NISTIR 6721

Systems Integration for

Biennial Report

James E. Fowler

Mark Carlisle

Manufacturing Applications

Fiscal Years 1999-2000
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Donald Evans,

Secretary of Commerce

Technology Administration

Karen Brown,

Acting Under Secretary for Technology

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Karen Brown,

Acting Director

Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications

Biennial Report, Fiscal Years 1999-2000

NISTIR 6721

James E. Fowler

Mark Carlisle

Manufacturing Systems Integration Division

Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

February 2001
ii

Program Office Staff

The SIMA Program Office is responsible for managing and compiling information for all projects 

supported by the SIMA Program. The SIMA Program Office staff are:

• James Fowler (Program Manager) jefowler@nist.gov

• Mark Carlisle (Administrative Specialist) carlisle@nist.gov

• Clarence Johnson (Program Analyst) ceejay@nist.gov

Disclaimer

No approval or endorsement of any commercial product by the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology is intended or implied. Certain commercial equipment, instruments, or materials are 

identified in this report to facilitate understanding. Such identification does not imply 

recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor does it 

imply that the materials or equipment identified are necessarily the best available for the purpose.

This publication was prepared by United States Government employees as part of their official duties 

and is, therefore, a work of the U.S. Government and not subject to copyright.
iii

Table of Contents

Introduction....................................................................................................................................1

SIMA Overview..............................................................................................................................1

Background ...............................................................................................................................2

Major Technology Efforts ........................................................................................................2

Interface Standards Efforts ................................................................................................. 2

Information Access Efforts............................................................................................... 11

SIMA Vision ...........................................................................................................................11

Project Accomplishments............................................................................................................12

Interface Standards Project Summaries ..................................................................................13

IS1: Dimensional Inspection Information Exchange ...........................................................13

IS2: Electronic Commerce for the Electronics Industry (ECEI) .........................................15

IS3: Information Technology Metrology for Manufacturing Program ...............................17

IS4: Intelligent Unit Process Control in Next Generation Open Manufacturing Systems ..19

IS5: Manufacturing Enterprise Integration Program ...........................................................21

IS6: Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization Program ................................................23

IS7: Materials Informatics Resources: MatML ...................................................................25

IS8: Predictive Process Engineering Program .....................................................................26

IS9: Product Data Standards for the HVAC/R Industries ....................................................28

IS10: Product Data Standards for the Process Plant Industries ...........................................29

IS11: Product Engineering Program ....................................................................................31

IS12: Sensor Integration ......................................................................................................33

IS13: Visualization and Virtual Reality for Collaboration and Manufacturing ...................34

Information Access Project Summaries ..................................................................................35

IA1: Computerized Access to Full Structural Crystallographic Data ..................................35

IA2: Digital Library of Mathematical Functions .................................................................36

IA3: Integration of NIST Standard Reference Data into Information Networks .................38

IA4: Online Access to NIST Chemical Reference Data ......................................................40

IA5: Standards for Exchange of Instrument Data and NIST Chemical Reference Data .....42

IA6: Web-Based Bioinformatics Databases ........................................................................43

IA7: Web-based Neutron Science ........................................................................................45

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................46

References.....................................................................................................................................46

Appendix A: Program Organization .........................................................................................48

Program Technology Areas ....................................................................................................49

Participating NIST Organizational Units ................................................................................49

Appendix B: Collaborators ........................................................................................................51

Appendix C: FY99-00 Project Publications .............................................................................81

Appendix D: Program Products Newly Available in FY99 - 00 .............................................87
iv
Introduction

1

Introduction

The Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications (SIMA) Program is an intramural effort being undertaken at 

the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support the application of information technologies to 

the manufacturing domain. Initiated in 1994, the Program works with industry to develop technology solutions 

enabling integration of the systems used in the engineering and manufacturing of various kinds of products. The plans 

for the Program were originally described in [1] and were updated in 1997 [2]. Program activities and project 

accomplishments for previous years have been documented in [3], [4], and [5]. The purpose of this document is to 

report on two fiscal years of the Program’s technical activities: 1999 and 2000 (FY99-FY00). The intended audience 

for this document includes private sector organizations and federal agencies collaborating with NIST, other agencies 

participating in the federal Information Technology Research and Development (ITRD)1 effort, and the general 

public. This report is available via the SIMA website (http://www.nist.gov/sima/) or by electronic mail request to the 

SIMA Program Office secretary (simasec@nist.gov).

This report is comprised of three major sections: the SIMA Overview, the Project Accomplishments, and the 

Appendices. The SIMA Overview section provides a high-level description of the Program’s goals, technical efforts, 

progress, and results. The Project Accomplishments section provides individual descriptions for technical projects 

funded in FY99 and FY00. Each project description includes a summary of the project’s technical accomplishments 

along with a list of the project’s collaborators. The Appendices to the report include a description of the organization 

of the Program (Appendix A), tables summarizing all collaborators enumerated in each of the project descriptions 

(Appendix B), a list of publications completed by the projects (Appendix C), and a list of products available from the 

projects (Appendix D).

SIMA Overview

NIST’s SIMA Program is the agency’s coordinating focus for its activities addressing the information interface needs 

of the U.S. manufacturing community. Specifically, the SIMA Program performs the following activities:

• Develops standards and tests for information exchange and interface protocols addressing lack of 

interoperability in manufacturing systems.

• Provides online access to NIST-resident capabilities supporting engineering and manufacturing technologies.

These efforts allow manufacturing industries to use information technologies for productivity improvements in 

manufacturing activities. In the context of the SIMA Program the phrase “manufacturing activities” is broader than 

simply operations on the shop floor; it also includes activities such as the research conducted to devise new products 

and processes, the design of products and processes, the engineering analysis of prospective solutions, the planning of 

manufacturing operations, the scheduling of production operations, the engineering of production capabilities, and 

the myriad of other information-intensive activities performed in industry today. All such activities are conducted 

using software systems and these systems require information interfaces in order to communicate with each other. 

Those information interfaces may be realized as application programming interfaces, as data exchange mechanisms, 

or as the mechanisms through which users interact with the software systems. The primary focus of the SIMA 

Program is the development and testing of information interfaces that provide scientists, engineers, and 

manufacturing personnel with the capability to share information among different activities, among different 

application software components within manufacturing enterprises, and throughout the entire supply chain.

1. The federal government’s initiative in High Performance Computing and Communications has been subsumed by the 

overarching multi-agency ITRD effort. For more information, see http://www.itrd.gov.
SIMA Overview

2

Background

The U.S. government initiated the High Performance Computing and Communication (HPCC) Program in 1991 with 

the High Performance Computing Act (Public Law 102-194). The government’s effort was intended to accelerate the 

development of future generations of high performance computers and networks and the use of these resources in the 

government and throughout the U.S. economy. The four original components2 of the HPCC Program were 

augmented in FY94 with a new component known as Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications (IITA) 

[6]. The IITA component supported research and development efforts that would enable integration of critical 

information systems and demonstrate feasible solutions to problems of national importance [7]. Twenty-first century 

manufacturing, i.e., advanced manufacturing processes and products, was one of the challenges to be addressed by 

IITA activities [8]. Concurrent with the addition of IITA, the SIMA Program was initiated at NIST to address the 

manufacturing information interface issues implicit in the IITA objectives. Later, recognizing the HPCC Program’s 

continuing successes and broadening scope, the HPCC Program was renamed as the Information technology 

Research and Development Program (ITRD) and the components of the Program were refocused into Program 

Component Areas (PCAs) [9]. There continues to be evolution in the structure and focus of the constituent elements 

of the ITRD effort; both NIST and its SIMA Program continue to coordinate technical directions with other Federal 

agencies participating in ITRD.

Major Technology Efforts

SIMA technology efforts stem from both the short- and long-term needs of U.S. manufacturers and their software 

suppliers. Industry needs evolve in response to technology and market realities, thereby resulting in corresponding 

changes in the SIMA Program’s project portfolio over time. Twenty (20) projects comprised the SIMA Program in 

FY99 and FY00. These projects addressed a wide range of industry manufacturing domains: chemical products, 

electrical products, materials, mechanical products, and constructed facilities. In this section, the focus is on the 

technology areas addressed in the projects. As illustrated in Figure 1, the Program is organized into two technology 

areas: Interface Standards and Information Access. Appendix A of this document provides additional organizational 

details of the Program. Each technology area is discussed in more detail below.

Interface Standards Efforts

The foundation for all efforts in the SIMA Program is the development, testing, and standardization of information 

specifications enabling communication among the multitude of software applications used in manufacturing 

industries. The present state of affairs is such that there is no guarantee that these software applications can do 

anything more than send unintelligible data to one another. Still it stands to reason that, for example, the software 

used to design products should be able to provide design data to the software that is used to plan the manufacturing of 

the design. In reality, engineers and other technical staff spend time recreating data in one software system that 

already exists in another, devising ad hoc data translation solutions, acquiring unique point-to-point translation 

services, and remedying the errors that many of these work-arounds introduce. This lack of interoperability among 

software systems exists whether they are resident on the same computer, accessible to each other on the same 

intranet, or accessible to each other on a wide-area network.

To address these interoperability issues, SIMA projects work in conjunction with industry collaborators to identify 

the requirements for the information that needs to be exchanged among engineering and manufacturing software 

applications. These requirements form the basis for the information models from which interface specifications are 

derived. With formal interfaces, specifications in hand, prototype implementations of information exchange 

mechanisms can be developed to help validate the accuracy and utility of the specifications. These tests typically lead 

2. High Performance Computing Systems; National Research and Education Network; Advanced Software Technology and 

Algorithms; Basic Research and Human Resources.
SIMA Overview

3

to pilot implementations in industry to further increase the robustness of the interoperability solution and to verify the 

business case for the solution (i.e., Is the prospective cost of the solution justified by the increase in efficiency? Is it 

less error-prone than existing methods?). With support from the manufacturing users and software developers, the 

interface specifications can be submitted to standards developing organizations, e.g., the International Organization 

for Standardization (ISO) or the Object Management Group for further development and eventual standardization. 

These interoperability solutions have the effect of improving the degree of integration between particular software 

systems and ultimately increasing manufacturing productivity [10].

Given that the process for developing interface specifications is fundamental to many SIMA efforts, the Program has 

documented a methodology for their development. The methodology produces Initial Manufacturing Exchange 

Specifications (IMES). IMESs are information interfaces which can take the following forms:

• An interface specification between a human and a software application

• An interface specification between two or more software applications

• A reference information repository specification

The third type of IMES refers to a specification for the contents of a repository (typically a database) that is used to 

provide information to many activities, but the contents of which are updated by only a single process (typically an 

administration process).

The IMES Process

An IMES is developed through an industry review and consensus process and is accepted by the manufacturing 

community as a definitive solution to a particular interoperability problem. The IMES process involves seven phases. 

The execution of these phases need not occur sequentially -- some may overlap while others may occur in parallel. 

Figure 2 illustrates the seven phases showing how results from each phase are used by the others. The individual 

phases are described as follows:

Figure 1. SIMA Technology Areas

Information Access

Interface Standards
SIMA Overview

4

Phase 1: Identify/Define Industry Need

The initial activity of IMES development is identifying and documenting an industry need, manufacturing scenario, 

or problem statement to define the scope and manufacturing domain of the proposed project. This need could be 

identified in several ways. Industrial collaborators are to be involved in defining this need.

Phase 2: Analyze Requirements

This IMES development phase consists of analyzing the current situation within the manufacturing scenario to 

understand current capabilities, prior attempts at a solution, and specific needs that must be accommodated in the 

proposed IMES solution. A requirements specification is the primary desired output from this project phase. Such a 

specification will enable widespread industry review of the detailed requirements that a solution must satisfy in a 

form that is understandable by the majority of the target manufacturing community.

Identify/Define

Industry Need

Phase 1

Analyze 

Requirements

Phase 2

Design/Develop

Phase 3

Validate

Phase 4

Build Industrial 

Consensus

Phase 5

Initiate 

Standardization

Phase 7

Transfer Technology

Phase 6

Walk-Through

Info Dissemination Trade Shows

User Testing

Publications

Deployment Commercialization

Prototype Implementations

Marketing

Problem 

Statement

Manufacturing 

Scenario

Test Results

Test Results

Reviewed/Consensus 

IMES

Stds. Dev. Org. 

New Work Item

Std in CD status

Final Report

System Demos

Requirements

Requirements

Strawman

Strawman

Strawman

Test Results

Reviewed/Consensus 

IMES

3 Year Process

Request from Industry

3 Year Process

Test Results

Test Results

Test Results

Figure 2. IMES Process Activities
SIMA Overview

5

Phase 3: Design/Develop

This IMES development phase consists of the actual design, development, and documentation of the proposed IMES 

technical solution that satisfies the requirements specified in the previous phase. The solution may consist of a 

combination of deliverable types, including information model(s), interface protocol(s), or process model(s), as 

required by the problem to be solved. The primary output of this phase is the initial version of the strawman proposal 

for external review.

Phase 4: Validate

A validation phase is required to ensure the completeness, validity, and usability of the proposed IMES solution. 

Validation activities may take several forms, including: prototype implementations, detailed walk-through with 

domain experts, or a comparison with known references. A proposed solution with demonstrated prototype 

implementations and validation test results makes a much stronger case for standardization. The documented test 

results (obviously based upon the prototype implementation, test environment, test suites, or other validation tools) 

are considered the primary output of this phase.

