SEW-EURODRIVE and realvirtual.io: Accelerating virtual commissioning with Unity

SEW-EURODRIVE and realvirtual.io: Accelerating virtual commissioning with Unity

SEW-EURODRIVE is an international market leader in drive technology and automation, founded in Bruchsal in 1931. With around 22,000 employees in 55 countries, it currently generates sales of 4.5 billion euros (2023). The company delivers innovative solutions for motion control, power transmission, production, and industrial applications across sectors. Their drive spectrum ranges from fast, dynamic and high-precision, to very large and high-torque.

This case study highlights how SEW-EURODRIVE has transformed the way virtual commissioning is conducted by integrating MOVIKIT® Custom SimInterface into Unity via realvirtual.io. This standardized interface, available in the Unity Asset Store, enables seamless connectivity between industrial controllers and digital twins, allowing engineers to test, refine, and validate programmable logic controller (PLC) automation logic before deployment.

Results and key benefits

• 70% reduction in commissioning time – virtual testing minimises delays in production startup.
• 100% pre-tested PLC automation logic – ensuring only mechanical and electrical issues need addressing on-site.
• One-click connection – MOVIKIT® Custom SimInterface makes it easy to link MOVI-C® controllers to digital twins.
• Elimination of logical errors – continuous testing in Unity prevents last-minute surprises.
• Faster ROI for automation investments – reducing delays means capital-intensive systems generate value sooner.
• Seamless Unity integration – realvirtual.io extends Unity Industry capabilities for industrial digital twins.

Read on to learn more.

Challenges in traditional commissioning

Industrial automation systems generally require extensive commissioning efforts, often delaying production schedules due to unverified automation code and last-minute debugging on-site. It is also a high-risk process involving safety hazards. Traditionally, engineers are required to manually test programmable logic controller (PLC) industrial automation systems at the customer site, increasing time, cost, and potential risks.

On-site testing often reveals logical errors in PLC automation code, leading to:

• Delays in production startup due to unexpected debugging at the customer site.
• Higher costs caused by extended commissioning periods and last-minute troubleshooting.
• Increased risks of mechanical and electrical failures during integration. On-site testing often involves running machines, robotic arms, or conveyor systems, which can cause physical harm to operators if malfunctions occur.
• Limited opportunities for continuous testing and optimization, as changes must be made in real-time with minimal room for iteration.

For many companies, once an automation system is deployed, making improvements becomes difficult, costly, and risky.

A standardized virtual commissioning solution

SEW-EURODRIVE identified the need for a scalable and standardized solution that allows engineers to continuously test PLC logic in a realistic digital twin environment, ensuring a fully optimized and error-free system before deployment.

MOVIKIT® Custom SimInterface is a standardized virtual commissioning interface for industrial automation systems. It seamlessly integrates MOVI-C controllers with the Unity real-time 3D simulation platform, enabling accurate and dynamic control of digital twins in a virtual environment. This addresses the challenges of traditional commissioning solutions with a scalable and high-performance physics-based industrial simulation solution that significantly enhances engineering workflows.

This methodology also leads to improved code quality, as iterative testing can be performed in a risk-free digital twin environment, enabling continuous refinement and optimization without the constraints of real-world testing.

Beyond commissioning, digital twins provide additional value for training, testing, and sales, making them a versatile tool for operators, engineers, and customers alike. By leveraging Unity’s powerful ecosystem, it ensures that virtual commissioning is not only faster and safer but also more adaptable and scalable for the future of industrial automation.

How SEW EURODRIVE leverages Unity and realvirtual.io for accelerating virtual commissioning

Using Unity as a virtual commissioning tool becomes incredibly efficient and straightforward when combined with the realvirtual.io solution. The workflow typically begins by importing realvirtual.io from the Unity Asset Store into the Unity project. Once installed, the 3D CAD data of the machine is imported using Pixyz or loaded from the Unity Asset Manager, allowing engineers to bring in detailed CAD models and configure them directly within the Unity editor.

Often, CAD data provides only geometric and material information, while omitting the critical kinematic relationships required to accurately replicate model behavior in physics-based simulations. realvirtual.io addresses this limitation by providing specialized tools for defining kinematic relations outside of the CAD data structure while maintaining their logical consistency.

