Want to learn more about the PLCS revolution?

STEP, PLCS, DEXes, AP239, S1000D, EXPRESS and other terms are often seen recently in Aerospace-Defense-Space related PLM and logistics discussions and often misunderstood or misused. These are frequently invoked as possible solutions for standards based legacy data migration, PLM data exchange, long term data retention and logistics support. What are all these, how are they related and where they have been used to solve the interoperability and post production needs of companies? Jotne has created a short, concise video that will walk viewers through an explanation of how a typical company would go from defining the data model to creating a standards-based product data interoperability solution.

The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), which is now a part of the LOTAR International working group in which Jotne is working, is recommending the use of PLCS based solutions for its member organizations and partners. These companies encompasses most of the major aerospace organizations in North America. According to the AIA, the implementation of PLCS standards based interoperability solutions will significantly reduce the variety of engineering formats used in the creation of aerospace products, and decrease cost prohibitive technical and business challenges to working between organizations.

Jotne was a part of the working group that helped create the report, “Aerospace Industry Guidelines for Implementing Interoperability Standards for Engineering Data.” The purpose of this document is to provide strategic and tactical guidance for the adoption by industry of a common standard-based information backbone. This will enable interoperability for product definition data across the aerospace industry and throughout the product life cycle.

Here you will find the AIA Guidelines.

CIMdata and many other industry analysts have concluded that effective Collaboration throughout a product’s lifecycle requires the ability to accurately integrate and share product data. We can only assume that this data may be created and used within multiple applications—and that environment must be sustained for as long as the product is in use; sometimes even longer for up to 50 or more years in aerospace and defense products. CIMDATA considers one approach to this problem is to establish and use a common or master data unified repository in which product and process information from many sources (e.g., systems, companies, etc.) can be merged and consolidated.

This repository must be designed to handle many product versions and configurations and distinguish between information packages received from multiple suppliers and partners, and delivered to many customers. This report reviews the EDMmodelServer™(plcs) capabilities as a PLCS repository housing the common product and process information used across product lifecycle related applications, e.g., Product Data Management (PDM). With this approach, information owners are better able to change or update their applications and still maintain control of the information stored in the repository.

Please see the CIMdata report here.

While the above mentioned PLCS video is effective for a high-level overview of many of the concepts involved in implementing a standards-based product lifecycle interoperability solution, more details are needed for an actual implementation project.

The purpose of the PLCS implementation handbook is to provide practical guidelines to project managers, solution architects, data modelers and software developers for the development and implementation of Data Exchange mechanisms that use the Product Lifecycle Support standard (PLCS) within a business environment. The handbook is meant to be an introduction to the concepts and methodology for providing software solutions that support the PLCS standard.

The EXPRESS Data Manager™ suite of products

Jotne EPM Technology has established itself as one of the leading providers of solutions for product data technology – the open paradigm for the 21st century. Our product suite EXPRESS Data Manager' is designed to meet the needs of engineering and manufacturing enterprises to accurately and reliably exchange and share technical data with colleagues, customers, subcontractors, suppliers and other business partners. The products fully implement the EXPRESS data-modeling language which supports most international product data technology standards - including ISO 10303. EXPRESS Data Manager' can be used for data-modeling, application development, data management and quality assurance. Our product suite is under constant development to adapt to changes in customer needs as well as international and industry standards. Contact us for the latest news.