Phase 5: Build Consensus

By definition, an IMES is developed from an industry consensus viewpoint. Whereas most IMES development 

phases require some collaboration or interaction with industrial counterparts, this phase of IMES development 

requires interaction with a large segment of the target manufacturing community. This interaction can be 

accomplished through technical workshops, user group meetings, correspondence, or site visits. IMES development 

projects should endeavor to obtain and accommodate as much input and feedback from industry as possible in the 

proposed project solution. True consensus may never be reached. This project phase is deemed necessary, however, 

for positioning and delivering a quality-proposed strawman for standardization to an appropriate standards 

development organization. This phase is differentiated from the actual standardization process to allow and 

encourage other consensus-building activities without the potential constraints and procedures required by standards 

organizations. The primary deliverable of this phase is an updated Strawman IMES resulting from the consensusbuilding activities. In some cases, significant comments and suggestions may indicate the need for the project to 

iterate back to the IMES Design/Develop Phase 3.

Phase 6: Transfer Technology

One of the primary missions of NIST is to provide technology transfer of NIST research results to industry. The 

SIMA Program supports this mission. IMES development efforts will include aspects of technology transfer to 

publicize, market, and transition project activities and results to industry or standards development organizations. 

Technology transfer should be an ongoing project activity. Various methods of technology transfer can be employed 

at the various stages of the IMES development effort to supply industry collaborators and the manufacturing 

community with current information. The primary deliverables for this phase consist of a final report and system 

demonstrations.

Phase 7: Initiate Standardization

Since an IMES is a proposed standard solution to a manufacturing integration need, IMES development efforts must 

include interaction with appropriate standards development organizations to initiate this standardization. These 

activities may include attending standards meetings, participating on various standards committees, or writing project 

correspondence with standards development organization conveners. The objective of this phase is to initiate the 

proposed standards work (either as a new work item or modifications to existing standards/work items) to a point 

where it will be self-sustaining within the standards development organization.

IMES Progress

Three of the SIMA projects have identified a total of eight IMES development efforts. Table 1 depicts the IMESs 

under development and their stage of completion in the IMES process as of the end of FY00. Many IMESs identified 

in previous editions of this report have evolved into standards in various states of development and are represented in 
SIMA Overview

6

the next section. It is worth noting that there is a burgeoning number of consortia, trade associations, and so on that 

have elected to provide a home for nascent standards efforts. Hence the number of IMESs reported here has dropped 

in comparison to previous years, but the total number of interoperability standards in process has grown.

Standards Progress

Eleven projects are contributing to the development or testing of standards that have entered the formal 

standardization process (and hence are not considered IMESs). Specifications in these stages of development are 

typically those that have been in development for at least two years. Table 2 summarizes the thirty-eight (38) 

standards to which the projects have been contributing.

As these standards become more fully deployed in industry it will become practical to assess the effects they are 

having on specific interoperability problems, and to assess the NIST contributions to those benefits. In the interim, 

the SIMA Program has already initiated efforts that will lay the foundation for future assessments. One recently 

completed effort is a study of the interoperability costs incurred by companies in the U.S. automotive supply chain 

[12]. That study identified annual costs of one billion dollars owing to problems in the exchange of technical data 

amongst the numerous engineering and manufacturing software applications used by those companies. The costs 

identified included expenditures for additional engineering labor to fix errors resulting from inaccurate data 

exchanges and time-to-market delay costs. The study indicated that these costs were likely to be representative of the 

interoperability costs experienced in other transportation manufacturing industries as well (e.g., aerospace). The 

information interfaces and interoperability solutions resulting from the SIMA Program are expected to play a 

significant role in reducing the interoperability costs that manufacturers are incurring.
SIM

A

Overvie

7

w

Project Name

Identify 

Industry Need

Analyze 

Requirements

Develop 

Solution

Validate 

Solution

Build 

Consensus

Technology 

Transfer

Initiate 

Standardization

Product Engineering ProgramDesign Knowledge Core Product Model

❍ ❍ ❍

Design Rationale

❍ ❍

History-based 

Modeling

❍ ❍

Materials Informatics 

Resources: MatML

Materials 

Markup Language (MatML)

❍ ❍ ❍ ❍

Intelligent Unit Process 

Control in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems

Generic Control 

Node Shell 

Specification

● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍

Human Oversight Interface 

Specification

● ❍ ❍ ❍

Message Suite 

Specifications

● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍

Plan Interface 

Specifications

● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍

TABLE 1. IMESs by Project. The topic area for each IMES is listed in the Industry Need column. The ❍ symbol indicates on-going work in the 

corresponding IMES phase, the ● symbol indicates work in that phase is complete, and no symbol at all indicates that no work has occurred in the 

corresponding IMES phase.
SIMA Overview

8

Project Name Standard Designation

FY00 

Statusa

Dimensional Inspection Information ExchangeISO 10303-219 Industrial automation systems and integration: Product data representation and exchange: Part 

219: Application protocol: Exchange of dimensional 

inspection information

Preliminary Work 

Item

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics Industry (ECEI)

IPCb-2510: Generic Computer Aided Manufacturing 

Descriptions for Printed Boards and Printed Board 

Assembly (GenCAM)c

Published/

Pending 

ANSId

Approval

IPC-2541: Generic Requirements for Electronic Manufacturing Shop Floor Equipment CommunicationOfficial 

Representative Proposal

IPC-2571: Generic Requirements for product Definition 

Exchange (PDX)

Working 

Draft

IPC-2572: Sectional Requirements for Quoting Data 

Definition Exchange (PDX)

Working 

Draft

IPC-2578: Sectional Requirements for Bill of Material 

Data Definition Exchange (PDX)

Working 

Draft

ISO/IEC 10303-210: Electronic assembly, interconnect, 

and packaging design

International Standard

RosettaNete PIP 2A9: Query Electronic Component 

Technical Information

Published

Information Technology 

Metrology for Manufacturing 

Program

ASMEf B89.4.10 Coordinate Measuring Machine SoftwarePublic 

Review

ISO/CD 10303-14 Industrial automation systems and 

integration: Product data representation and exchange - 

Description Methods: Part 14: The EXPRESS-X Language Reference Manual

Committee 

Draft

ISO 10303-34 Industrial automation systems and integration: Product data representation and exchange: Conformance testing methodology and framework: Abstract 

test methods for application protocol implementations

International Standard

ISO/DIS 10360-6 Geometrical product specifications: 

Acceptance and reverification test for coordinate measuring machines: Part 6: Estimation of errors in computing Gaussian associated features

Draft International 

Standard

ISO 15530-4 Geometrical product specifications: Coordinate measuring machines: Techniques for determining 

the uncertainty of measurement: Uncertainty assessment 

using simulation

Working 

Draft

TABLE 2. Standards Efforts by Project
SIMA Overview

9

Manufacturing Enterprise Integration ProgramISO/CD 10303-28 Industrial automation systems and 

integration: Product data representation and exchange: 

Part 28: XML representation for EXPRESS-driven data

Committee 

Draft

OMG Data Acquisition from Industrial Systems Request for

Proposals

OMG Product Data Management Enablers (v1.3) Adopted

OMG Product Data Management Enablers (v2.0) Request for

Proposals

Manufacturing Simulation and 

Visualization Program

OMG Distributed Simulation (v2.0) Request for

Proposal

Predictive Process Engineering 

Program

ISO/WD 16100-1 Industrial automation systems and 

integration: Manufacturing software capability profiling:

Part 1: Framework for interoperability

Working 

Draft

ISO 18629-1 Process specification language: Overview 

and basic principles

Working 

Draft

ISO 18629-10 Process specification language: Core representationsWorking 

Draft

Product Engineering Program ISO 10303 Industrial automation systems and integration: Product data representation and exchange: Application protocol: Rapid prototyping and layered 

manufacturing

Preliminary Work 

Item

ISO/WD 10303-108 Industrial automation systems and 

integration: Product data representation and exchange: 

Part 108: Integrated application resource: Parametrization and constraints for explicit geometric product models

Working 

Draft

OMG CAD Services Interface (v1.0) Request for

Proposals

Product Data Standards for the 

HVAC/R Industries

IAIg Industry Foundation Classes Release 2.X Final 

Release

Product Data Standards for the 

Process Plant Industries

ISO 10303-221 Industrial automation systems and integration: Product data representation and exchange: Part 

221: Application protocol: Functional data and their 

schematic representation for process plants

Committee 

Draft

ISO 10303-227 Industrial automation systems and integration: Product data representation and exchange: Part 

227: Application protocol: Plant spatial configuration

International Standard

ISO 10303-227 Industrial automation systems and integration: Product data representation and exchange: Part 

227: Application protocol: Plant spatial configuration 

(Edition 2)

New Work 

Item

Project Name Standard Designation

FY00 

Statusa

TABLE 2. Standards Efforts by Project
SIMA Overview

10

Sensor Integration IEEEh 1451.1-1999 IEEE Standard for a Smart Transducer Interface for Sensors and Actuators - Network 

Capable Application Processor Information Model

National 

Standard

IEEE 1451.2-1997 IEEE Standard for a Smart Transducer Interface for Sensors and Actuators - Transducer 

to Microprocessor Communication Protocols and Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) Formats

IEEE Standard

Standards for Exchange of 

Instrument Data and NIST 

Chemical Reference Data

ASTMi E1947-98 Standard Specification for Analytical 

Data Interchange Protocol for Chromatographic Data

National 

Standard

ASTM E1948-98 Standard Guide for Analytical Data 

Interchange Protocol for Chromatographic Data

National 

Standard

ASTM E2077-00 Standard Specification for Analytical 

Data Interchange Protocol for Mass Spectrometric Data

National 

Standard

ASTM E2077-00 Standard Guide for Analytical Data 

Interchange Protocol for Mass Spectrometric Data

National 

Standard

NCCLSj AUTO3-A Laboratory Automation: Communications with Automated Clinical Laboratory Systems, 

Instruments, Devices, and Information Systems

Approved 

Standard

NCCLS AUTO4-P Laboratory Automation: Systems 

Operational Requirements, Characteristics, and Information Elements

Proposed 

Standard

OMG Laboratory Equipment Control Interface SpecificationRequest for

Proposals

a. The status identified for each standard is in the vernacular particular to the responsible organization.

b. The Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC) is an industry trade association.

c. GenCAM is a suite of 8 standards. The parent standard (IPC-2511A) is furthest advanced in the standardization process.

d. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the national standards body for the U.S.

e. RosettaNet is an industry consortium of electronic components, information technology and semiconductor manufacturing companies.

f. ASME International is an accredited standards setting technical organization.

g. The International Alliance for Interoperability, Inc. (IAI) is a technical standards setting organization.

h. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) is an accredited standards setting technical organization.

i. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is a formal standards developing organization.

j. The National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) is a formal standards developing 

organization.

Project Name Standard Designation

FY00 

Statusa

TABLE 2. Standards Efforts by Project
SIMA Overview

11

Information Access Efforts

The Internet provides an information access capability that continues to evolve and grow with each passing month. 

Information resources are now available at the user’s desktop with only a few keystrokes. With many thousands of 

information resources however, users are potentially overwhelmed, unable to find what is needed, and unable to use 

resources efficiently if found because of incompatibilities. Moreover, the veracity of information found on the 

Internet is frequently called into question. Yet the scientists and engineers responsible for creating new products and 

processes must have reliable, accurate, and timely access to technical data of known quality in order for their efforts 

to be successful.

The SIMA Program effort in providing Internet access to technical data is addressing such issues. This effort builds 

on NIST’s well-respected Standard Reference Data Program (SRDP), which serves the U.S. technical community by 

collecting published technical data and determining their reliability. NIST’s SRDP offers evaluated scientific data 

collections that together represent the world’s largest collection of evaluated scientific data. These data collections 

are drawn from the more than 1,000,000 technical papers reporting research published each year in the fields of 

chemistry, physics, materials science, and engineering. The information in those papers includes numeric data used 

by U.S. scientists and engineers in their daily work of research, testing, and product/process development. The 

private sector does not offer the evaluated data services performed by NIST because preparation of reliable scientific 

databases is not a commercially viable activity. Reliable data requires evaluation, the assessment of data accuracy by 

expert scientists and engineers. With its strong technical staff, NIST sets the world benchmark for evaluation 

capability.

The SIMA Program adds value to NIST’s existing SRDP effort by making these data collections available to any user 

with an Internet connection. This not only improves the penetration of these data in the technical community but also 

ensures that the data the users are depending on are the latest evaluated. In addition, the evolving technical 

capabilities of Internet browsers enable new mechanisms for interacting with these data collections. These include 

innovative search capabilities based on graphical input from users, interactive manipulation of data graphs, as well as 

outputs from the data collections that can be directly incorporated into the software on the user’s local computer. 

Seven SIMA projects are involved in these SRDP efforts and have demonstrated considerable success as evidenced 

by the significant usage of their online data collections by industrial sites.

The SIMA Program also continues to explore related needs for online access to technical information as well as 

online access to technical capabilities. Other areas of work include efforts to make interactive versions of widely used 

NIST references in mathematics available on the Internet. While the technical community is reaping immediate 

benefits from these types of capabilities, we expect that the continuing evolution of both Internet technologies and the 

information interfaces developed in the other parts of the SIMA program will together provide even greater 

information access benefits in the future.

