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2 IMPLEMENTING A MATERIALS
DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
2.1 Planning
2.2 Implementation
2.3 Deployment and Support
Previous chapters have described the sources and usage of materials data in
product manufacturing organizations. This chapter discusses the process of man-
aging materials data. After examining its history, discussions will be provided on
the design and implementation of materials data management systems, the design
and creation of the underlying database(s), and the evolution and use of standards
for materials data reporting and exchange. A brief summary of com-mercially
available database management systems is provided. We will begin by establishing
the premise that the ability to manage the vast amount of materials information
used in manufacturing organizations is perceived as a tremendous tool for
increasing efficiency and profitability.
Materials data is used to support many different functions in a manufacturing
organization from the initial phases of design to the disposal requirements at the
end of a products’ life cycle. The most critical of these functions is the process of
analysis, used to predict the product’s performance in its end-use environment.
The completeness of the required data sets is crucial to most forms of mathe-
matical analysis required for engineering simulation. The pedigree or back-ground
data for the tested material property data, as well as the specific properties
required for the analysis must be readily available to the analyst. These properties
are either acquired from established sources or the result of rigorous testing or a
combination of the two. It has been estimated that the cost
475
476 MANAGING MATERIALS DATA
Since the hardcopy manual was difficult to update, this process may have taken
up to a year. Rocketdyne’s hardcopy materials properties manual consisted of four
volumes with over 1500 pages and 5000 curves. Revisions to this manual involved
a major effort in terms of time, as well as paper.
As usage of computers became more widely available, companies began to
realize the potential for tremendous cost savings through the optimization of their
processes. They envisioned the capability for systems that would allow them to go
beyond mere data storage within their organizations. The specialized use of
computers in storing materials data for access by designers and analysts
companywide provided new capabilities to search for and compare materials
based upon specified properties and allowed designers to consider new materials
options early in the design phase of a new product cycle. The possibilities for
shortening the design cycle, making products of higher quality, improving the
consistency of manufactured parts became a reality. Most of these improvements
were driven by the need to improve profitability, others by the need to provide
audit trails as required for ISO 9000 compliance. Response to these new re-
quirements has led to the development of numerous ‘‘materials databases’’ in the
past decade, either as commercially available products or in-house devel-opments.
CAE input and output data.5 ‘‘Simulation data management’’ is vital to the in-
tegration of CAE into the product development process. The benefits are anal-
ogous to those of materials data management systems and include:
The Internet, or World Wide Web, has been credited with the substantially
increased market for PDM-type systems. Being universal, inexpensive, accessi-
ble, and hardware-independent, web-enabled PDM formed a prototype for web-
enabled materials data management systems. Even in organizations where the
databases are not fully integrated, and legacy systems remain, web enablement
allows the data from multiple sources to be displayed on the screen at the same
time. This includes not only data from the PDM system but from the shop floor,
parts management systems, purchasing, finance, shipping, and legacy systems as
well. Once accessed, a web interface, with the look and feel of standard reporting
mechanisms, can be used to generate reports by simply printing the screen. Most
companies find that establishing a workable web browser interface as a front end
to their PDM system is quite simple, requiring minimal program-ming expertise
and technical support.6
While the Internet provides access from or to vastly different sources, the
Intranet has enabled organizations to distribute materials information from a
centralized location to all its satellite offices and divisions. This bourgeoning
expertise has facilitated the distributed ‘‘build-design’’ teams in many global
enterprises that support the ‘‘design anywhere, build anywhere’’ business model.
As use and acceptance of these systems expand, additional applications have
surfaced in the area of business-to-business collaboration. The power of the
Internet allows companies to readily transact with each other and access each
other’s information, making collaboration a reality. The first wave of Internet
collaboration was in the supply chain, as companies worked with customers,
suppliers, and intermediaries to manage inventories. By simplifying transactions
and sharing information, companies continue to drive down costs, cut cycle times,
and reduce inventories. The cutting edge of supply-chain collaboration is moving
upstream from there. Intermediaries and suppliers are now doing col-laborative
planning and forecasting, creating a shared vision of what customers will
eventually buy, so that the right product can be in the right place at the right time.