This means that users can visually establish mechanisms such as linkages, rotations, and constraints without altering the original CAD hierarchy.

More importantly, this approach retains the ability to update the CAD data when design changes occur, ensuring that any modifications in the original design can be easily integrated into the digital twin without losing established kinematic definitions.

Instead of manually defining physics, kinematics, or sensor behavior, realvirtual.io provides custom “digital twin” components that handle these tasks through a clear, user-friendly interface. Sensors such as light barriers, virtual drives, and other automation elements can be easily added and configured, eliminating the need for complex scripting. This streamlined process significantly reduces the complexity of setting up a digital twin while ensuring that both the geometric and kinematic aspects of the machine are accurately represented for realistic virtual commissioning.

Integrated into realvirtual.io, the interface offers a plug-and-play approach to virtual commissioning. Within MOVISUITE® IEC-Editor, the interface is automatically generated, enabling the controllers to connect to a digital twin with a single click using Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) communication. This eliminates complex setup procedures, allowing automation engineers to establish virtual commissioning environments in days rather than weeks.

Why Unity is the ideal solution for virtual commissioning

Unity provides several unique advantages compared to traditional industrial simulation tools:

• Open ecosystem and vast resources – Unity offers thousands of assets and plugins in the Unity Asset Store, speeding up development.
• Fully accessible and extendable – Unity and realvirtual.io provide open-source customization, allowing users to tailor their digital twin workflows.
• Cross-platform support – Unity-based digital twins can run on low-end to high-end devices, ensuring broad compatibility.
• Standalone applications – Digital twins can be packaged as distributable applications for customers, operators, and engineers.
• High-fidelity visualization – Unity’s Universal Render Pipeline (URP) delivers near-photorealistic digital twin simulations.
• Native CAD support – With Pixyz integration, import, optimize, and visualize complex CAD models into Unity for industrial simulation.

High-performance physics simulation – Powered by NVIDIA PhysX, Unity allows for accurate mechanical interactions, real-time collision detection, and realistic automation testing.

Results

Leveraging the technology of Unity and realvirtual.io, SEW-EURODRIVE has created a standardized virtual commissioning approach and ecosystem where its MOVI-C® controller can interact with a fully simulated digital twin—allowing engineers to validate, optimize, and debug automation code and logic before deploying it on a real machine, leading to:

1. Faster and smoother commissioning

• Since the most PLC logic is validated in a digital twin environment, commissioning time is cut by up to 70%.
• Engineers can focus only on mechanical and electrical integration, making on-site work significantly more efficient.

2. Higher code quality with continuous testing

• Unlike traditional commissioning, where modifying automation logic is risky, Unity-based digital twins allow for iterative testing and optimization.
• Engineers can refine and improve automation code before deployment, ensuring a more reliable system.

3. Immediate financial gains through faster ROI

• Reduced commissioning time means automation investments start delivering value sooner.
• In industries with capital-intensive automation systems, a faster ramp-up translates to significant cost savings.

4. Zero risk of equipment damage

• Since all testing occurs in a fully simulated environment, there is no risk of damaging physical equipment during commissioning.

5. Expanding beyond commissioning: training & sales benefits

• Digital twin models can be used for operator training, allowing teams to gain experience before working with real machines.
• The same models can also be leveraged for sales and marketing, providing an interactive way to demonstrate automation capabilities to customers.

The future of virtual commissioning: Collaborative, immersive, and connected

Looking ahead, virtual commissioning is evolving into a collaborative and interactive process. Unity’s multiuser functionalities, including VR and AR, enable remote presentations of automation concepts, allowing engineers and customers to experience digital twins from anywhere.

realvirtual.io is further advancing shared virtual commissioning by integrating Unity’s Multiuser SDK, enabling multiple engineers in different locations to work on the same virtual machine in real time. Adjustments to kinematics, sensor placement, and automation logic are instantly visible, ensuring seamless collaboration.

This approach eliminates geographical barriers, accelerates iteration cycles, and enhances innovation. By leveraging Unity’s real-time 3D capabilities and networking features, virtual commissioning becomes more connected, agile, and efficient—driving the next generation of industrial automation.