SIMA Vision

The premise for the SIMA Program is that the information technology infrastructure supporting the product 

realization environment should enable seamless communication of information among business enterprises, people, 

software systems, and hardware systems. It is our belief that the major technology areas in the Program - interface 

standards and information access - address the significant technical challenges implied by that premise. Yet the 

number and variety of software systems used in manufacturing enterprises continues to grow; and with that growth 

comes the corresponding combinatorial explosion in the number of interfaces necessary to achieve seamless 

communication among them. While SIMA efforts are addressing near-term priorities for the information interfaces 

needed by U.S. manufacturers, they cannot address all current information interface needs or the greater needs 

anticipated for the future. Recognizing this, the Program is devoting some of its resources to investigating how future 

standards can be developed so that software systems can negotiate seamless communications on their own. Hence a 

vision for the SIMA Program was developed and is illustrated in Figure 3. The bulk of the work currently pursued by 
Project Accomplishments

12

the Program is in the development of common models of data. Those models, manifested as IMESs or standards, 

enable current and near-term interoperability solutions. Coupled with formal representations of semantics, those 

models could allow for more powerful software integration techniques, such as the automatic generation of data 

translators. Human intervention would still be involved, specifically in the codification and resolution of semantic 

intent. A further advance would be a semantic infrastructure enabling self-describing systems so that, at least in welldefined domains, software systems would be able to recognize the possibility of intelligent communication and carry 

it out. The ultimate solution would be software systems that autonomously determine semantic equivalence, resolve 

semantic mismatches, and thus perform seamless communication on their own.

While we are a long way from achieving this vision, its pursuit is necessary if we are to escape the increasingly 

resource-intensive work of manually addressing interoperability issues. The technical efforts targeted at specific 

interoperability problems continue to add to the foundational knowledge needed to achieve the vision. Hence the 

short-term benefits of the Program manifest themselves as solutions to specific interoperability problems. But the 

lasting impact of the Program may well be the legacy of methods, standards, and practices for improving the 

integratability of software systems.

Project Accomplishments

The following descriptions provide summaries of each SIMA Program technical project. Project summaries are 

organized by program environment element. (See Appendix A for a description of the organization of projects.) Each 

project summary provides a brief description of objectives, accomplishments, and collaborations. Detailed 

information on any project may be obtained by contacting the principal investigator listed for that project.

Figure 3. The SIMA Vision
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

13

Interface Standards Project Summaries

IS1: Dimensional Inspection Information Exchange

Principal Investigator: Theodore Vorburger

Telephone: (301) 975 - 3493

E-mail: theodore.vorburger@nist.gov

The objective of this effort, initiated in FY00, is to 

develop and demonstrate an information standard for

dimensional inspection information exchange. The 

mechanical parts industries, particularly the 

automotive and the aerospace industries, have been 

seeking ways to comprehensively integrate 

inspection plans, raw inspection data, and inspection 

analyses into their manufacturing software 

environment. The Dimensional Measuring Interface 

Standard (DMIS) [13] is one example of ongoing 

work in industry towards the above objective. DMIS 

provides a mechanism for integrating dimensional 

inspection planning and execution systems. 

However, DMIS does not address the need to 

integrate data resulting from inspection processes 

with subsequent reporting of that data nor with the 

original design and its dimensional tolerances. To enable the exchange of inspection information among the many 

functions that create and use it, a sound information model must be developed. These functions include design, 

dimensioning and tolerancing, inspection process planning, execution of inspection, modification of inspection plans, 

analysis of results, reporting, and archiving. ISO 10303 (informally known as the STandard for the Exchange of 

Product model data, or “STEP” [14]) now includes a work item to develop an application protocol for dimensional 

inspection (AP219) [15]. The aim of this project will then be to contribute to the standardization of AP219, complete 

a prototype implementation to validate the information requirements of AP219, and work effectively with industrial 

teams and related standards bodies to deploy AP219 in production systems.

Significant FY00/99 Accomplishments

• Developed an application reference model for AP219 taking into consideration compatibility with existing STEP 

standards.

• Conducted a special harmonization meeting between developers of AP219 and the DMIS National standards 

committee to ensure compatibility among these specifications.

• Initiated efforts in conjunction with DaimlerChrysler and others to develop a prototype implementation of AP219 

for web-based analysis of inspection data.

EXPRESS 

representation 

of information requirements 

User Community 1

Dimensional Inspection Execution

AP219

 User Community 2

 Dimensional Inspection Analysis

 AP219

data data

AP219

EXPRESS

XSL2

XSL1

NET

(Intranet, Internet, . . .)

AP219

XML DTD

Part 28

AP219

EXPRESS

AP219

XML DTD

Part 28

Different business rules

require different presentations

of the data to end users.

AP219 web analysis implementation
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

14

Collaborations

• Boeing, for identification of information requirements for the emerging AP219 specification.

• Brown and Sharpe, for identification of information requirements for the emerging AP219 specification as well as 

for implementation considerations.

• Daimler Chrysler, for coordination and development of a prototype implementation of the emerging AP219 

specification for web-based analysis of inspection results.

• LK Metrology Systems Inc., for identification of information requirements for the emerging AP219 specification 

as well as for implementation considerations.

• Metrology Automation Association, for validation of emerging AP219 implementations.

• Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd., for identification of information requirements for the emerging AP219 

specification as well as for development of a prototype implementation of AP219 for web-based analysis of 

inspection results.

• University of North Carolina, for identification of information requirements for the emerging AP219 

specification.
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

15

IS2: Electronic Commerce for the Electronics Industry (ECEI)

Principal Investigator: Kevin Brady

Telephone: (301) 975 - 3644

E-mail: kevin.brady@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to contribute to the 

technical development of the component 

information infrastructure for the electronics 

industry. This infrastructure enables the transfer of 

technical information among the manufacturers of 

electronic parts and those who need electronic parts 

for the design, manufacture, and repair of electronic 

systems. Technical areas addressed by ECEI efforts 

include the fundamental terminology used to 

describe components, the representation of the 

component data, capabilities to access component 

data and incorporate it into the product lifecycle. 

The project also addresses manufacturing 

information technology problems that exist at the 

intersection of manufacturing and electronic 

commerce systems. Results of ECEI efforts include 

contributions to the content of neutral data exchange specifications; validation of those specifications through 

prototype and pilot efforts with industrial partners; and, harmonization of the competing specifications originating in 

different consortia, trade associations, and formal standards organizations. Assisting in the development of standards 

in this domain is crucial to allow U.S. electronics manufacturers to take advantage of the global marketplace and to 

enable the acceleration of business practices such as the search for, and brokering of, component information via the 

Internet.

Significant FY00/99 Accomplishments

• Developed conformance test software for the GenCAM specification that is available through www.gencam.org 

as well as on a CD-ROM available from the Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC). The 

conformance test software has been demonstrated at various industry conferences. The software has been 

maintained and updated to be consistent with changes in the GenCAM specification. In addition, project staff 

have made significant contributions to the development of the GenCAM specification itself.

• Provided leadership to the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI) Factory Information Systems 

Technology Implementation Project and the Virtual Factory Information Interchange Project.

• In conjunction with RosettaNet, NEMI, and the Open Application Group, harmonized specifications for 

manufacturing supply chain management and data exchange.

• Established a testbed for evaluation of software agent technologies in the context of electronics industry business 

processes. Developed and tested a multi-agent system for quoting and bidding on printed circuit boards, emulating 

the process that takes place between original equipment manufacturers and electronics manufacturing services.

• Contributed to the development of the QuickData specification and released a reference implementation of the 

specification that was demonstrated at multiple industry conferences. Continued to maintain and update the 

reference implementation in conjunction with additions to the QuickData specification. Added other features such 

as secure socket layer security.

• Developed and demonstrated a prototype software tool enabling update and maintenance of the terminology 

dictionary being developed by RosettaNet.

Engineering of electronic products via the Internet

IP Core

Standard

Parts

Databases

Standard

Electronic

Dictionaries

Design engineer Internet

Final design, using existing Intellectual

Property (IP) and new design information
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

16

Collaborations

• Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC), for development of standards supporting the flow of 

information across the electronics manufacturing supply chain.

• Agile Software, for validation of draft specifications relating to exchange of product information in electronics 

industry supply chains.

• Automata Design Inc., for analysis of requirements for electronics parts registries and catalogs.

• CommerceNet, for development of frameworks for electronic commerce.

• Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, for work with the Electronic Technology Office on issues relevant 

to DARPA objectives.

• EOG, for analysis of component information needed to support assembly of printed circuit boards.

• FTL Systems, for development of software tools supporting virtual components.

• Georgia Institute of Technology, for pilot evaluation of evolving electronics industry interchange specifications.

• Object Management Group, for development of specifications relating to electronic commerce and software 

agents.

• National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative, for development of technology roadmaps and coordination of 

industry pilot projects.

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for analysis of component information and parts libraries 

requirements.

• Netfish Technologies, for prototype evaluation of emerging standards for electronic commerce.

• Pennsylvania State University, for coordination of standards development activities.

• RosettaNet, for development of electronic commerce specifications and evaluation of their utility.

• SEMATECH, for analysis of requirements relating to semiconductor manufacturer needs.

• Silicon Integration Initiative, for development of electronic component information standards and software testing 

tools.

• Surface Mount Equipment Manufacturers Association (SMEMA), for development of interface specifications for 

printed circuit board manufacturing equipment.

• University of Maryland Baltimore County, for investigation of component information in electronic design 

automation.

• University of Virginia, for investigation of standards testing issues.

• Viewlogic Systems Inc., for analysis of electronic component data requirements in electronic engineering and 

design software.
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

17

IS3: Information Technology Metrology for Manufacturing Program

Principal Investigator: Simon Frechette

Telephone: (301) 975 - 3335

E-mail: simon.frechette@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to 

develop and provide formal 

methods, reference artifacts, and 

testing services that U.S. industry 

needs for continuous improvement 

of manufacturing software 

interoperability and information 

reliability. The approach is to 

identify the elements common to 

individual measurement issues, to 

synthesize these common elements 

into the principles underlying 

rigorous testing approaches, and to 

codify these principles into a set of 

formal methods that can be applied 

over a wide spectrum of 

manufacturing problem domains. By

working with industry, staff will 

identify and enumerate types of 

software testing relevant to systems 

integration, determine how those 

testing mechanisms relate to one another, develop a lexicon of testing terminologies, investigate the methodologies 

and metrics relevant to systems integration testing and software behavior characterization, and develop best-in-class 

approaches. This research and development will lead to a measurement infrastructure for manufacturing IT. These 

fundamental research efforts will be conducted in parallel with applied research efforts that seek to solve the nearterm problems faced by industry in the areas of manufacturing software conformance and interoperability, 

manufacturing software accuracy, and the interactions of “systems of systems.” Work on these nearer-term efforts 

will be grounded in the requirements expressed by industry and conveyed to NIST through workshops, standards 

committee meetings, and industrial partnerships. Specifications resulting from developed technical solutions will be 

disseminated through research publications and standards organization submissions. Software testing tools developed 

as part of these efforts will be disseminated as appropriate for further development by commercial organizations. 

 STEP test artifact

Test Case: Revolved Object with Void

Test the processing of information

elements adv_brep_shape_rep,

brep_with_voids and elements used in

their construction (CC6).
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

18

Significant FY00/99 Accomplishments

• Contributed to ISO 10303 Part 32 - “Conformance Testing Methodology and Framework: Requirements on 

Testing Laboratories and Clients,” which has since been accepted as an international standard.

• Contributed to ISO 10303 Part 34 - “Conformance Testing Methodology and Framework: Abstract Test 

Methods,” which has since been accepted as an international standard.

• Implemented the EXPRESS Web Server that provides web-based access to several software tools useful for 

developers and users of ISO 10303 (STEP) and ISO 10303-11 (EXPRESS). 

• Implemented a demonstration illustrating how XML and other web standards could be used to interactively 

browse an annotated EXPRESS model.

• Completed and released Version 2 of the NIST Expresso software tool. Expresso is used to validate STEP 

schemas and STEP translator conformance.

• Led a session at the World Automation Congress (June 2000) on “Component-based Standards Development for 

Manufacturing.” The session included presenters from industry, government, and academia.

• Contributed to the implementation of a STEP conformance certification program, resulting in certification of 

several major CAD systems and the determination that the U.S. Product Data Association (US PRO) and the 

French GOSET conformance verification methods are functionally equivalent. US PRO and GOSET can now 

issue certification of conformance based on each other’s testing results.

• Delivered the EXPRESS-X (ISO SC4 WG11 Part 14) specification. EXPRESS-X defines mappings between 

information models defined in EXPRESS. The EXPRESS-X language allows creation of alternate representations 

of EXPRESS models and mappings between EXPRESS models and other applications. 

Collaborations

• Automotive Industry Action Group, for evaluation and deployment of STEP capabilities in production 

environments.

• Boeing, for development of conformance testing and vendor certification requirements.

• Environmental Research Institute of Michigan, for development of software tools to test STEP implementations.

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for validation of the Object Management Group (OMG) Product 

Data Management (PDM) Enablers specification.

