Digital Twin for rolling bearings: A review of current simulation and PHM techniques

Digital Twin (DT) is acknowledged as a promising technology for life-cycle management of industrial products. Rolling bearings, the joints of machines, are largely responsible for the service performance and life of various high-end equipment. Up to now, there are still few investigations on rolling bearings under the concept of DT technology. The present paper reviews the brief history of DT technology and clarifies its definition. Then, the core technologies of rolling bearings for DT construction, including detection, modeling, and Prognostics Health Management (PHM) techniques are investigated through an extensive literature survey. Based on the above, this paper analyzes the challenges in the development of DT technology for rolling bearings and directions for future research.