Companies are also collaborating on product development. Instead of a system
maker and a component supplier developing their products separately and then
trying to make them fit, they use a shared design database to develop everything
together from the outset. In some industries, competitors are stan-dardizing on
common parts and practices by sharing information over the Inter-net. Companies
must be prepared to work with others—not out of a sense of
2 IMPLEMENTING A MATERIALS DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
altruism, but for shared benefit.7 Today, an array of ‘‘off-the-shelf’’ systems and
custom implementations are available, making collaborative PDM tools conven-
ient and economical for even small and medium-size companies.
2 IMPLEMENTING A MATERIALS DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Based on the previous discussion, it is apparent that the primary drivers for
materials data management in today’s industries are the requirements to:
● Reduce the time to manufacture and the associated need for quick access
to approved data.
● Disseminate or exchange data between different functions or organiza-
tions.
● Increase product quality and consistency resulting in lower warranty
costs.
● Increase profitability by decreasing design, manufacturing, and testing
costs.
● Improve traceability of data pedigree to substantiate product warranty
claims.
Therefore, a materials data management system must be more than just a com-
puterized version of a set of handbooks. 8 It must serve the material information
requirements of the entire product life cycle. These include:
The success of a materials data management system lies in appreciating that the
end users at each step of the product life cycle must access, retrieve, and
manipulate approved materials data, and that the system structure, its user in-
480 MANAGING MATERIALS DATA
terface, and its data content must be designed to provide for this wide range of
usage at the outset. A well-designed and integrated materials data management
system should provide efficient archiving and distribution of knowledge, elimi-
nating duplicate materials testing, and optimizing the number of specified ma-
terials.10
Most current configurations of materials data management systems use client-
server technology, incorporating a centralized database management system
(DBMS), software applications that enhance the DBMS, and web access. As
discussed earlier, the flow of data throughout the organization, exported in a
usable format to each function may be enhanced by PDM configurations that
interact with the materials data management system. Then the materials data
becomes integrated throughout the organization. Otherwise, web enablement can
provide easy access to the materials data management system by simple entry of a
URL in a web browser window. The web-enabled materials data manage-ment
system is the focus of the following discussions.
2.1 Planning
A successful implementation requires full management commitment and careful
planning, which includes the following elements:
This initial phase must first define and document the company’s product de-
velopment process and how materials data is currently used in that process. The
use of detailed process charts for the mechanical design and analysis of the
product can clearly identify the data flow requirements and allow for standard-
ized methodologies.11 All end users of the system and / or end-use applications
with which the system must be integrated should be identified during this pro-
cess. This may include the following materials-related functions:
● Product design
● Engineering analysis
● Materials engineering
● Manufacturing specification
● Materials ordering or bill of materials
● Other applications, such as PDM or collaborative PDM systems
● Functions at satellite offices
The system design phase must produce a detailed set of requirements for the
system. Software requirements include the definitions of the user interface soft-
ware, the DBMS, and any software required for versioning or controlled access
482 MANAGING MATERIALS DATA
to the data. Hardware requirements should include preferred platforms for both
client and server. From this, an initial materials information solution can be
proposed and a return on investment (ROI) analysis provided.
Selecting a DBMS requires understanding your organizational requirements.
While databases are traditionally designed to simplify the development of data-
intensive applications, a carefully selected database management system can
eliminate development altogether, by providing enough functionality that the end
user can use the tools immediately to enter, examine, and process application
data.12 Traditional database requirements include:
Additionally, the DBMS used to store materials property data must have the
capability to store and handle complex data types, including numerical values with
units, footnotes, and numerical precision, graphical data, images, and doc-uments.
● Will the total volume of data be unwieldy? Smaller databases are always
faster and easier to update.
● Are the end uses similar or radically different? Is one or many databases
expected by the end user?
