STEP AP242 Benchmark

AFNeT and prostep ivip are conducting the STEP AP242 Benchmark project.

The objective of this Benchmark is to provide a public status of STEP AP242 functionalities available for operational use, tested by the industry and to identify limitations of the tested PLM COTS STEP AP242 applications.

As an International Standard, ISO 10303 STEP AP242 is available for the Automotive and Aerospace industries, as well as many other branches of the manufacturing industry, as a unique product standard for Managed model based 3D engineering data interoperability.

Multiple COTS applications have been tested by the CAx Implementor Forum and the PDM Implementor Forum.

The use of international open standards for 3D Model Based interoperability is a key enabler to support global engineering and manufacturing of complex products within the extended enterprise. It also contributes to ensure a better independence regarding PLM Editor’s proprietary formats, and long-term preservation of 3D Model Based design.

The availability of COTS STEP AP242 solutions for PDM, CAD and 3D visualization data interoperability contributes to address to this challenge.

These STEP benchmark projects will allow our communities to reach a status of maturity for these applications, as the benchmarking activities are needed to apply quality control to AP242 based implementations.