Applying Semantic Web technology to the life cycle support of complex engineering assets

Complex engineering assets, such as ships and aircraft, are designed to be in-service for many years. Over its life, the support of such an asset costs an organization many times more than the original cost of the asset itself. An industry/government initiative has resulted in an International Standard information model aimed at satisfying three significant business requirements for owners of these assets: 1) reducing the cost of total ownership of such assets, 2) protecting the investment in produce data through life, and 3) increasing the use of the asset to deliver enhanced business performance. This standard, called Product Life Cycle Support (PLCS), defines a domain-specific, but flexible, information model designed to be tailored by using organizations through the use of Reference Data. This paper describes the approach used to take advantage of the Web Ontology Language (OWL) in the definition of Reference Data and how it is being applied in pilot projects. The use of Semantic Web technology for Reference Data is a first step towards the application of that technology in the Life Cycle Support domain. The relationship between the information model, and its modelling language called EXPRESS, and OWL is also explored.