• PDES Inc., for validation of conformance testing tools through pilot implementation projects and for investigation 

of solutions to STEP interoperability issues.
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

19

IS4: Intelligent Unit Process Control in Next Generation Open Manufacturing Systems

Principal Investigator: Harry Scott

Telephone: (301) 975 - 3437

E-mail: harry.scott@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to enable intelligent unitprocess component integration for next-generation 

manufacturing systems through interface 

standardization, testing, and architectural analysis. 

Intelligent control is a critical enabler for realizing 

increases in productivity and quality during 

production. Industry roadmaps call for intelligent 

control capabilities such as self-diagnostics, adaptive 

control, error compensation, thermal and load 

compensation, and tool wear and breakage 

monitoring. Achieving these advances requires realtime sensing, process control, and behavior prediction 

to take appropriate action in unexpected situations. 

These capabilities are the essence of intelligence at the 

unit process level. Realizing them requires common 

approaches to representing knowledge in models for 

real-time control, agreed-upon interfaces for adding modular functionality, and an architecture for fitting all of this 

together. Hence three primary thrusts comprise our approach: 1) in collaboration with industry, develop and perform 

tests, test methods, and performance measures in a set of testbeds, 2) research and engineer solutions to problems 

cited in industry roadmaps to enable intelligent control, and 3) participate in efforts to specify standards. Within each 

of these thrust areas, we will address the problems of three major classes of unit process equipment – inspection 

systems, machine tools, and robots. Through this project structure, we can efficiently address the near-term, highpriority problems currently identified by industry as well as the longer-term problems likely to arise in pursuit of the 

challenges expressed in industry roadmaps.

Significant FY00/99 Accomplishments

• Completed design and implementation of a multi-level, reference architecture software infrastructure upon which 

software testbeds addressing specific industry problems can be implemented.

• Developed and demonstrated feature-based planning, inspection, and control, highlighting results of developing, 

validating, and testing standards-based interfaces for planning and execution in conjunction with reference 

architecture software infrastructure. Standards validated, demonstrated, and revised as a part of this work included 

multiple parts of ISO 10303 (informally known as the STandard for the Exchange of Product model data, or 

“STEP”) and the national Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard.

• Completed documentation of the Open Modular Architecture Controller (OMAC) Application Programming 

Interface (API) covering significant aspects of the specification. Initiated implementation of a suite of OMAC 

API validation tools.

Intelligent architecture applications
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

20

Collaborations

• Advanced Technology and Research Corp., for implementation of open architecture concepts and supporting 

tools.

• Association for Manufacturing Technology, for identification of issues relevant to improved manufacturing 

processes.

• Carnegie Mellon University, for work with The Robotics Institute on manufacturing system component interfaces 

for modular systems and software agents.

• Catholic University, for development of architecture concepts, feature-based control, information standards as 

well as prototype implementations.

• Drexel University, for development of experimental planning and learning components as well as performance 

metrics for intelligent systems.

• Enhanced Machine Controller Consortium, for development of software environments enabling implementation 

of open architecture concepts.

• Metrology Automation Association, for analysis of requirements for information standards relating to inspection 

processes and for validation of prototype implementations.

• Next Generation Inspection System Consortium, for analysis of requirements for enhanced inspection process 

capabilities.

• Open Modular Architecture Controller (OMAC) Users Group, for development of interface specifications for 

machine controllers.

• Pathway Technologies Inc., for development of software supporting simulation of architecture concepts.

• Real-time Innovations Inc., for investigation of control system design tools and technology transfer of control 

system architecture concepts.

• University of Delaware, for application of architecture concepts to complex mechanisms.

• University of Maryland, for development and testing of advanced planning functions.
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

21

IS5: Manufacturing Enterprise Integration Program

Principal Investigator: Albert Jones

Telephone: (301) 975 - 3554

E-mail: jonesa@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to 

provide U.S. industry with 

standards and tools that facilitate 

the integration of high-level 

manufacturing enterprise systems 

within and across enterprises. 

Towards this end, program 

technical staff will develop four 

primary classes of products:

• Analyses that document issues 

of concern to the manufacturing

community regarding the 

adoption of leading-edge 

information infrastructure 

technologies and standards 

• Models that represent the 

information, processes, 

structure, and behavior of manufacturing enterprise systems 

• Prototype systems that demonstrate feasibility of standards-based solutions and emerging technology solutions to 

manufacturing enterprise integration problems 

• Standards that document consensus agreements regarding terminology, information, specifications, methods, and 

architectures that specify the structure and enable the integration of enterprise systems 

The program uses a systems approach to develop a top-level set of enterprise reference model standards, 

manufacturing operational models, system architecture models, system interface standards, and manufacturing 

information standards. It is examining the non-traditional notions of systems that are embodied in the emerging field 

of autonomous agents and it is contributing to the emerging notion of self-integration. Engineering and analysis of 

manufacturing systems will provide the basis for development of interface standards and information model 

standards. Traditionally, such engineering and analysis yields static models of manufacturing activities and 

information flows. We are now beginning to leverage techniques used in manufacturing simulation to perform 

dynamic analysis of this view of manufacturing systems. As developments in process representation begin to mature, 

it is expected that those results also will be applied. Whether static or dynamic, these models provide the basis for the 

functional decomposition of manufacturing software.

Significant FY00/99 Accomplishments

• Demonstrated remote collaboration for a robotic arc welding testbed. Engineers in several locations were able to 

simultaneously view welding operations and related data, discuss resulting issues, and recommend corrective 

measures.

• Led efforts resulting in a formal liaison between ISO TC184/SC4 and TC184/SC5 to discuss standardization of 

the Process Specification Language (PSL) and its relationship to self-integrating systems.

• Provided key contributions to the Object Management Group’s Manufacturing Domain Task Force (MfgDTF) 

Roadmap document and created a new roadmap for the MfgDTF Manufacturing Execution Systems roadmap.

• Provided key technical contributions to the Object Management Group Manufacturing Domain Task Force 

(MfgDTF) PDM Enablers specification. Contributions include work to harmonize the specification with other 

related specifications, a Guide for Decision Makers, and a Resource for Implementors.

Intra-Enterprise

Inter-Enterprise

Typical global exchange scenario
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

22

Collaborations

• Advanced Micro Devices, for validation of the Advanced Process Control framework.

• American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS), for identification of resource management issues 

characteristic of particular manufacturing models.

• Borg-Warner Automotive, for pilot evaluation of collaborative work mechanisms.

• Honeywell, for validation of the Advanced Process Control framework.

• Intelligent Automation Inc., for investigation of software agent systems.

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for investigation of software agent systems.

• Software Engineering Institute, for investigation of software component and software agent issues.

• Stanford University, for investigation of software agent infrastructures.

• Sun Microsystems, for investigation of collaborative work mechanisms for engineers in distributed manufacturing 

environments.

• Supply Chain Council, for investigation of supply chain models.

• TeamWave Software, for development of software tools enabling collaborative work mechanisms.

• University of Cincinnati, for investigation of software agent infrastructures.

• University of Maryland, for investigation of ad hoc collaborative work mechanisms.

• University of Michigan, for development and pilot evaluation of collaborative work mechanisms.

• University of Saskatchewan, for investigation of collaborative work mechanisms.
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

23

IS6: Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization Program

Principal Investigator: Charles McLean

Telephone: (301) 975 - 3511

E-mail: charles.mclean@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to reduce the 

cost, increase the accessibility, and improve 

the interoperability of manufacturing 

simulation technology for U.S. industry 

through identification, development, and 

evaluation of data interfaces and methods for

integrating manufacturing simulation 

applications with each other and with other 

manufacturing software applications. 

Standardized interfaces, component model 

libraries, and modeling techniques promise 

to reduce the cost and increase the 

accessibility of manufacturing simulation 

technology for U.S. industry. A major focus 

for the program is the identification and specification of data interfaces for various manufacturing simulation 

applications. The program will achieve its near-term objectives through work carried out with external collaborators, 

the international Intelligent Manufacturing Systems Program, the Navy Maritech Program, and the Object 

Management Group (OMG) Special Interest Group in Distributed Simulation (SIMSIG). The technical approach of 

the MS&V Program is to: 

• Identify critical manufacturing process and system simulation domains and associated types of simulation 

software applications.

• Analyze current and future trends for simulation and testing technology.

• Establish specification and testing methods, models, and metrics for validating simulation systems interfaces.

• Identify tools and models to be used in the specification development, prototyping, and testing processes.

• Construct a testbed containing simulation applications, prototype integration, testing tools, and test cases.

• Specify and develop architectures, data models, and interface specifications for integrating simulation 

applications, component modules, and reference libraries.

• Conduct experimental tests, demonstrations, and reviews to substantiate the validation and testing process itself.

• Promote specifications as candidate standards within the national and international standards community. 

Significant FY00/99 Accomplishments

• Established the U.S. team to the international Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) MISSION project.

• Developed two initial prototypes (in C and Java programming languages) of the IMS MISSION High-Level 

Architecture (HLA) simulation adapter.

• Developed specifications and XML data types for a power-tool manufacturing supply chain demonstration 

scenario. Presented the demonstration at an international IMS meeting in May, 2000.

• Demonstrated the NIST-developed Distributed Manufacturing Simulation Adapter and a shipyard repair and 

conversion simulation model at a National Shipbuilding Research Program Workshop, August, 2000.

• Developed specifications for a simulation environment, simulation model, and interfaces for a shipyard 

simulation and then demonstrated HLA integration using a Promodel simulator.

Manufacturing Simulation

Federation Manager

Distributed

Manufacturing Data

Repository

HLA Run-Time

Infrastructure and

Communications

Network

Simulation

Visualization

Federate

DMS Adapter

Manufacturing

Sim ulation

Federate

DMS Adapter

Real Manufacturing

System

Federate

DMS Adapter

Simulation Output

Data Analysis

Federate

DMS Adapter

Distributed simulation architecture
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

24

Collaborations

• Arizona State University, for investigation of mechanisms for modeling manual manufacturing operations and 

interfaces for simulation systems.

• AutoSimulation Inc., for integration of scheduling and simulation applications with upstream and downstream 

functions.

• Black and Decker, for provision of test parts and manufacturing data.

• Defense Modeling and Simulation Office, for investigation of the suitability of HLA to the Mission Project and 

distributed manufacturing simulations.

• Delmia Corporation, for integration of distributed simulation applications with upstream and downstream 

functions.

• EAI - CimTechnologies, for integration of distributed simulation applications with upstream and downstream 

functions.

• Florida International University, for investigation of manufacturing simulation and integration with upstream and 

downstream functions.

• Intelligent Manufacturing Systems MISSION Project, for work with this international consortium on development

of neutral interfaces for simulation software.

• Knowledge Based Systems Inc., for integration of distributed simulation applications with upstream and 

downstream functions.

• Micro Analysis & Design Inc., for integration of distributed simulation applications with upstream and 

downstream functions.

• Motion Factory, for modeling of manufacturing operations.

• Musahi University, for development of object-oriented simulation modeling and business process models for 

supply chain management.

• Nyamekye Research and Consulting Firm, for development of simulation and activity-based costing models.

• Pennsylvania State University, for investigation of distributed manufacturing simulation and neutral model 

formats.

• ProModel Corporation, for integration of distributed simulation applications with upstream and downstream 

functions.

• Systems Modeling Corp., for integration of distributed simulation applications with upstream and downstream 

functions.

• Tecnomatix Technologies Inc., for integration of distributed simulation applications with upstream and 

downstream functions.

• University of Arizona, for development of a manufacturing scenario to be realized via the distributed 

manufacturing simulation for the Mission Project.

• University of Iowa, for investigation of distributed manufacturing simulation and simulation models.

• University of Illinois, for investigation of manufacturing simulation and virtual reality interfaces.

• University of Maryland, for investigation of architectures for distributed simulation.

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute, for investigation of mechanisms for integrating assembly process specifications 

with manufacturing visualization languages and interfaces.
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

25

IS7: Materials Informatics Resources: MatML

Principal Investigator: Ed Begley

Telephone: (301) 975 - 6118

E-mail: begley@nist.gov

The objective of this effort, initiated in FY00, is to develop 

a new materials information language, MatML, an 

application of the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) for 

storing, transmitting, and processing materials data 

distributed via the Internet. This effort will address issues 

of materials data interpretation and interoperability by 

defining a computer-sensible representation that avoids the 

ambiguities inherent in encoding schemes such as 

HyperText Markup Language (HTML). The approach 

taken will be to enlist the participation of worldwide 

stakeholders in materials information for agreement on the 

scope of MatML. With their input, we will (1) develop a 

draft MatML representation, (2) test the draft specification 

through application in existing materials databases, and (3) 

promulgate a validated MatML specification in relevant 

standards developing organizations.

Significant FY00 Accomplishments

• Assembled the MatML Working Group (see collaborators enumerated below).

• Designed, developed, and implemented a MatML Web Site providing capabilities for external contributors to 

participate in MatML development (see http://www.ceramics.nist.gov/matml/matml.htm).

• Led the MatML Working Group to define the scope and specifications for MatML.

• Developed the Annotated MatML Document Type Definition, which is the syntactic and semantic formalism that 

describes the new markup language and provides English-language descriptions of the components of MatML 

along with sample code wherein materials property data is "marked up."

