Interoperability Modelling Methodology for Product Design Organisations.

Nowadays, many companies designing and manufacturing products have to develop collaborations with various partners. This situation involves increasing information exchanges between industrial partners and generates many related problems of data transfers, transformations or misunderstanding due to interoperability. This paper deals with enterprise modelling for studying interoperability in product design. This paper presents a research work carried out within the framework of ISTA3 (3rd generation interoperability for aeronautical sub-contractors) project and concerning interoperability between collaborating aeronautical subcontractors. We initially describe the generic ISTA3 methodology used for studying interoperability. Then we focus on design companies and develop their interoperability specificities, especially with PLM (product lifecycle management) systems. An adapted methodology based on multi-level modelling is proposed then illustrated through an industrial case study within two collaborative companies, involved into a subcontracting relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]