● Will the data sources be updated on disparate schedules (i.e., archival data
vs. ongoing test data)?
● How well do the categories of attributes that define the materials from
different end users overlap? Can multiple databases use the same schema?
3 CREATING THE DATABASE
Having developed an understanding of the end users and how they intend to use
the database and data, it can then be determined which elements are to be stored in
the database (or each database). More data may be available than is required to
meet the end user requirements. Data that is not specifically required by any of the
end users should be evaluated for its potential utility before being added to the
database. Often it is desirable to keep all available data in one place as an official
repository.
Once all data elements are listed, the relationship between the elements is
established. This information is used for the development of the database schema,
which defines how the data is structured within the database. The fol-lowing
information, preferably compiled in sequence, is required for each ap-plication.
● To characterize the material to the level required by the user. The Amer-
ican Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and other organizations
provide standards for accurately characterizing materials.
● To identify the source of the data. Data provided by different
organizations may include the name of the organization, address, phone,
test employee identifiers, etc. Validated data may require different
parameters than test qualification. In-house or in-process test data may
include the test group and employee identification or similar parameters for
tracking purposes.
● To identify test parameters, conditions, methods, and the details of the test
specimen. ASTM provides standards for identifying and qualifying test
methods.
● To identify the property values to be stored in the database for the ma-
terials. This includes single-point scalar and test values, curves (arrays),
images, and documents.
2. The Attribute Definitions. The attribute names and definitions provide a
dictionary relating the attributes to terminology easily understood by the
end user. These names and definitions are used in the schema that defines
the da-tabase structure, to create customization files, and in quality
control procedures.
488 MANAGING MATERIALS DATA
● Attribute Type (Physical Element). The attribute type determines the form
by which data can be searched and how it can be manipulated. This may
include character strings, integers, real numbers, curves, matrices, text files,
images, etc.
● Units (Logical Element). A consistent unit system must be provided for
the entire database. The units must be consistent for each instance of an
attribute in the database. Unit conversions may be required to provide the
end user with useful information in the units system required by his ap-
plication.
● Description (General Element). The attribute should provide a description
of the attribute name in terms the end user understands. This label is
typically used in displaying and searching data.
● Numerical Precision (Physical Element). The attribute precision provides
the number of significant digits to which data is to be stored in the da-
tabase and number of significant digits to which data will be displayed.
This applies to all real, curve, and matrix values. American Iron and Steel
Institute (AISI) provides standards for precision of computed values.
● Constraints for Allowable Values (Logical Element). Determine and
record data constraints to identify out-of-range data during the data entry
process. Also determine existence constraints when the data must be
supplied for a material or property in order for it to be a valid entry in the
database. This information can be used for data translation, database
building, and quality assurance.
● Attributes for Thesaurus or On-Line Help (General Element). Identify in-
formation relating to the attributes that should be provided as end user
documentation.
● Test Specifications (General Element). Identify and record test specifica-
tions, conditions, or identification that applies to all instances of property
attributes.
● Quality Indicators (Specification Information). Quality (statistical) indi-
cators or qualifiers required to qualify the data for the end user should be
provided for property data. For example, the National Institute of Stan-
dards and Technology (NIST) provides the following guidelines for use of
its on-line Ceramics WebBook, a collection of property values derived from
surveys of published data14:
Certified (standard reference values)
Validated (confirmed via correlations and models)
Evaluated (basic acceptance criteria satisfied)
Commercial (manufacturer’s data)
3 CREATING THE DATABASE
Typical (derived from surveys from values for nominally similar ma-
terials)
Research (preliminary values; work in progress)
Unevaluated (all other data)
3. The Attribute Groups. Having identified the attributes to be included in the
database, they are now grouped by common characteristics in the context
of the end user. Typical groups of attributes are specimen identification,
material composition, specimen condition, specimen preparation, test
conditions, me-chanical properties, electrical properties, physical
properties, etc. These groups of attributes are referred to as relations or
tables.
It is important to verify that all the attributes belong to an appropriate relation.
