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Posted On: 08/26/2004

Schemas to ease pump support

With support from the Hydraulic Institute (HI), FIATECH (Fully Integrated and Automated Technology for the capital facilities industry), has just released version 1.0 of its XML schemas for capital facilities equipment and associated documentation as part of the Automating Equipment Information Exchange (AEX) project. A group of Hydraulic Institute members, working together in a new Electronic Data Exchange Committee, is creating electronic data-exchange standards for pumps, a key to productive commercial exchanges and the use of electronic selection software and procurement documents in the future.

Following HI's 2004 annual meeting, the HI standards committee formed a working group of HI members who are dedicated to electronic data exchange. The group's primary objective is to evaluate the development of the AEX project. One of the major initiatives within AEX is the development of electronic data-exchange standards for pumps. These standards are based on eXtensible Markup Language (XML) which is fast becoming the preferred language for electronic communications between companies. Robert Asdal, executive director of HI, says, "These standards, if adopted by the pumping industry, will virtually eliminate the need for costly customer-mandated proprietary standards, thus reducing business process costs for all parties to the transaction. HI is working to provide the perspective of the North American pump industry on this important issue by striving for consensus agreement with all parties involved."

FIATECH launched the AEX Project in May 2002 with the goal of achieving practical industry software interoperability for facilities equipment information.  The economic benefits to the capital facilities industry of achieving practical, widespread software interoperability are conservatively estimated by FIATECH and others to be worth millions of dollars annually. The program has the support of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and has drawn in the participation of all segments of the manufacturing industry, with more than 25 organizations collaborating on the project.             

The XML schemas for facilities equipment, which include both project and technical information, are designed to be used to support multiparty collaboration work processes for the entire life cycle, including design, procurement, delivery, installation, operations and maintenance of facility equipment. They include the following:

*Extensive core schema architecture to support engineering and technical information such as change tracking, units of measure, objects, context, projects and documents.

                         
*Basic equipment information to support more than 300 equipment types.

                         
*Detailed equipment information for centrifugal pumps and shell and tube heat exchangers.

*Material properties for construction materials and process fluids supporting more than 280 properties.

The AEX project is sponsored by FIATECH, which is an industry-led, collaborative, nonprofit research consortium conceived by CIT and NIST in 1999.  The group has more than 50 members who have participated in the development of a capital projects technology roadmap. During the first phase of the AEX project, specifications were developed for information about centrifugal pumps, as well as shell-and-tube heat exchangers. New XML specifications are now being developed for information about other equipment types.

One of AEX's objectives is to demonstrate the interoperability between e-business purchasers and suppliers. Several companies have already volunteered to participate in the demonstrations, and AEX has invited pump companies within the Hydraulic Institute to participate and provide feedback on how to refine the AEX specifications to better meet the requirements of manufacturers and suppliers. 

Dr. Trygve Dahl, Ph.D., P.E., vice president and chief technology officer for Intelliquip LLC, an associate member of the Hydraulic Institute and chair of the HI Electronic Data Exchange Committee, says, "Most existing systems are designed to automate internal business processes but haven't been able to exchange information between purchasers and suppliers. The new standards will support data exchanges between internal and external systems, revolutionizing communications between equipment suppliers and their customers." Dr. Dahl also explained that, "HI member companies that have invested in electronic systems to interface with their customers will find that these standards will significantly improve their internal business processes."

Details on progress with the new XML schemas, including free copies of version 1 of the XML schema and associated documentation are available through links provided from the "pumps" section of the Hydraulic Institute Web site at www.pumps.org.