Collaborations

The MatML project logo

The following are members of the MatML Working 

Group:

- ABB ALSTOM Power (UK) 

- Aluminum Association

- ASM, International

- Atomic Weapons Establishment (UK) 

- The Boeing Company

- CenTOR

- Colorado School of Mines

- ESM Software 

- Ford Motor Company

- Information Analysis Center, Iowa State 

University 

- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

- Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

- MSC Software 

- NRIM (Japan)

- University of Delaware

- Virtual School of Molecular Sciences (UK) 

- William Andrew Publishing
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

26

IS8: Predictive Process Engineering Program

Principal Investigator: Kevin Jurrens

Telephone: (301) 975 - 5486

E-mail: jurrens@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to develop 

standard manufacturing process 

specifications and application interface 

specifications to allow companies to better 

document, understand, and refine their 

processes, as well as exchange necessary 

process information among different 

functions both within their organization and 

among partnering organizations. 

Increasingly diverse software tools to 

capture, depict, simulate, analyze, and 

control processes cannot realize their 

potential to exchange process information 

freely in the absence of a robust, standard, 

formal method for representing processes. 

Key challenges in defining this neutral 

process representation include defining a 

common understanding of the semantic 

meanings of terms for describing process and developing multiple syntactic interpretations of these semantic 

descriptions. Once determined, these semantics will enable mapping between, for example, object-oriented, 

Knowledge Interchange Format (KIF) [16] and relational applications. Interaction between the conceptual product 

design, planning, and process functions would allow increased optimization of the manufacturing process. However, 

in current practice, conceptual design, process/resource selection, cost estimation, detailed design, and process 

planning are performed independently, without integrated software tools. This is primarily because conceptual design 

systems, computer-aided design (CAD) systems, cost estimating systems, and process planning systems are not 

designed for interoperability. Program staff will develop an initial specification of standard interfaces to enable such 

interoperability.

Significant FY00/99 Accomplishments

• Introduced the Process Specification Language (PSL) into the ISO TC184/SC4 and SC/5 sub-committees as a 

Preliminary Work Item. A joint SC4/SC5 working group will pursue development of PSL as a standard.

• Completed the first pilot implementation of PSL, successfully integrating the IDEF3-based ProCAP process 

modeling tool with the C++-based ILOG scheduler. In the on-going second pilot implementation, completed 

development of a translator from the MetCAPP planning and costing system to PSL. Work continues on a 

translator from PSL to the Quest simulation application.

• Conducted the Second PSL Roundtable in January 1999. Process representation experts reached consensus on the 

content of the PSL Version 1.0 specification and identified application areas and directions for the project to 

pursue.

• Developed an initial integrated Conceptual Design and Conceptual Process Planning activity model that defines 

the context in which conceptual design and process planning information can be shared and software 

interoperability can be enabled. Also developed an initial object model for Conceptual Design and Conceptual 

Process Planning Integration. This model specifies requirements for developing standard interface protocols.

• Gained ISO approval to incorporate the DPPI object model into Part 2 (Information Models for Interoperability) 

of the ISO 16100 standard for Manufacturing Software Capability Profiling and Interoperability.

Integrated view of process
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

27

Collaborations

• Bosonics, for development of neutral interface specifications enabling integration of process planning and cost 

estimating systems.

• Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing International (CAM-I), for work with CAM-I’s Process Planning and 

Model Driven Engineering projects to enhance and extend models for integration of design and process planning.

• Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, for work with the DARPA-sponsored Process Interchange Format 

group.

• Ford Motor Company, for work on the development of models for integration of design and process planning.

• Georgia Institute of Technology, for investigation of scenarios for information exchange between design and 

process planning.

• Ingersoll Milling Machines Company, for development of mechanisms to integrate design and process planning 

systems.

• Knowledge Based Systems Inc., for work on the development of the PSL and on pilot implementations.

• Knowledge Technologies International, for prototype implementation and validation of models for design and 

process planning information.

• Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems, for development of mechanisms to integrate design and process 

planning systems.

• Oak Ridge National Laboratories, for work with the Collaborative Technologies Research Center to extend the 

PSL to encompass concepts necessary for software agent-based simulations and on the development of PSL 

tutorials.

• Pennsylvania State University, for investigation of extensions to PSL for manufacturing process planning.

• TechnoSoft Inc., for prototype implementation and validation of models for design and process planning 

information.

• University of Maryland, for work with the Institute for Systems Research on language development issues as well 

as for work with the Department of Mechanical Engineering to model cost estimating in process planning.

• University of South Carolina, for work with the Center for Information Technology on language translator theory.

• University of Toronto, for work with the Enterprise Integration Laboratory on the development of core language 

semantics.
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

28

IS9: Product Data Standards for the HVAC/R Industries

Principal Investigator: Kent Reed

Telephone: (301) 975 - 5852

E-mail: kent.reed@nist.gov

The objective of this effort, initiated in FY00, is to 

develop a standards-based information 

infrastructure supporting the design, analysis, 

specification, procurement, installation, operation,

and maintenance of heating, ventilation, airconditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) 

systems. Heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, 

and refrigeration systems are essential elements of 

any facility, be it a building, plant, or ship. 

Increasingly, facility owners are striving to 

optimize not just the performance and reliability 

but also the life-cycle cost of their HVAC/R 

systems. Complete and timely information must 

be shared among all the people who deal with 

HVAC/R systems if facility life-cycle goals are to 

be achieved. In addition to the manufacturers of components, these people include designers, analysts, specifiers, 

procurers, installers, operators, and maintainers. Typically, the information to be shared about HVAC/R systems 

covers mechanical equipment, ducting and piping, power, sensors and controls; it must deal with both intrinsic and 

installed form, fit, function, and behavior. This information must be melded appropriately with information about the 

spaces or processes to be conditioned by the systems. This information must be sufficiently rich to enable not only 

optimized operation but also automated diagnosis and recovery from fault conditions. The emerging demand on the 

part of facility owners for integrated, holistic control of all facility systems means this information must be available 

in a form consistent with other systems. The technical approach of this effort initially will address file-based 

exchange of explicit, static product data. Following that, the work will be extended to include control algorithms and 

other dynamic functional and behavioral information, and to deal with fault detection and diagnostic applications.

Significant FY00 Accomplishments

• Expanded an existing simulation of building systems, the Virtual Cybernetic Building Testbed (VCBT), to allow 

for investigation of more complex building system dynamics. In addition, constituent software components of the 

VCBT were enhanced to allow for integration of planned systems and capabilities.

• Developed initial database implementations of the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) specification to serve as 

platforms for investigation of the capabilities of the specification.

• Developed XML representations of the data needed to drive existing NIST-developed HVAC simulations and 

developed mechanisms for mapping those representations to that of the IFC-based databases.

Collaborations

• International Alliance for Interoperability, for development of specifications relating to HVAC/R in Building 

Services Domain projects.

• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, for work toward the development of the Department of Energy building 

energy simulation program.

• Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, for investigation of the validity of emerging specifications relating to 

HVAC/R.

• National Institute of Building Sciences, for analysis of information requirements for HVAC/R in conjunction with 

the Facilities Maintenance and Operation Committee.

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for work toward the development of the Department of Energy building energy 

simulation program.

Simulation of smoke transport by HVAC system
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

29

IS10: Product Data Standards for the Process Plant Industries

Principal Investigator: Mark Palmer

Telephone: (301) 975 - 5858

E-mail: mark.palmer@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to develop and 

demonstrate data exchange standards that reduce 

life-cycle costs for the design, construction, 

operation and maintenance of industrial facilities. 

The U.S. process plant industries seek to improve 

their project delivery capabilities through 

improved work processes and the integration of 

information systems, e.g., the exchange and 

sharing of information among computerized 

systems and operators. The many computerized 

systems in use can be integrated only at great cost 

because of their incompatible proprietary 

representations of information. Standard, neutral, 

information representations and exchange 

methods are needed that allow system vendors to be innovative and yet allow system users (process engineers to 

piping fabricators to construction planners) to exchange and share information about process plant projects 

automatically and reliably. The ISO 10303 (informally known as the STandard for the Exchange of Product model 

data, or “STEP”) application protocols (APs) are providing a base technology for the needed information. STEP APs 

must be developed to meet the needs of the process plant industries. The approach to be followed is to:

• Investigate U.S. industries’ capabilities, problems, and potential improvements (work processes and technologies) 

in the piping delivery process, i.e., detailed design, fabrication, inspection, installation and testing of piping 

systems. 

• Work with stakeholders to improve ISO 10303-227 [17] for exchanging information about piping systems and 

equipment and to develop an extension to ISO 10303-227 to support the exchange of piping fabrication, 

inspection and installation information.

• Work with industry on pilot projects to test and demonstrate the use ISO 10303-227. 

Significant FY00/99 Accomplishments

• Assessed international ballot comments on the committee draft version of the Process Engineering Data 

application protocol specification (ISO 10303-231) [18] and developed a plan for moving the evolving 

specification forward to draft international standard status.

• Completed the international standard version of the Plant Spatial Configuration (Edition 1) application protocol 

specification (ISO 10303-227). Provided recommendations for an industry-driven, test-case-development process 

that has been adopted by ISO TC184/SC4. In conjunction with industry partners, demonstrated initial 

implementations of the standard at industry conferences and presented results from pilot use by companies such as 

Merck.

• Established an industry advisory team for improving piping system delivery. Through three workshops with the 

team, identified priorities and documented requirements for pipe prefabrication and inspection information 

exchange capabilities.

• Initiated a new work item for a 2nd edition of ISO 10303-227 based on the recognized interest of the U.S. process 

plant and shipbuilding industries.

Demonstration of AP227 use

• Import Structure

• Import Equipment

• Import Piping

• Import HVAC

• Assess merged

models for clashes
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

30

Collaborations

• Bechtel, for development, testing, and deployment of ISO 10303-227 as well as investigation of issues related to 

piping prefabrication and inspection.

• Black & Veatch, for development of ISO 10303-227 as well as an industry roadmap for information exchange 

standards for the process and construction industries.

• Construction Industry Institute, for analysis of construction industry supply chain performance.

• Dow, for work to extend ISO 10303-227 to cover piping fabrication, inspection, and installation.

• DuPont, for development, testing, and deployment of ISO 10303-227, for standards coordination efforts, and for 

establishment of an Owners/Operators forum.

• H.B. Zachary, for work to extend ISO 10303-227 to cover piping fabrication, inspection, and installation.

• Merck, for development, testing, and deployment of ISO 10303-227 and for standards coordination efforts.

• National Shipbuilding Research Program, for work with the Maritech Program on extensions to ISO 10303-227 as 

well as analysis of requirements for delivery of piping and HVAC systems for industrial facilities.

• PIEBASE, for coordination of projects to develop and demonstrate specifications for exchange and sharing of 

process plant information.

• PlantSTEP Inc., for deployment of ISO 10303-227 and on development of extensions to that standard.

• POSC (Petrotechnical Open Software Corporation), to identify industry requirements for standards to support data 

sharing over the lifecycle of process plants.

• Process Data eXchange Institute of AIChE (pdXi), for development of information specifications for process 

engineering.

• Process Industry Practices, for improvements to the piping delivery process.

• Stanford University, for work with the Center for Integrated Facilities Engineering on issues related to the use of 

electronic commerce for the design, engineering, and maintenance of process plants.

• The Shaw Group Inc., for work to improve the piping delivery process and extensions to ISO 10303-227 to cover 

piping fabrication, delivery, and installation.

• U.S. Navy, for work with the Navy Industry Digital Data Exchange Standards Committee (NIDDESC) on 

extensions to ISO 10303-227.
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

31

IS11: Product Engineering Program

Principal Investigator: Ram Sriram

Telephone: (301) 975 - 3507

E-mail: ram.sriram@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to 

develop information protocols for 

interoperability of computer-aided 

design and product engineering 

systems, providing a basis for future 

standards. Specifically, the primary 

needs for the next generation of 

computer-assisted design, 

manufacturing, and engineering 

(CAD/CAM/CAE) software 

systems are interoperability among 

software tools, collaboration among 

distributed designers and design 

teams, integration of data and 

knowledge across a product 

development cycle (from design, to 

analysis, to manufacturing and 

beyond), as well as knowledge 

capture, exchange, and reuse. The 

research and development efforts within this program, ranging from specification and standards development to 

technology development and prototype implementation, strive to provide the foundation that will support the creation 

of next-generation product development tools, thereby increasing the efficiency and productivity of U. S. industry in 

the 21st century. 

Significant FY00/99 Accomplishments

• Hosted a workshop on “Design/Manufacturing Integration: Standards and Implementation Issues” in November 

1998.

• Organized and chaired ISO TC184/SC4 Parametrics workshops in San Francisco (January 1999), Orlando (July 

1999), and at NIST (May 2000).

• Developed a comprehensive Function-Assembly-Behavior model addressing shortcomings in existing function, 

form, and behavior representations.

• Completed first draft of a set of information models that define the core artifact representation required for 

product development to serve as a foundation for interoperability among next-generation CAD/CAM/CAE 

applications. Also created a relational data model based on the core representation, as well as a relational database 

that uses this data model.

• Completed development of a Solid Interchange Format for Layered Manufacturing (SIF-LM) and submitted the 

format to ISO TC184/SC4 for consideration as a preliminary work item. SIF-LM has the capability to represent 

components, assemblies, and sets of assemblies.

