theEXPRESSway 3 - 3/1997

1997 and 1998 are turning out to be significant years for the deployment of EXPRESS-based CALS and Product Data Technology solutions, in particular the ISO 10303 international standard for the representation and exchange of product model data, called STEP.

By adopting powerful international standards for projects such as Nimrod 2000 and Eurofighter, British Aerospace looks forward to more reliable and cost-effective ways of representing,sharing and exchanging technical product data.

In this issue of "The EXPRESSway" special attention is being paid to topics related to CALS (Continuous Acquisition and Life-cycle Support) and PDM (Product Data Management). The reason is that we see an increasing number of data elements to be exchanged and shared in the agile environment of a manufacturing company, hence it becomes even more important to use standards to meet the goals of reducing time and costs.

Until recently, PDM vendors often tended to regard STEP as
little more than an intellectual exercise for a group of individuals
attending meetings of the International Standards Organisation
(ISO). This was probably due to the fact that the use of STEP te
chnology in "real" projects was very limited.

EPM Technology has moved into excellent new offices.

In general, the total cost of a product's lifecycle is what matters the most, and a rule of thumb says that 50 % of the costs are related to information and information management. Electronic control and management of the information about a product throughout its life-cycle ­ from the initial idea to its disposal ­ is a major task, but today it is actually possible.

In connection with a large combat vehicle delivery to the Norwegian Army, Hägglunds Vehicle, the internationally known Swedish company specializing in manufacturing defense materials, has convinced the Norwegians to take part in a very timely project: The sharing of STEP data as a bid to cut time and costs when exchanging small parts and large vehicles.

CIMsteel is a major Pan-European project started in 1987 under the Eureka framework. The project is concerned with the application of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) to the design, manufacturing and construction of the steel framework of buildings. CIMsteel has had a wide-ranging work program, but a key objective has been to develop industrial data-
exchange standards for steel framed structures that are
based on the product model
approach.

Tekla Oy, the Finnish Computer Integrated Manufacturing company, is an associate collaborator in the Pan-European CIMsteel project.

Fujitsu, one of the world's largest computer companies and a global leader in semiconductors and telecommunications, recognizes the growing importance of ISO 10303 STEP. The Fujitsu STEP Research and Development Center pays particular attention to CALS and EDI in the strategic solutions developed for their customers as part of the systems integration business.

Shipping activities are increasing in numbers and importance worldwide, and EPM Technology is proud to be part of this expansion.

"A well planned, commercial strength product" is how Australian engineer Richard Wittenoom sees the EXPRESS Data Manager product suite. Wittenoom has confirmed his confidence in the EPM Technology system by signing up his firm AusSTEP Consultants Pty. Ltd. as Australian distributors of the EXPRESS Data Manager software.

The VÅV Project was a joint venture involving the Norwegian oil and gas companies Statoil, Norsk Hydro and Saga Petroleum. The goal of the project was to find ways to ease the work required to transfer data from a company legacy database into a POSC/CAESAR database.

The CALS Technical Goal (CTG) of the Swedish Armed Forces was first published in a book in February 1996 by the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) in close cooperation with EuroSTEP. The CTG is a product model consisting of a core model as the centre of a number of satellite models.