Experiences with the use of STEP-based data exchange to enable concurrent engineering

This paper presents a brief overview of the support to enable faster, better, cheaper product development, and Concurrent Engineering in particular, through actual application of STEP-based data exchange technology (STEP is the STandard for the Exchange of Product model data - ISO 10303). The possibilities and relevance of this technology for space industry are discussed. To date, there are not yet a large number of routinely used STEP-based data exchange implementations at an industrially robust level, but this is very likely to change in the coming year. STEP is on the verge of becoming one of the routine data exchange options in day-to-day engineering work. Now seems a good time to familiarize with how STEP could improve the space product development processes, in particular for the multi-partner international consortia which are common in space projects.