Interoperability of CAD and product engineering systems

Engineering

Specifications

Conceptual Design

(Knowledge-based

CAD)

Design Evolution

Database

Version

Revision

Geometry

Rationale

....

Design

Repository

Case Studies

Component 

Data

Other Resource 

Data ....

Traditional CAD

Analysis

Virtual Prototype

Environment

Immersive CAD
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

32

Collaborations

• Advanced Technology Institute, for development of information exchange specifications for parametric geometry 

and for history-based geometric modeling.

• Arizona State University, for development of information exchange specifications for parametric geometry.

• Black & Decker, for analysis of product development processes and as a source of data.

• Carnegie Mellon University, for development of formalisms representing behavior of devices.

• Cummins Inc., for development of interfaces supporting integration of immersive CAD systems with traditional 

CAD systems.

• Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, for joint work in the Enabling Next Generation Design (ENGEN) 

project, the Rapid Design Exploration and Optimization (RaDEO) project, and in the development of information 

exchange specifications supporting rapid prototyping technologies.

• FunSTEP, for development of information exchange specifications for parametric geometry.

• Helisys Corporation, for development of information exchange specifications supporting rapid prototyping 

technologies.

• Honeywell, for development of information exchange specifications supporting rapid prototyping technologies as 

well as for development of information exchange specifications for parametric geometry.

• Indian Institute of Technology, for development of information exchange specifications supporting rapid 

prototyping technologies.

• International Business Machines Co., for development of information exchange specifications for parametric 

geometry.

• Nihon Unisys, for development of information exchange specifications for parametric geometry.

• Paccar Inc., for development of interfaces supporting integration of immersive CAD systems with traditional 

CAD systems.

• SRI International, for development of information exchange specifications supporting rapid prototyping 

technologies.

• Stanford University, for development of information exchange specifications supporting rapid prototyping 

technologies.

• Syracuse University, for investigation of tolerancing issues in assembly representations.

• U.S. Navy, for work with the Office of Naval Research on development of information exchange specifications 

supporting rapid prototyping technologies.

• University of Maryland, for development of methods and software tools supporting knowledge-based design.

• University of Michigan, for development of information exchange specifications supporting rapid prototyping 

technologies.

• Virtual Assembly Technology Consortium, for development of interfaces supporting integration of immersive 

CAD systems with traditional CAD systems.

• Washington State University, for development of interfaces supporting integration of immersive CAD systems 

with traditional CAD systems.
Project Accomplishments Interface Standards Project Summaries

33

IS12: Sensor Integration

Principal Investigator: Kang Lee

Telephone: (301) 975 - 6604

E-mail: kang.lee@nist.gov

The objective of this effort, initiated in FY00, is 

to work with industry to complete the 

development, validation, and testing of standard 

interfaces for smart sensors. The standards 

developed will enable sensor devices to interface

with common networking technologies. Through

these standardized interfaces, sensor data will 

move seamlessly from the process level through 

the controller level to the enterprise level. 

Sensors and actuators are essential components 

that are used in a wide range of applications in 

industrial automation, manufacturing process 

control, machinery monitoring and control, 

semiconductor device manufacturing, and 

facility automation. Typical sensors include 

miniature electronic devices and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) that measure pressure, acceleration, 

flow, force, temperature, vibration, torque, position, and many other characteristics. In-process sensing techniques, 

capable of providing feedback for process control, are important means for achieving improved process quality and 

reduced manufacturing costs. With the emergence of the Internet and related technologies, sensor makers are 

integrating smart sensing, digital communication, and networking technologies into their products, allowing for more 

efficient operations and maintenance through local or wide-area networks. NIST is taking the approach of integrating 

the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)1451 standard interfaces [19] with Internet-based 

technology for manufacturing systems integration. The result will be to solve the sensor-to-network interoperability 

problem for manufacturing systems integration. 

Significant FY00/99 Accomplishments

• Developed a software infrastructure that serves an implementation platform for prototyping aspects of the IEEE 

1451.1 smart transducer interface specifications. The software infrastructure has been tested for compatibility 

with various common commercial and open source operating systems.

• Implemented a subset of the IEEE 1451.1 specifications and demonstrated functionality with an embedded 

network-capable application processor for temperature sensing.

Collaborations

• Aeptec Microsystems, for development of mechanisms for sensor integration with wireless networks based on 

IEEE 1451.

• Agilent Technologies, for development of the IEEE 1451 specifications, implementations, and tests.

• Boeing, for development of the IEEE 1451 specifications, implementations, and tests.

• Brüel & Kjær, for development of the IEEE 1451 specifications, implementations, and tests.

• Endevco, for development of the IEEE 1451 specifications, implementations, and tests.

• Kistler Instrument Corp., for development of the IEEE 1451 specifications, implementations, and tests.

• Oak Ridge National Laboratories, for development of the IEEE 1451 specifications, implementations, and tests.

• PCB Group/The Modal Shop, for development of the IEEE 1451 specifications, implementations, and tests.

• Wilcoxon, for development of the IEEE 1451 specifications, implementations, and tests.

Integration of sensor data
Interface Standards Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

34

IS13: Visualization and Virtual Reality for Collaboration and Manufacturing

Principal Investigator: Sandy Ressler

Telephone: (301) 975 - 3549

E-mail: sressler@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to 

assist in the definition, 

development, and validation of 

the infrastructure underlying 

Virtual Environments (VEs). 

Businesses are investigating the 

use of VEs for a variety of 

applications, e.g., as collaborative 

environments for distributed 

design, as real-time data-driven 

emulations of physical production 

facilities that can be remotely 

monitored, and so on. In order to 

integrate representations of 

physical entities and data from the 

physical world into VEs, a variety 

of enabling standards have 

emerged. These include the 

Virtual Reality Modeling 

Language (VRML) [20], Moving 

Pictures Expert Group - 4 (MPEG-4) [21], and Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL). Additional 

specifications continue to emerge, creating the need to assist in the validation of the enabling infrastructure through 

(1) prototype software development that leverages existing commercial capabilities, and (2) participation in the 

multiple, relevant, standards-setting bodies.

Significant FY99/00 Accomplishments

• Completed a prototype VRML-based multi-user shared environment (“Smart Room”) that demonstrated various 

capabilities for interfacing between the physical world and the virtual environment. These capabilities included a 

six-degree-of-freedom position tracking device, a server for control of cameras in both the physical and virtual 

environment, a generalized serial port server for interfacing devices with the virtual environment, and a broadcast 

system for distribution of the environment over a network.

• Contributed to the development of a demonstration illustrating how a collaborative virtual environment could be 

used to facilitate trouble-shooting of a welding cell by a collection of geographically distributed engineers.

• Completed JVEDI - “Java Virtual Environment Device Interfaces” - a server to link VRML environments with 

serial port devices and made the server software publicly available.

• Elected to the Board of Directors for the Web3D Consortium.

Collaborations

• blaxxun interactive, for the creation of multiuser environments.

• Knowledge Revolution, for investigation of the use of VRML in conjunction with their software.

• Web3D Consortium, for participation in the development of VRML content.

Deneb Robotics VRML Laboratory HANIM Compliant

Models

User Interface to Dynamics Engine

Animation from Dynamics Engine

Working Model 3D

from PC Products

Testbed for incorporation of real objects into virtual world

User 
Project Accomplishments Information Access Project Summaries

35

Information Access Project Summaries

IA1: Computerized Access to Full Structural Crystallographic Data

Principal Investigator: Vicky Lynn Karen

Telephone: (301) 975 - 6255

E-mail: vicky.karen@nist.gov

The objectives of this effort are (1) to make 

inorganic crystal structure data readily 

accessible via the Internet using a modern 

database management system, and (2) to 

offer additional functionality through the 

development of software tools for the 

calculation and standardization of derived 

data items as well as modules for intelligent

access of scientific data. The Inorganic 

Crystal Structure Database (ICSD) is a 

comprehensive compilation of crystal 

structure data of inorganic compounds 

currently containing approximately 55,000 

entries and covering literature from 1915. 

Data items include chemical, physical and 

bibliographic information as well as 

crystallographic data such as cell 

parameters, space group, and x,y,z positional parameters, among others. The crystalline structure of inorganic 

materials is of interest to analysts in areas such as materials design, properties prediction, and compound 

identification. By using a modern database management system to manage the ICSD, NIST will make it possible to 

use the database as a tool to investigate, predict, and modify crystal structure and solid state properties and to gain 

increased understanding of material properties. This should open the way to advances in manufacturing applications 

and help companies to lower costs, increase research efficiency, and accelerate product discovery and development 

cycles. Ultimately, manufacturing methods may become more automated with improved in situ measurement 

capability and better processing control.

Significant FY99/00 Accomplishments

• Completed relational database design including data dictionary, entity relationships, archival, and derived data.

• Completed the importing of archival data into database management systems.

• Developed underlying search algorithms, implemented graphical user interface modeled after the periodic table of 

the elements, and capabilities to analyze search results using crystallographic parameters.

Collaborations

• Fachinformationszentrum Karlsruhe, Gesellschaft für wissenshaftlich-technische Information mbH (FIZ 

Karlsruhe), for development of the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database.

ICSD user interface and examples of search results
Information Access Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

36

IA2: Digital Library of Mathematical Functions

Principal Investigator: Daniel Lozier

Telephone: (301) 975 - 2706

E-mail: daniel.lozier@nist.gov

Advanced manufacturing processes depend upon basic

mathematical data and procedures. The definition and 

properties of the higher mathematical functions, such 

as the error, the Bessel, and the Legendre functions, 

are particularly important because they arise so 

frequently in applications. The objectives of this effort 

are (1) to develop and standardize a comprehensive, 

ongoing, and authoritative body of information on the 

notation, properties, computation, and applications of 

the higher mathematical functions, and (2) to present 

this data free of charge on the Internet in the form of 

an interactive library of mathematical functions. We 

anticipate that design engineers will use the Digital 

Library of Mathematical Functions (DLMF) directly 

in some cases, integrating it into their own online 

information systems. Others will rely primarily on 

commercial mathematical software systems, which 

themselves will benefit from an online, standardized 

source of reference data for the functions that they provide.

This effort is a successor to the Handbook of Mathematical Functions [22] published by NIST (then the National 

Bureau of Standards) in 1964. This classic reference work, known simply as AMS 55, contains formulas, graphs and 

tables that characterize the higher functions of applied mathematics. These functions are often known as special 

functions; examples are Bessel and Legendre functions, elliptic integrals, and classical orthogonal polynomials. Such 

functions are used extensively in mathematical analysis that forms the foundation of the engineering and industrial 

processes that are used in manufacturing applications. As a definitive source of standard mathematical reference data, 

AMS 55 has had an enormous impact on scientific and technological practice. In spite of its continued popularity, 

AMS 55's technical content is current only up to about 1960, and its strong emphasis on mathematical tables is no 

longer as relevant as before. Many mathematical and computational advances have occurred in the intervening years, 

and many new applications of special functions have emerged. Thus, the Digital Library of Mathematical Functions 

will be a “new AMS 55” that is expected to meet the needs of the 21st century.

Significant FY99/00 Accomplishments

• Released a prototype, public website illustrating the concept for the DLMF. The website is also used to solicit 

ideas and feedback. (See http://dlmf.nist.gov.) A password-protected portion of the website was established for 

project contributors.

• Award for financial support of authors and validators external to NIST received from the National Science 

Foundation (NSF) under the auspices of its Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence program.

• Authors for all chapters have been identified and all authors’ contracts will be signed by January 2001. Outlines 

for all chapters have been accepted by NIST and two draft chapters have been delivered for review. 

• Numerous conference presentations on the progress of the DLMF have been given throughout the world and a 

DLMF exhibit was presented at the largest mathematical meeting held in the U.S. This same exhibit was 

displayed at an annual event showcasing significant projects supported by NSF at the Rayburn House Office 

Building for elected officials and their staff.

Manipulable graph of a special function of a complex variable
Project Accomplishments Information Access Project Summaries

37

Collaborations

• CWI, the National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science in the Netherlands, for development 

of DLMF content.

• George Washington University, for development of search capabilities in the DLMF.

• INRIA, the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control, for development of DLMF 

content

• MathSoft, Inc. for development of computer-interpretable DLMF content suitable for downloading into computer 

algebra systems.

• National Science Foundation, for support of external efforts on behalf of the DLMF.

• North American OpenMath Initiative, for development of a standard for communicating mathematical objects 

between computer programs.

• OpenMath Consortium, for development of a standard for communicating mathematical objects between 

computer programs.

