Introduction

ISO 10303 is an International Standard for the computer-interpretable representation of product information and for the exchange of product data. The objective is to provide a neutral mechanism capable of describing products throughout their life cycle. This mechanism is suitable not only for neutral file exchange, but also as a basis for implementing and sharing product databases, and as a basis for retention and archiving.

This part of ISO 10303 specifies an application module for the representation of a central, common subset of the data being managed within a product data management (PDM) system. It represents the intersection of requirements and data structures from a range of application protocols, all generally within the domains of design and development of discrete electro/mechanical parts and assemblies.

By definition, a PDM system is something that manages data about products. At the central core of PDM information is product identification. A product in ISO 10303 represents the concept of a general managed item within a PDM system. In this part of ISO 10303, the general product concept can be interpreted as either a part or a document. Thus parts and documents are managed in a consistent fashion.

This part of ISO 10303 is not a specification for the functionality required for the complete scope of all PDM system functionality; that is, it is not the union, but the intersection, of functionality present in the relevant set of application protocols. Some functionality important for complete PDM functionality is not represented in this application module, but is covered in other application protocols.

By definition, a PDM system is something that manages data about products. At the central core of PDM information is product identification. A product in ISO 10303 represents the concept of a general managed item within a PDM system. In this part of ISO 10303, the general product concept can be interpreted as either a part or a document. Thus parts and documents are managed in a consistent fashion.

Also central to the functionality of many PDM systems is identification of external files (both digital and physical), their relationship to managed documents, and the association of such files with core product identification.

Classification of products is important in a PDM system for information classification and retrieval. This part of ISO 10303 supports the basic type distinction between products that are parts and those that are documents and employs product classification consistently for parts and documents.

Product properties are integrally related to the definition of an identified product, and so are also included in the central core PDM information.

Various general authorization and organizational data that are related to core product identification play an important role in PDM systems and this part of ISO 10303 supports a number of organizational and management constructs relating to product authorization.

Product structures are the principle relationships that define assemblies and product configurations. This module details part and document structures and represents configuration identification and effectivity information related to those structures.

This part of ISO 10303 supports the documentation of requests and corresponding orders for engineering action in support of change management and representations of contract and project identification.

Clause 1 defines the scope of the application module and summarizes the functionality and data covered. Clause 3 lists the words defined in this part of ISO 10303 and gives pointers to words defined elsewhere. The information requirements of the application are specified in Clause 4 using terminology appropriate to the application. A graphical representation of the information requirements, referred to as the application reference model, is given in Annex C. Resource constructs are interpreted to meet the information requirements. This interpretation produces the module interpreted model (MIM). This interpretation, given in 5.1, shows the correspondence between the information requirements and the MIM. The short listing of the MIM specifies the interface to the resources and is given in 5.2. A graphical representation of the short listing of the MIM is given in Annex D.

In ISO 10303, the same English language words can be used to refer to an object in the real world or concept, and as the name of an EXPRESS data type that represents this object or concept.

The following typographical convention is used to distinguish between these. If a word or phrase occurs in the same typeface as narrative text, the referent is the object or concept. If the word or phrase occurs in a bold typeface or as a hyperlink, the referent is the EXPRESS data type.

The name of an EXPRESS data type can be used to refer to the data type itself, or to an instance of the data type. The distinction between these uses is normally clear from the context. If there is a likelihood of ambiguity, either the phrase "entity data type" or "instance(s) of" is included in the text.

Double quotation marks " " denote quoted text. Single quotation marks ' ' denote particular text string values.

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