If the database has more than one end use application, the requirements for each
are integrated, while avoiding redundancy. Additional tables may be added to
improve data normalization.
Purely relational databases require the addition of key attributes to each re-
lation that uniquely define each row in the table. These keys are used to link the
tables for the purposes of uniquely identifying a material in the database and
querying information from the database. Hierarchical databases use a com-bined
set of attribute values for a material stored in the database to uniquely define the
material record.
4. The Relation Names for Attribute Groups. A name must be assigned to
each group of attributes using a term that best characterizes the grouping.
Re-lation names are very important in relational databases, as they are
specified in the SQL queries used to retrieve data from the database.
Therefore, they must be unique, descriptive, and unambiguous. Relation
names are not as important in hierarchical databases because they are not
typically used in querying, but it is good practice to maintain their
uniqueness.
5. The Relationship between Relations. For databases with a hierarchical
structure, the relationship between the groups of attributes defines the
hierarchy (parent–child relationships) of the database, dictating the
structure for the schema design. This hierarchy provides the path to the
property data. The re-lations should be separated into two groups: those
that identify characteristics for the materials and those that specify
properties of the materials. The tables storing defining characteristics are
typically ordered according to the level of material differentiation the data
provides, from the least differentiation (i.e., ma-terial, test type,
component) to the highest (i.e., test conditions, source data). The relations
that contain attributes that define the actual property data are grouped into
tables by type and are typically on the same level at the bottom of the
hierarchy.
For relational databases, the relationship between the groups of attributes
establishes the connection between relations that are logically related to each other
in some form or manner.15 These relations are used to refine table struc-tures,
minimize redundant data, allow data to be drawn together simultaneously, and
provide for relationship-level integrity.
Hierarchical database relations generally have one-to-many relationships pro-
gressing down the levels of the schema. Relational databases usually have one or
more of three types of relationships: one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many.
490 MANAGING MATERIALS DATA
The prototype database should be built from a small subset of the data to be
stored in the database. This subset should include at least one example of each of
the attributes defined in the schema. If data is obtained from several different
sources or serves different end users, the prototype database should contain at
least one complete data set from each source and for each end user. If curves or
graphs are to be included in the database, they should be included in the prototype
to verify presentation. The more realistic and comprehensive the pro-totype, the
more useful it will be.
When the prototype database is available, a group of end users is organized to
evaluate it. While each user may not be completely familiar with all the
capabilities of the application software, their input will be valuable in determin-
ing whether the attributes and database structure are complete and usable. A
questionnaire derived from the project requirements can be used to facilitate the
evaluation process.
Using the information gained from evaluation of the prototype, the schema is
revised, the loading files modified, and the database recompiled. The evalu-ation,
revision, and rebuild cycle is continued until the database is determined to be
acceptable. This prototype database should be archived for future reference by
moving it to another directory or renaming it.
While this iterative approach of database design, load, evaluate, and re-design
may seem time-consuming, it has been proven to be the best method for creating a
database that best meets the end users’ requirements and is the most efficient
method in the long run. The most time-consuming aspect of creating a database
usually involves formatting and inputting the actual data. Revising the final da-
tabase can mean revision of numerous large files.
The final prototype should be subject to a final review before data entry is
begun. Designating a review committee and formalizing the procedure will help to
ensure a database that meets the acceptance criteria. Final approval should include
a consensus of the end users. If the database is too difficult to use or does not
provide a real benefit over their current methods, they will continue to use what is
familiar to them.
3.6 Populating the Database
The data provider coordinates the effort of formatting the data for entry into the
database. Data often comes from disparate sources and is stored in a myriad of
media and formats. The process of entering or translating data into the database
should include documenting the status of the source data and establishing the most
efficient method of loading it into the database
3 CREATING THE DATABASE
The individual values for each attribute may come from different sources. For
each attribute, the data provider should identify:
To increase the efficiency of the data loading process, it is best to group the
data by format and media. Each format and media will have a particular data entry
process or method associated with it. Because data can be entered from an
unlimited number and type of data files, it is generally easy to accommodate data
stored or delivered in different forms.