• Faculty at the following universities are collaborating with the DLMF effort toward development and/or editing of 

specific sections of the materials to contained therein:

- American University of Sharjah

- Beloit College

- California Institute of Technology

- City University of Hong Kong

- Dalhousie University, Canada

- Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

- Drexel University

- Free University Amsterdam, The Netherlands

- George Washington University, Washington DC

- Iowa State University, Ames

- J. Kepler University, Research Institute for 

Symbolic Computation, Austria

- Macalester College

- Massachusetts Institute of Technology

- Pennsylvania State University

- Purdue University

- San Diego State University

- Stanford University

- University College, London

- University of Abertay Dundee, Scotland

- University of Bristol, England

- University of California, Santa Barbara

- University of Kent at Canterbury, England

- University of Edinburgh, Scotland

- University of Essen, Germany

- University of Leeds, England

- University of Lille, France

- University of Maryland, College Park

- University of Southampton, England

- University of St. Andrews, Scotland

- University of Washington, Seattle

- University of Wisconsin, Madison

- University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

- Washington University, St. Louis
Information Access Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

38

IA3: Integration of NIST Standard Reference Data into Information Networks

Principal Investigator: Robert Dragoset

Telephone: (301) 975 - 3718

E-mail: robert.dragoset@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to make physical reference 

data available via the Internet (http://physics.nist.gov/data) 

in the most effective manner and by using industry-defined 

standards and formats so that it may serve as part of an 

integrated technical information system. Scientific, 

engineering, regulatory and other technical data are vital to 

U.S. industry. This information is used at all stages of a 

product's life cycle. It also supports the scientific and 

engineering research community. The large number and 

varying quality of data sources ranging from handbooks, 

technical journals, special publications, and data safety 

sheets, to government agency databases, and databases 

provided by groups such as professional societies and trade 

associations, make it difficult to locate the proper source for 

required data. Today, the Internet allows the possibility of 

immediate access to thousands of data sources. A welldesigned system for accessing these data will allow researchers and technologists to obtain the latest information, 

with the required quality, at a reduced cost, and in a timely manner. NIST is heavily involved in all aspects of the 

production, evaluation, use, and dissemination of technical information. Both numeric data and bibliographic 

databases are provided together with the means for a user to search these databases intelligently. The dissemination 

methods used are very effective and are designed to appropriately deliver to the users of each database the 

information in the most effective form.

Significant FY99/00 Accomplishments

• Developed and released a new version of the NIST Atomic Spectra Database. This database has a completely new 

engine and vastly expanded data that integrates its atomic energy level information with its transition probability 

information.

• Developed and released the Atomic Spectral Line Broadening Bibliographic Database.

• Three new web radiation dosimetry databases, ESTAR, PSTAR, and ASTAR, have been developed and released. 

In real time, these databases calculate, tabulate, and plot stopping-power and range tables for electrons, protons, 

or helium ions using user-specified energy values. A special interface feature formats the data output in a form 

suitable for incorporation into a spreadsheet. Additionally, the FORTRAN source code and PC executables can be 

downloaded by all users. (See: http://physics.nist.gov/Star.)

• The Elemental Data Index was developed in order to provide access to the on-line holdings of the NIST Physics 

Laboratory. It is intended to simplify the process of retrieving online scientific data for a specific element. Data 

accessible through this index include: atomic spectroscopic data, electron-impact ionization cross sections, x-ray 

Desktop access to physics reference data
Project Accomplishments Information Access Project Summaries

39

and gamma ray absorption data, radiation dosimetry data, radionuclide half-life measurements, isotopic 

compositions and atomic weights, and atomic reference data for electronic structure calculations. Other Physics 

Laboratory databases were modified to allow access to data through the Elemental Data Index.

• Added capabilities for users to download the FORTRAN source and executable code for the XCOM: Photon 

Cross Sections Database.

• Designed and created the "Microwave Molecular Spectral Databases" for diatomics (121 molecules) and 

triatomics (53 molecules).

• Designed and created the "X-ray Transition Energies Database" containing 91 elements and 53 transitions.

• Updated the "Electron-Impact Ionization Cross Section Database" with a new graphical interface and 21 

additional molecules.

• Updated the "Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions" by adding the relative atomic masses of the 346 

isotopes.

• Updated the "Searchable Bibliography on the Constants" with 293 new entries and the "Bibliographic Database 

on Atomic Transition Probabilities" with 441 new entries.

• Demonstrated the ability of a remote program to query a NIST database (i.e. machine-to-machine transfer of 

data).

Collaborations

• Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) of the International Council for Science, for 

agreement on published values of fundamental physical constants.

• Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurement and Standards (CIRMS), for data needs in the fields of medical 

radiation diagnostics and therapy, radiation protection, and radiation effects.

• Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, for development of the atomic spectroscopy database.

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), for work with the Astrophysics Division to provide 

atomic spectroscopic data.

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for work with the Radiation Safety Information Computational Center to provide 

calculations of x-ray absorption in materials.

• University of Melbourne, for development of the X-ray form factor, attenuation, and scattering database.

• University of Nebraska, for work on the electron-impact ionization cross section database.

• University of New Brunswick, for development of a database of ground state energy levels for certain small 

molecules.
Information Access Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

40

IA4: Online Access to NIST Chemical Reference Data

Principal Investigator: Gary Mallard

Telephone: (301) 975 - 2564

E-mail: gary.mallard@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to make NIST chemical 

reference data available via the Internet (http://

webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/) and to develop the tools 

and mechanisms necessary to make all NIST chemical 

data uniformly accessible. For this system to be 

successful the user must be able to determine quickly 

what compounds are present and what data on those 

compounds are provided. The approaches being 

pursued to achieve this objective are:

• Developing robust software tools for accessing 

NIST chemical databases through a uniform 

method of specifying chemicals, including by 

means of chemical structure drawings.

• Expanding the structure of the NIST Chemistry 

WebBook and customizing its algorithms to 

support a wide variety of database software, 

contents, and functions.

• Implementing the import of chemical structure drawings to the NIST Chemistry WebBook and including them as 

a query technique.

• Providing for user feedback on the power and robustness of NIST tools and by analysis of usage statistics.

Prior work on this project established the basic components of a system for distributing NIST standard reference data 

over the Internet. A wide range of chemical reference data is now available to the public via the NIST Chemistry 

WebBook. The types of data available as a result of this project include the following:

• Thermochemical data for gas and condensed phase species

• Thermochemical data for selected chemical reactions, including heat of combustion data

• Physical property data relating to phase changes

• Ion energetics data

• Mass spectra

• Ultraviolet and infrared spectra

In order to provide easy data access, several methods have been developed over the last three years for specifying the 

data required by the user. Searches based on chemical formulas, chemical names (including synonyms), partial 

chemical formulas, Chemical Abstract Service registry numbers, or selected physical property values are easily 

available. Improvements in the quality of data presentation will continue to focus on more extensive use of graphical 

displays in addition to the tabular (numerical) display of data. The applets developed will be further generalized to 

generate interactive graphic displays, enabling scientists to interpret and utilize data more quickly. Where multiple 

measurements are available, displays will allow easier review and comparison of measurements. The use of graphical 

displays will be extended beyond the current properties - fluid property data, vapor pressure data, and enthalpy data. 

The tools for displaying these data are readily extensible to other data types. Where possible, graphical data is 

transmitted in its most compact form, a mathematical formula. This will reduce transmission delays and provide 

improved server performance under heavy usage loads.

Example of search result from Chemistry Webbook
Project Accomplishments Information Access Project Summaries

41

Significant FY99/00 Accomplishments

• Added capabilities for chemical substructure searching by users. Two methods of substructure search were set 

up. The first allowed for very general substructure searching by use of a chemical drawing tool applet. The user 

can use this tool or any of the commercial packages that produce common chemical structure file formats. Either 

the output of the JAVA applet or the submitted file will then be used to drive the query. The second method is a 

simpler, functional-group approach. The user can specify that the search should return all compounds that have a 

specified structural component (called functional group), e.g., alcohols, or ketones. This less sophisticated search 

does not need the applet and is simpler to use.

• A new version of the NIST Chemistry WebBook was released in February 2000 that includes new data (e.g., an 

ion cluster database and a gas phase heat capacity database) and additional user features. Additional equation 

plotting routines were developed to allow the user to show and expand equation based data using client side 

computational resources.

Collaborations

• Dow Chemical, for development of tools for estimation of thermochemical data using modern quantum chemistry 

techniques.

• Gaussian Inc., for work to make the NIST Chemistry WebBook available to multiple users directly from other 

software.

• Reaction Design, for work to make the NIST Chemistry WebBook available to multiple users directly from other 

software.

• University of Maryland, for evaluation of data for chemical thermodynamics.

• University of Tennessee, for evaluation of data for ion thermochemistry.
Information Access Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

42

IA5: Standards for Exchange of Instrument Data and NIST Chemical Reference Data

Principal Investigator: Gary Kramer

Telephone: (301) 975 - 4132

E-mail: gary.kramer@nist.gov

The objectives of this effort are (1) to develop 

information models supporting data exchange 

standards in analytical chemistry for instrumentto-instrument, instrument-to-application, and 

application-to-application interchanges, and (2) to 

evaluate current industry standards applicable to 

the interchange of NIST reference data. Many 

critical decisions in manufacturing and 

engineering depend on reliable chemical data 

about materials and chemical reactions. Often this 

data comes directly from instruments in chemical 

analysis laboratories. This effort intends to make 

standard reference data in analytical chemistry 

data, especially data coming directly from 

instruments, more readily available to engineers and scientists in U.S. manufacturing industries. The interchange and 

storage of analytical chemistry data has long been hampered by multiple, incompatible data formats. Our approach is 

to work with standards developing organizations, such as ASTM1, and with trade associations to contribute to the 

development and validation of analytical data interchange standards. In addition, with the increase in automation of 

laboratory equipment and the need to integrate different instruments into a cohesive whole, this effort has also been 

working to provide a standard mechanism to represent instrument functions. This work has been expanded to a 

system-level view providing a laboratory controller with what it needs to know about the devices it controls and also 

supplies information about device relationships and dependencies.

Significant FY99/00 Accomplishments

• Presented project progress at several significant events, notably at Object Management Group (OMG) Life 

Sciences research meetings, at annual LabAutomation Conferences in San Diego, CA, and at the CODATA 2000 

conference.

• Advanced several specifications further in the standardization process, including four Analytical Data Interchange 

Standards in ASTM, five laboratory automation standards in NCCLS2, and have begun the process of 

standardization of a laboratory equipment communication interface in OMG.

Collaborations

• Creon Software GmbH, for development of instrument control interface models.

• Fachhochschule Wiesbaden, for development of instrument control interface models.

• Los Alamos National Laboratory, for implementation and validation of instrument control interface 

specifications.

1. Formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials.

2. Formerly known as the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards

System capability dataset
Project Accomplishments Information Access Project Summaries

43

IA6: Web-Based Bioinformatics Databases

Principal Investigator: Talapady Bhat

Telephone: (301) 975 - 8702

E-mail: talapady.bhat@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to provide access to 

databases that contain evaluated data on the 

properties, structures, and interactions of biological

macromolecules. One database is the Protein Data 

Bank, an international archive serving as the major 

repository of experimental information on the 

structures of proteins, including the actual location 

of individual atoms with respect to one another. 

Another database pertains to data characterizing 

the recognition by one molecule of a suitable 

reaction site on another. This is useful in drug 

design, where considerable effort is being 

expended to discover and develop molecules that 

“recognize” and bind to specific target molecules.

The last decade has seen an amazing explosion in 

the field of bioinformatics. Today the management 

of large sets of biological data, and the mining of 

the information contained therein, is an activity that is transforming biology. Remarkably, much of this data is based 

on a small number of fundamental building blocks, such as the four nucleic acids of DNA and the 20 amino acids of 

proteins. Modern experimental techniques continuously identify new proteins and other biological macromolecules, 

formed from these building blocks that regulate biological function and determine biological form. Characterizing 

these molecules in terms of structure, properties and interactions is probably the most needed activity in molecular 

biology today. Developing bioinformatics systems to handle the resulting information is equally important.

NIST and its collaborative institute, The Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology (CARB), are at the 

forefront of experimental and computational research in this area. NIST and CARB have also become important 

participants in bioinformatics. The work proposed here builds upon these strengths and is intended to provide the 

U.S. biotechnology community with reliable data on important classes of biological macromolecules and their 

interactions, while taking advantage of the modern networking and computation power in making these data 

available.

Significant FY99/00 Accomplishments

• Significantly improved the uniformity, completeness, and quality of the archival data contained in the Protein 

Data Bank. Database entries for ribonucleases, immunoglobins, oxygen transport proteins, lysozymes, and other 

key families of interest to pharmaceutical industries have been improved. Citations have been corrected. Enzyme 

data has been verified. Resolution and r-factor data have been verified. All these steps contribute to the reliability 

of search results for PDB users. See http://rcsb.nist.gov/.

• Initiated development of an Internet-accessible resource for macromolecular software.

• Initiated work on the development of data specifications for macromolecular structures determined by nuclear 

magnetic resonance techniques in order to assure consistency with the quality of data determined by X-ray 

crystallography.

• Completed the development of an Internet-accessible database implementation of molecular recognition 

information (see http://www.bindingdb.org). Continuing work in this area is taking place under the auspices of the 

University of Maryland with support from the National Science Foundation.

HIV protease structure
Information Access Project Summaries Project Accomplishments

44

Collaborations

• National Institutes of Health, for support of external researchers contributing to the development of the Protein 

Data Bank.

• National Science Foundation, for support of external researchers contributing to the development of the Protein 

Data Bank.

• Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, for management, curation, and research relevant to the 

development of structural bioinformatics databases. Other principles in this consortium are the San Diego 

Supercomputer Center of the University of California San Diego and the Biochemistry Division of Rutgers 

University.

• U.S. Department of Energy, for support of external researchers contributing to the development of the Protein 

Data Bank.

• University of Mississippi Medical Center, for development of the molecular recognition database.

