ePLM Interoperability ASD Strategic Standardization Group

The objective of the “PDM interoperability” working group is to ensure the coordination and the consistency of all ASD standardisation activities related to “Product Data Management” interoperability. The working group focuses on  meta data associated to product data, including configuration management, change management, ownershipt, etc. This working group is part of the ASD SSG “PLM interoperability” domain. 

   
The recommendations of the working group cover PDM information interoperability for the full product life cycle, from specifications to maintenance. It covers all the interoperability functions based on open standards, such as:

• integration between heterogeneous applications (upstream, downstream)
• communication with the extended enterprise or with the customers,
• long term archiving and retrieval,
• data quality,
• and migration.

The first version of this web page has a limited scope, and will be regularly updated.

Scope

The following figure, based on a generic life cycle of an Aerospace and Defence product, describes the different Product Data Management views with associated information characteristics.

List of use cases

The following table presents the first list of the European A&D use cases to be supported by the international standards for PDM interoperability.

 Nota: for access to use cases for Long Term Archiving and retrieval, refer to the LOTAR “PDM” WG web page

ASD SSG 5-year vision

The 5-year vision of the ASD SSG "PDM interoperability" working group is based on three principles:

1) PDM interoperability ensured by the availability of use cases, ISO information model, recommended practices and PDM vendors testing.

The operational use of PDM interoperability standards by the A&D industries requires the availability of:

• Use cases for PDM interoperability, supporting A&D business needs and priorities,
• International standards for PDM Information models (Cf. principle 2)
• International and/or European recommended practices based on use cases, detailing the implementation of the ISO PDM information model,
• Interoperability testing of the standardised PDM interfaces and services of the different PLM vendors, through the participation in the future PDM Implementer Forum.

2) Reliable ISO Information models for Product Data Management interoperability. 

The ASD SSG aims at ensuring the use of a PDM information model covering the full product life cycle. The ASD SSG recommends the choice of a limited number of core harmonised ISO 10303 Application Protocols, having interdependencies properly specified and managed through the time. As a result: 

• The ASD SSG has supported the convergence of STEP AP 203 and AP 214 in AP 242.
• The ASD SSG supports the PDM harmonisation of STEP AP 242 BO Model and STEP AP 239 PSM.
  
• The ASD SSG recommends the use of ISO 10303 AP 242 as the cornerstone standard  for interoperability (ASD SSG statement).

Planned operational use of ISO standards for PDM interoperability and long term archiving:

N1: STEP AP242 ed4 and STEP AP239 ed3 are in preparation.

3) Contribution to the development and use of the NAS / EN 9300 2XX family, for  Long Term Archiving and Retrieval of Product Management Data and contribution to the part 02X for LTA&R of Metadata for Archival Package.

 The LOTAR standard defines Process, use cases, validation and verification rules for long term archiving and retrieval of PDM information.

Access to the LOTAR PDM WG webpage : http://www.lotar-international.org/lotar-workgroups/pdm.html

Access to the LOTAR Metadata for AP WG webpage : http://www.lotar-international.org/lotar-workgroups/metadata-for-archival-package.html

Related standardisation projects

Related PDM recommended practices

• Link to PDM IF
• Technical Data Package Message recommended practice
• PDM schema Usage Guide v4.3 (AP 203 and AP 214)