XML-based neutral file and PLM integrator for PPR information exchange between heterogeneous PLM systems

PLM (product lifecycle management) is an innovative manufacturing paradigm which allows company's engineering contents to be developed and integrated with all business processes in the extended enterprise throughout the product lifecycle. This allows engineering decisions to be made with a full understanding of the product and its portfolio, including processes, resources, and plants. For today's manufacturing industries, support from software systems is essential for the creation, management, and coordination of all manufacturing-related information. Generally, PDM (product data management) systems are extended to PLM systems to manage all PPR (product, process, resource) information throughout the product lifecycle. To implement PLM in an environment where many different information management systems are being used, an application to exchange data, files, and information between heterogeneous PLM systems is essential, and a standard file format for the exchanges is extremely desirable. In this paper, PPRX is defined as a standard data format using XML for a neutral file containing PPR information, and PLM integrator, which supports PPR information exchanges between commercial heterogeneous PLM systems and other systems is developed. With the proposed implementation and a case study for an automotive company, exchanges of PPR information can be made without loss, which reduces unnecessary effort and helps successful implementation of PLM by supporting effective integration and information sharing.