Impact of Data Exchange Standards on Maintainabillity of Process Units

Abstract

Over the last decade a number of new standards for data exchange have been initiated in Europe, the U.S., and Japan. Of particular interest to the process industries are the Application Protocols (AP's) under ISO 10303 (STEP, a standard for product data exchange). The AP's under STEP that are focused on the process industries address the exchange of data generated at any time during the life cycle of a process unit on activities that are taking place either at the same time or later in the life cycle. These efforts hold the potential of greatly improving the communication of data generated during design for use during the operation of process units. This paper will summarize significant worldwide activities highlighting their potential impact on maintainability.