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Learn about the integration of different computer systems and communication problems, information engineering solutions, and the importance of ISO standards in digital manufacturing. Gain insight into cutting tool data representation and exchange using SC4 standards.
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Communication of computerised information Dr. Norman Swindells CEng, FIMMM Ferroday Limited DEPUIS Workshop ENEA, 2008-04-14
Engineering properties Design FEA Process plan NC- machine codes Cutting tools Digital manufacturing
An engineering problem • The integration of different computer systems and operations causes problems of communication • Different programs organise the same data in different ways – everyone makes their own nuts and bolts • The content of a data file is not directly usable by another program
Examples of human communication problems • Does the time of ‘half-nine’ mean: • 30 minutes after 09 00 (U.K.)? • 30 minutes before 09 00 (Germany)? • Does a date of ‘3/5/2002’ mean: • Third day of May 2002 (U.K.)? • 5th day of March 2002 (U.S.A.)? • We need more than data items to achieve communication of information without ambiguity or uncertainty
Information specifications : an engineering solution • To communicate information we always need: • the data items that represent the information • a specification to define the data structure – e.g. a sentence in a natural language • a dictionary to define the meanings of the data items • Everyone in a communication process must use the same specification and the same dictionary • A specification for information is called an information model
Types of information models • Two main ways of specifying information about objects in a complex world: • Classification models (used in biology, zoology, etc) • Object-relationship models (used in model based software engineering) • For computer–computer communications the information models and their dictionaries also have to be computer-processable
Information model • Specifies the structure for the location of the data items that convey the information for a real world situation • the syntax of the information: • Specifies the meaning of the information • the semantics of the information • Result is a complete information representation • A representation can have several presentations • If the representation is written in a computer sensible language then the model is computer-processable
ISO TC184/SC4 • ISO TC184/SC4 is the power house that has developed the engineering solutions for information communication by R&D • More than 25 countries participating • Most global manufacturing sectors • Hundreds of engineers and software specialists • 25 years of effort • ISO Lawrence D Eicher Award 2007 • Result is product data technology • Application is information engineering
Information engineering • An engineering solution to an IT problem • Specifies engineering information by using computer-processable information models • The information models are: • International standards developed by global collaboration • Determined by industrial needs • Independent from any computer system • Computer-understandable within an engineering domain
ISO Standards for information engineering • ISO 10303 Product data representation and exchange (STEP) • Information models for all aspects of an individual product and for all stages of the life-cycle • ISO 13584 Parts libraries (Plib) • Information model for collections of products (catalogues, parts lists) and data dictionaries • ISO 15926 Data reference library for chemical plant, oil & gas
Structure of ISO 10303 (STEP) Representation Part 43 Product Part 41 Process Part 49 Generic Resources - for any product Geometry Part 42 Materials Part 45 Application protocols – Specialisation of generic resources for an engineering need STEP data file Part 21 Engineering software Engineering software
Engineering properties ISO 10303-235 ISO 10303-203 ISO 10303-209 3D- Design FEA ISO 10303-238 Process planning ISO 13399 NC- codes Cutting tools ISO 10303-224 Standards for digital manufacturing
Why is this important • The costs of system integration and information exchange can be very high • Equal to gross profits for one small UK company • Estimate of $1bn p.a. for U.S. auto supply chain • Cost of correcting problems is 15 times the cost of avoiding them
Advantages of SC4 Standards • Regain control of information from proprietary software vendors • Reduce inter-operability costs • Increase: • flexibility of collaboration and integration • choice of partners • reliability and longevity of information • combination of data from different sources
ISO 13399 Cutting tool data representation and exchange • Part 1 Information model for any tool assembly-based on ISO 10303-214 • Parts 2-5, 50, 60 Dictionaries of parts of tool and their properties-using ISO 13584 • Part 100 Specification for developing and maintaining dictionaries • Part 150 Usage guide
Conclude • Product data technology using SC4 standards is a global success for manufacturing • Reducing costs, increasing data reliability, supporting supply chains • DEPUIS project is showing how to use the SC4 standards for life-cycle management