the on-site phase.

This approach works because it delivers benefits quickly and the impact is directly visible during commissioning.

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