Title: From digital libraries to electronic catalogues for engineering and manufacturing

Authors: G. Pierra, J.C. Potier, E. Sardet

Addresses: Laboratory of Applied Computer Science (LISI), National School of Engineers in Mechanics and Aeronautics, (ENSMA), Teleport 2, 1 avenue Clement Ader, BP 40109, FUTUROSCOPE Cedex, France. Laboratory of Applied Computer Science (LISI), National School of Engineers in Mechanics and Aeronautics, (ENSMA), Teleport 2, 1 avenue Clement Ader, BP 40109, FUTUROSCOPE Cedex, France. Laboratory of Applied Computer Science (LISI), National School of Engineers in Mechanics and Aeronautics, (ENSMA), Teleport 2, 1 avenue Clement Ader, BP 40109, FUTUROSCOPE Cedex, France

Abstract: Over the last decade, a formal data model of libraries of parts for manufacturing and engineering has been developed. This model, known as PLIB, officially ISO 13584, is suitable not only for the exchange of files containing parts, independent of any application that is using these files, but also as a basis for implementing and sharing databases of parts library data. More recently, a strong requirement emerged for exchanging also electronic catalogues containing parts library data. This paper proposes an approach for integrating the data model-oriented view and the document oriented view on the same information, namely parts definition and representation information. This integration embeds three levels. At the modelling level, rules are defined for deriving an XML document type definition from an information model in the EXPRESS language. At the implementation level, an approach is defined for integrating authoring tools, based on XML, and semantic checkers, based on EXPRESS. At the data file level, the proposed integration results in a concept of semantic document that is both human readable and semantically computer-sensible. Application of this approach for capturing parts library data and for generating active documents is presented.

Keywords: information model; knowledge model; industrial data; parts library; semantic document; active document; PLIB; XML; EXPRESS.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.2003.002126

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 2003 Vol.18 No.1/2/3/4, pp.27-42

Published online: 21 Jul 2003 *

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