Data entry of information stored on paper may be simplified by first trans-
ferring it to a standard form. Future data acquisition for the same type of data
could be entered directly into the same form. This aids in assuring data consis-
tency and completeness. It may also be useful to store some information as
documents, which can be accessed in any form or location. Web-enabled appli-
cations have greatly increased the usefulness of this method.
For each group of data, the optimum procedure for data entry or transfer of data
into the database must be established. There are several ways to load data into a
database, largely dependent on the software application:
1. Load Files. Load files are typically formatted in ASCII text files
but may be any file that is used to populate materials property values into a
da-tabase. They can be created manually using any word processor or text
editor or translated from another electronic format.
2. Spreadsheets. Spreadsheet applications are often used to process
raw data and to load that data into a database. This method is particularly
appro-priate for relational databases, which are stored in spreadsheet-like
tables.
3. Manual Entry. Disparate bits of data or minor revisions can
usually be keyed directly into the database using the software application
interface.
4. EXPRESS / XML / MATML. These standard formats are useful
for transfer-ring data from existing software or database applications, if
supported by the individual applications.
Having established the best methods for loading data from each data source,
populate the database with the material property values required for each end use
application.
3.7 Building the Database
Using the best methods for the specified database software application, a final
production database is compiled for distribution to the end users. All standard
database-building practices should be observed and incorporated. These tech-
niques are unique to the type of database used and are well documented in the
database administration literature.
492 MANAGING MATERIALS DATA
Units Conversion. Database values are generally entered and stored in the units
system in which they were measured. Different end-user applications may
require a different unit system. The database or user interface software must
accommodate this units conversion.
Export / Import Data Mapping and Reports. There are numerous uses for the
data extracted from the database. The end use can be simply creating re-ports
for viewing on screen or in hardcopy. Often it involves importing or
exporting data to external software programs, such as analysis codes. Data
manipulation may be involved during export to transform the database data
into the formats required by the external program. The required transfor-
mations or mappings may influence the data type, units, or accuracy of
values stored in the database.
Database Documentation. It is good practice to provide documentation to the
end user that details the database structure and content. This documentation
assists users in understanding the database and provides disclaimers or data
qualifications.
Indexing Database. The performance of access and query functions is im-
proved significantly by indexing the database. Indexing is not required, but
highly recommended.
3.9 Qualifying the Database
The completed database and all associated interface customizations should meet
or exceed established acceptance criteria. Quality assurance measures the data-
base against predetermined acceptance criteria and generates feedback to the
project team. The project team corrects errors and rebuilds the database. This
process is repeated until the finished database and associated interface custom-
izations meet the acceptance criteria. When the database has passed the quality
assurance process, the database is submitted for final approval.
Quality assurance should view the database and interface customizations from
the end user perspective, while understanding the source data, test methods, etc. If
acceptance criteria were not defined as part of the project-planning phase,
assemble the project team and carefully define the criteria at the earliest oppor-
tunity. Do not wait until the project is complete before defining the requirements.
3 CREATING THE DATABASE
Every member of the project team can provide input to the quality assurance
process. However, it is probably best that the focal point for this activity not be the
database builder. Just as it is difficult to edit one’s own documents, often others
can more easily discover errors in the building process. The quality as-surance
team is analogous in its functions to the database-building team:
● The project leader provides a focal point for all communications involved
in the quality assurance process and coordinates the effort. He reviews the
acceptance criteria and finalizes the approval procedures.
● End users verify that the database meets specified requirements. For ex-
ample, that the database supplies all necessary information in usable for-
mat, that the required materials and information for each material is
available, that data is easily retrieved in a timely manner, that data trans-
fers accurately to the end-use applications, and that required units con-
versions are performed.
● The data provider verifies that all specified data was transferred and is
stored efficiently and accurately. In addition, he should be available for
verification and validation of property.
