Digital Twins are digital representations of products or product-service systems comprising a Digital Master, which consists of product description models, and a Digital Shadow, which encompasses data collected throughout the product’s life cycle. To create a Digital Twin, the Digital Master and Digital Shadow must be interlinked. The Digital Master, Digital Shadow, and thus their twinning can vary in complexity and analytical capabilities. This paper introduces a systematic description of six twinning levels ranging from simple data exchange based on generic models to more complex forms targeting model parameter and Digital Twin goal optimization. The example of a valve is used for illustration. The presented description aids in understanding the potential of Digital Twins and serves as a guide to select appropriate twinning levels based on specific product requirements and use cases.