● The programmer may be required to modify data, translators, mapping
files, etc. if the data validation process indicates that data translation or data
reduction errors exist.
● The database builder corrects errors in the schema, load files, and custom-
ization files, compiles the database, and resubmits it to quality assurance.
● Does the database contain all the intended materials and data? Verify that
attributes have been created and populated for all the properties, materials,
and pedigree information requested by each end user to support each end-
use application.
● Are commonly used queries included in the user interface? Commonly
used queries should be readily available in the user interface. Verify that
these queries exist, are intuitive, and return values reliably and in a timely
manner.
● Is the data in the database stored correctly? Verify that curve data can be
extracted and manipulated, that data is stored in the correct format for the
required queries, and that attribute values are within established con-
straints.
● Can data be exported or transferred to the required end-use applications?
Verify that exported values are mapped correctly.
● Are units conversions performed correctly and accurately? Convert units
for all attributes in the database; check the returned values and conversion
factor for each attribute and each unit system.
494 MANAGING MATERIALS DATA
The following systems were commercially available at the time of this writing.
This is not an exhaustive list, but a compilation of several different approaches to
the problem of materials data management. Most are supplied by companies that
also offer complete implementation services. The following excerpts are derived
from product literature.
MSC.Mvision and MSC.Enterprise Mvision, by MSC.Software Corpora-tion.
MSC.Mvision is a suite of software applications based on a proprietary database
system that is optimized for engineering materials data. Designed and built
specifically for engineering applications, they include integrated X-Y graphics,
printing, spreadsheet, query language, and web browser capabilities. The
applications easily handle complex engineering data types such as numerical
values with units, footnotes, numerical precision, images, photographs, and doc-
uments.
MSC.Enterprise Mvision provides web-enabled access to MSC.Mvision da-
tabases. Using a client-server configuration and a standard web browser, users
4 COMMERCIAL DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
can view data stored in a single location, eliminating the requirement for local
database installations. Designers or engineers can directly search a central
knowledge collection, retrieve data, create graphs, export data to analysis codes,
or link to external web sites or public-domain databases. Units conversion, foot-
notes, metadata, and pedigree information is displayed alongside the data values to
which they pertain.13 Additional features of the MSC.Enterprise Mvision Ma-
terials Information System include:
IDES, Inc. IDES, Inc. provides content conversion and management for
materials suppliers, focused primarily on the plastics industry. Utilizing XML
technology to capture materials information for dissemination via web browsers,
IDES’ Content Team assists an organization in bringing product information into
one current and comprehensive source for use in e-business initiatives via the
Intranet and a Extranet. By incorporating the importance of global test standards
and utilizing a multitude of database formats, they provide an effective system for
managing technical information.
IDES also has options for manufacturers or original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) who may be implementing ERP systems or other supply-chain solu-tions.
IDES offers customized solutions.
M-Base Engineering Software, GmbH. The MC-Base material database
software application is based on Java technology and is accessible by a web
browser. Providing the benefits of centralized access to materials data mainte-
nance and distribution, it makes materials data available to the extended orga-
nization. The system offers search and sort capabilities, single-point and
multipoint data storage, graphics features, and complete data maintenance and
administration tools.
The components of this system include an Internet browser with Java 2 sup-
port, Oracle Application Server, and an Oracle Database System. M-Base pro-
vides programming expertise for modification to their software to integrate
existing in-house software and CAE programs.
Cambridge Materials Selector (CES3), Granta Design Limited. CES3 is
designed to manage materials and manufacturing process information within an
organization, providing cost savings, superior design capability, preferred list
management, and fast information flow. CES3 incorporates the ‘‘design-led’’
selection methods of Prof. Mike Ashby of Cambridge University, allowing en-
gineers to determine optimal choices of materials and processes. There are six
main parts to the CES3 system:
The following summarizes the evolution of the standards most commonly used by
the materials community for the standardized reporting and exchange of
engineering materials data.
IGES / PDES. The IGES / PDES Organization was coordinated in the late
1970s from industry, government, and academia to develop standards and tech-
nology for the exchange of product information between different CAD sys-
tems.16 This group focused its efforts on two projects, the Initial Graphics
Exchange Specification (IGES) and Product Data Exchange Specification (PDES)
using STEP. This effort resulted in the publication of IGES in 1980, which was
subsequently adopted as an ANSI standard. IGES Version 5.3 was published in
1996.
A second-generation Product Data Exchange (PDE) technology, Product Data
Exchange Specification (PDES), was initiated during the mid-1980s and was
submitted to ISO in 1988. The international community adopted it as the basis for
ISO 10303 (STEP).
Today, the ongoing PDE technology efforts include the primary Product Data
Exchange using STEP (PDES), an American National Standard (ANS). This
project is the primary U.S. project providing industry inputs to this ISO activity.
Fourteen international standards have been created as a result of this effort. More
than 20 countries worldwide have approved STEP, including all major U.S. trad-
ing partners.
The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) defines a neutral data
format that allows for the digital exchange of information among computer-aided
design (CAD) systems. CAD systems are in use today in all phases of the design,
analysis, manufacture, and testing of products. Since it is common practice for a
designer to use one supplier’s CAD system and for the contractor and sub-
contractors to use different systems, there is a need to exchange data among CAD
systems. Using IGES, a user can exchange data models in the form of wire frame
or solid geometry representations. Applications supported by IGES include
traditional engineering drawings as well as models for analysis and / or various
manufacturing functions. In addition to the general specification, IGES includes
application protocols in which the standard is interpreted to meet discipline-
specific requirements.
Version 1.0 of the specification was adopted as an American National Stan-dard
ANS Y14.26M-1981 in November of 1981. The current version, IGES 5.3, was
approved by ANSI under the new guidelines of the U.S. Product Data Association
(US PRO) during September 1996. Under the latest distribution agreements with
ANSI, US PRO has obtained permission to distribute IGES 5.3 in both paper and
digital (e.g., CD-ROM) formats. The latest version of the IGES standard is
designated ANS US PRO / IPO-100-1996.
IGES version 6.0 is slated to be the next, and final, release of the standard. The
IGES project has posted a list of the Edit Change Order extensions approved
5 MATERIALS DATA STANDARDS
for 6.0. Current plans call for the support of activities related to maintaining the
existing IGES capabilities with all new requirements being forwarded for con-
sideration in the appropriate parts of the STEP / PDES standards.
ASTM Committee E 49. The ASTM Committee E 49 is responsible for one of
the leading efforts in materials property data representation in computerized
systems. The various subcommittees specialized in areas such as materials des-
ignation, data recording formats, terminology, data exchange, and data and da-
tabase quality. The compiled set of standards is included in Volume 14.1 of the
Annual Book of ASTM Standards.17
ISO / STEP. The most comprehensive effort toward standardization was the
development of STEP in 1995 (formally ISO 10303; Standard for Product Data
Representation and Exchange), which was designed to model all aspects of a
component throughout the life cycle of the product. STEP uses a data-modeling
language known as EXPRESS for its neutral format, which while originally
created to facilitate automatic generation and interpretation of computer soft-ware,
is also readable in ASCII format. Within this model are all the tools required for
efficient data transfer, known as parts. Specifications called appli-cation protocols
(APs) are used to apply the general concepts outlined in the parts to particular
classes of products.18 Through the implementation of APs, STEP is extensible
across a wide variety of applications and industries.
The Materials Model, Part 45, defines a material as a manufactured object with
associated properties in the context of its use environment. 19 Unlike tradi-tional
textbook views of materials with limit point properties abstracted from
microscopic representative volume elements, Part 45 represents the actual prop-
erty distributions in a finite volume material object as manufactured. This more
robust definition is required to design robust products. The textbook definition is
adequate for conceptual design (screening) and is a subset of the Part 45
definition.
The standards required to integrate the materials property data into the CAD/
CAE environment require math forms to represent linear or nonlinear materials
properties. Linear property models for finite element mechanical and thermal
analysis are included in Part 104 and are incorporated into AP 209 for modeling
metallic and composite structures. Other applicable parts and application pro-
tocols include:
Finally, at the end of a product life cycle, ISO 14000 compliance is required as
regulatory agencies become increasingly strict about environmental regula-tions.
● Extensibility, so users can define their own tags and attributes used in
their documents.
● Structure, so users can define their own document-type definition (DTD),
the information model for a document describing how the tags and attri-
butes are combined.
● Validation, so users can test the conformance of their documents to the
structure defined by the DTD.
5. Ken Blakely, Larry Johnson, Boma Koko, Ray Amador, and Arthur H. Fairfull,
‘‘Integrating CAE and PDM: A First Step Toward Providing Simulation Data Management,’’
Integrated En-terprise, Spring 2001.
6. Ed Miller, ‘‘Web Technology Comes to PDM,’’ Computer-Aided Engineering News, May (1966).
7. Michael Hammer, ‘‘Out of the Box: The Internet’s True Benefit the Net’s Real Payoff Is in
Its Enabling of Business Collaboration,’’ Informationweek.com, August 21, 2000.
8. Arthur H. Fairfull, ‘‘Integration of Materials Data in Computer Aided Engineering,’’
MacNeal-Schwendler Company, Ltd., 2000.
9. Edward Stanton, Thomas Kipp, and Eric Lantz, ‘‘Recent Developments in Materials Data
Man-agement,’’ The MacNeal-Schwendler Corporation, Costa Mesa, CA, p. 5.
10. J. E. Lee, D. E. Marinaro, M. E. Funkhouser, R. M. Horn, and R. R. Jewett, ‘‘Creating a
Common Materials Database,’’ Advanced Materials and Processes, ASM, OH, November (1992)
reprint.
11. Chris Kirtley, ‘‘Modeling Interactively with the Materials Database,’’ Materials Database
News, Vol. 2, GEC Alsthom, MEC Whetstone, August (1996).
12. R. G. G. Cattell, Object Data Management: Object-Oriented and Extended Relational
Database Systems, Addison-Wesley, 1991, pp. 48–52
13. Arthur Fairfull, ‘‘MSC Enterprise Mvision: Materials Property Data on the Web,
Supporting Engineering Simulation,’’ Integrated Enterprise, Spring, 25–28 (2001).
14. http: / / www.ceramics.nist.gov / srd / summary / aboutadv.htm.
15. Michael J. Hernandez, Database Design for Mere Mortals, Addison-Wesley, 1997, pp.
273–274.
16. http: / / www.nist.gov / iges, copyright 1997–2001 US PRO.
17. Computerized Systems; Computerized Material Property Databases, Vol. 14.01, 1994
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, ASTM PCN 01-140194-32, ASTM, West Conshohocken, PA,
1994.
18. ‘‘The Development of an Application Protocol for the Representation and Exchange of
Data from Engineering Plastics,’’ Ferroday Ltd, England, 1993.
19. Normal Swindolls (Ed.), ISO 10303 Part 45, Materials, ISO TC184 / SC4.
20. ‘‘Computerized Materials-Information Systems,’’ Phil. Trans. Royal Society London A,
322, 373– 391 (1987).
21. R. Fields (Ed.), ‘‘Database Schema Development Committee for Composites, Composite
Material Test Data Schema Version 1.0,’’ 1996-02-02, Information by T. Kipp, MSC.Software
Corporation, Santa Ana, CA, 1996.
22. Edward L. Stanton, ‘‘Computerization of Composite Materials Data and Metadata,’’ PDA
Engi-neering, Costa Mesa, CA, 1989.
23. N. Swindolls, ‘‘Materials Property Data in STEP,’’ Proceedings of the Data Conference,
Septem-ber 1994.
24. E. F. Begley, NIST, July 2000, http: / / www.ceramics.nist.gov / matml / about.htm.