• University of Wisconsin, Madison, to promote standards for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) macromolecular 

structure data.
Project Accomplishments Information Access Project Summaries

45

IA7: Web-based Neutron Science

Principal Investigator: Charles Glinka

Telephone: (301) 975 - 6242

E-mail: charles.glinka@nist.gov

The objective of this effort is to develop Internetbased computational tools for users of the NIST 

Center for Neutron Research (NCNR). Tools for 

visualization and interactive analysis of neutron 

scattering data will greatly facilitate the planning 

and analysis of neutron scattering experiments by 

researchers from universities, government and 

industry in a broad range of scientific and 

engineering disciplines. When these tools are 

readily available over the Internet, scientists and 

engineers will be able to assess the applicability 

and potential benefits of neutron methods for 

their particular research interests. The tools 

envisioned would enable these scientists and 

engineers to perform virtual experiments based 

on the performance characteristics of specific 

scattering instruments at the NCNR assessing the 

feasibility of prospective measurements. Other tools for remote monitoring of ongoing experiments will enable 

collaborators to interact more effectively with colleagues carrying out experiments at the NCNR. Existing computer 

codes for displaying and analyzing data will also be adapted for use via common browser software. As a result, the 

unique features of neutron radiation as a probe of the nanoscale structure and dynamics of materials will become 

more widely recognized, and the NCNR’s facilities more effectively utilized, by scientists and engineers nationwide.

Significant FY99/00 Accomplishments

• Released a suite of downloadable software tools enabling users of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) 

instruments to reduce and analyze experimental results.

• Provided Internet-accessible capabilities for viewing real-time images of data collected on SANS instruments as 

well as viewing of one of the instruments itself.

• Provided Internet-accessible interface for simulating the results of SANS experiments based on over 20 scattering 

models.

Collaborations

• Argonne National Laboratory, for work with the NeXus project on the development of an exchange format for 

neutron and synchrotron scattering data.

NCNR research participants
Conclusion

46

Conclusion

The premise of the SIMA Program is that the multitude of software systems used in manufacturing activities do not 

interoperate as well as required. The SIMA Program’s project leaders work with their industrial partners to identify 

the context-dependent information needs among manufacturing enterprise activities and to define solutions 

addressing those needs. By maintaining a neutral perspective in the development and testing of information interfaces 

for engineering and manufacturing, the Program ensures that validated solutions addressing the common 

requirements of both users and software providers can be adopted.

References

[1] “Technical Program Description Systems Integration for Manufacturing,” Bloom, H., NISTIR 5476, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD, July 1994.

[2] “Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications Technical Program Plan,” Fowler, J., NISTIR 5986,

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, March 1997.

[3] “Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications Program 1995 Annual Report,” Fowler, J., Luce, M.,

NISTIR 5839, Gaithersburg, MD, May 1996.

[4] “Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications Program 1996 Annual Report,” Fowler, J., NISTIR

6026, Gaithersburg, MD, May 1997.

[5] “Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications Program 1998 Annual Report,” Fowler, J., NISTIR

6339, Gaithersburg, MD, April 1999.

[6] “High Performance Computing and Communications: Toward a National Information Infrastructure,” Report

by the Committee on Physical, Mathematical, and Engineering Sciences, Federal Coordinating Council for

Science, Engineering, and Technology, Office of Science and Technology Policy, published by the National

Coordination Office for HPCC, 1994.

[7] “Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications,” Report of the IITA Task Group, High

Performance Computing, Communications and Information Technology Subcommittee, Federal

Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology, Office of Science and Technology Policy,

published by the National Coordination Office for HPCC, February 1994.

[8] “HPCC FY95 Implementation Plan,” Office of Science and Technology Policy, published by the National

Coordination Office for HPCC, April, 1994.

[9] “Information Technology: The 21st Century Revolution, A Report by the Interagency Working Group on IT

R&D,” National Science and Technology Council, published by the National Coordination Office for

Information Technology Research and Development, September 2000.

[10] “Smart Prosperity - An Agenda for Enhancing Productivity Growth,” National Coalition for Advanced

Manufacturing, June 2000.

[11] “Initial Manufacturing Exchange Specification (IMES) Concept Document For Manufacturing Systems

Integration,” Kemmerer, S., Fowler, J., ed., NISTIR 5978, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, February 1997.

[12] “Interoperability Cost Analysis of the U.S. Automotive Supply Chain,” 99-1 Planning Report, Prepared by

the Research Triangle Institute for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, March 1999.

[13] ANSI/CAM-I 101-1996, “Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard (DMIS),” American National

Standards Institute, Washington, DC. 
References

47

[14] ISO 10303-1:1994, “Industrial automation systems and integration - Product data representation and

exchange,” International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland.

[15] ISO/DIS 10303-219, “Industrial automation systems and integration -- Product data representation and

exchange -- Part 219: Application protocol: Dimensional inspection,” International Organization for

Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland.

[16] The ANSI Knowledge Interchange Format (KIF) draft specification.

Available: http://logic.stanford.edu/kif/specification.html

[17] ISO 10303-227:2001, “Industrial automation systems and integration -- Product data representation and

exchange -- Part 227: Application protocol: Plant spatial configuration,” International Organization for

Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland.

[18] ISO/CD 10303-231, “Industrial automation systems and integration -- Product data representation and

exchange -- Part 231: Process engineering data: Process design and process specification of major

equipment,” International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland.

[19] IEEE 1451.1-1999, “Instrumentation & Measurement/TC9-Sensor Technology,” Institute of Electrical and

Electronics Engineers, New York, NY.

[20] ISO/IEC 14772:1998, “Information technology -- Computer graphics and image processing -- The Virtual

Reality Modeling Language (VRML),” International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland.

[21] ISO/IEC 14496-1:1999, “Information technology -- Coding of moving pictures and audio,” International

Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland.

[22] “Handbook of Mathematical Functions, Applied Mathematics Series 55,” Abramowitz, M., Stegun, I.A., ed.,

National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD, 1964.
Program Organization

48

Appendix A: Program Organization

The SIMA Program was one of two CIC initiative efforts underway at NIST in FY2000 (see Figure 4). The SIMA 

Program is directed by a manager in the Manufacturing Systems Integration Division (MSID) of NIST’s 

Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL). Individual SIMA projects are led by NIST research staff. The 

projects are organized into the technology areas briefly described below. 

NIST HPCC Initiative

Information Technology 

Metrology, Testing, and 

Applications

SIMA 

Program

Interface Standards Projects Information Access Projects

1. Dimensional Inspection Information 

Exchange

2. Electronic Commerce for the Electronics 

Industry (ECEI)

3. Information Technology Metrology for 

Manufacturing Program

4. Intelligent Unit Process Control in Next 

Generation Open Manufacturing Systems

5. Manufacturing Enterprise Integration 

Program

6. Manufacturing Simulation and 

Visualization Program

7. Materials Informatics Resources: 

MatML

8. Predictive Process Engineering Program

9. Product Data Standards for the HVAC/R 

Industries

10. Product Data Standards for the Process 

Plant Industries

11. Product Engineering Program

12. Sensor Integration

13. Visualization and Virtual Reality for 

Collaboration and Manufacturing

1. Computerized Access to Full 

Structural Crystallographic Data

2. Digital Library of Mathematical 

Functions

3. Integration of NIST Standard 

Reference Data into Information 

Networks

4. Online Access to NIST Chemical 

Reference Data

5. Standards for Exchange of 

Instrument Data and NIST Chemical 

Reference Data

6. Web-Based Bioinformatics 

Databases

7. Web-based Neutron Science

Figure 1. Organization of NIST’s CIC Efforts
Program Organization

49

Program Technology Areas

To align the resources of the program with the needs defined by industry, the SIMA Program organizes projects into 

two program areas: (1) Interface Standards, and (2) Information Access. Activities within each area satisfy a unique 

NIST role in support of CIC goals and address the major technology and standards issues outlined in the IITA 

program report [7]. The focus of these technology areas are as follows.

Interface Standards (IS)

These SIMA projects continue work leading to the definition and creation of standards facilitating the exchange of 

manufacturing data within and across all levels of the product realization process. Objectives include the 

establishment of:

- Rigorous methods for defining and testing interoperability solutions.

- Standards specifying information to be exchanged as well as the interface mechanisms necessary to do so.

- Tests validating potential standards solutions and implementations.

Information Access (IA)

SIMA-supported efforts in this area are providing greatly broadened access to large amounts of authoritative 

scientific engineering data in NIST databases by initiating effective Internet access to those databases through userfriendly interfaces and sophisticated search techniques.

Participating NIST Organizational Units

All of NIST’s intramural, technical organizational units participate in the SIMA Program. The following descriptions 

briefly summarize the mission of each participating NIST organization1.

Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL)

BFRL works to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. industry and public safety through performance prediction and 

measurement technologies and technical advances that improve the lifecycle quality of constructed facilities. 

Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL)

As the Nation’s Reference Laboratory, CSTL performs cutting edge research in measurement science. The 

Laboratory develops and maintains measurement methods, standards, and reference data; and develops models for 

chemical, biochemical, and physical properties and processes.

Information Technology Laboratory (ITL)

ITL develops, demonstrates, and supplies high quality information technology, metrology, and standards that enable 

U.S. industry to develop usable, reliable, interoperable products. In doing so, the ITL serves as a neutral agent to 

accelerate acceptance and use of information technology that will promote economic competitiveness and the public 

good. ITL provides leadership and collaborative research to NIST programs in the areas of mathematics, statistics, 

and information technology use and services to enable NIST to maintain its status as a world class institution.

1. More information about NIST Laboratories can be found at http://www.nist.gov/labs2.html.
Program Organization

50

Electronic and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (EEEL)

EEEL promotes U.S. economic growth through improved international competitiveness, by providing measurement 

capability of high economic impact focused primarily on the critical needs of the U.S. electronics and electricalequipment industries.

Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL)

MEL works to improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing by working with industry to develop and apply 

infrastructural technology, measurements, and standards for manufacturing.

Material Science and Engineering Laboratory (MSEL)

MSEL works to stimulate the more effective production and use of materials by working with materials suppliers and 

users to assure the development and implementation of the measurements and standards infrastructure for materials.

Physics Laboratory (PL)

PL supports U.S. industry by providing measurement services and research for electronic, optical, and radiation 

technology.

Technology Services (TS)

TS provides a wide variety of services and programs to help U.S. industry improve its international competitiveness. 

TS supplies NIST reference materials, data, and calibrations to help industry maintain production quality control. TS 

also provides information and assistance concerning national and international voluntary and regulatory product 

standards and certification systems.
Collaborators

51

Appendix B: Collaborators

Consortia, National Programs, Professional and Trade Associations

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)

Aluminum Association, Inc. Providence, RIA trade association for producers of primary aluminum, 

recyclers, and semi-fabricated aluminum products. 

Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

APICS Vienna, 

VA

Provides educational opportunities to meet the needs of 

professionals in all areas of resource management 

including inventory, materials, information systems, 

accounting/finance, and supply chain.

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

ASM International Materials 

Park, OH

A society for materials engineers and scientists. Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC)Northbrook, ILTrade association for companies in the electronic interconnection industry.Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Association for Manufacturing 

Technology

McLean, 

VA

Association dedicated to supporting and enhancing the 

activities of American manufacturers.

Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

Automotive Industry Action 

Group (AIAG)

Southfield, 

MI

A large automotive trade association addressing industry 

issues in supply, manufacturing, engineering, quality, 

and finance.

Information 

Technology 

Metrology for 

Manufacturing 

Program (p. 17)

Committee for Data on Science 

and Technology (CODATA)

Paris, 

France

A committee of the International Council for Science 

working to improve the quality, reliability, management 

and accessibility of data of importance to all fields of 

science and technology. 

Integration of 

NIST Standard 

Reference Data 

into Information Networks 

(p. 38)

CommerceNet Palo Alto, 

CA

An international, not-for-profit organization meeting the 

evolving needs of companies doing electronic commerce. 

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)
Collaborators

52

Consortium for Advanced 

Manufacturing, Inc. (CAM-I)

Bedford, 

TX

A not-for-profit, cooperative membership organization 

to support research and development in areas of strategic 

importance to manufacturing industries.

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Construction Industry Institute Austin, TX Seeks to improve the safety, quality, schedule, and cost 

effectiveness of the capital investment process through 

research and implementation.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Council on Ionizing Radiation 

Measurement And Standards 

(CIRMS)

Duluth, 

GA

A not-for-profit organization that provides national leadership, focus, action, and information dissemination 

across radiation protection disciplines on a wide range of 

ionizing radiation measurements and standards topics. 

Integration of 

NIST Standard 

Reference Data 

into Information Networks 

(p. 38)

Enhanced Machine Controller 

(EMC) Consortium

Gaithersburg, MDProvides initial open-architecture control system and 

development environment hardware and software configuration, base controller template, Java-based operator 

tools and communications mechanism for Joint Architecture project implementation testbeds.

Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

funSTEP Paterna, 

Spain

Promotes software interoperability within the furniture 

industry.

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) MISSION ProjectTokyo, 

Japan

The primary objective of MISSION is a bridge from 

today's tools and regionally-oriented factory design processes into those needed for extended enterprises and/or 

virtual enterprise networks. 

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

International Alliance for 

Interoperability (IAI)

Reston, 

VA

IAI’s mission is to define, publish and promote specifications for Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) as a basis 

for project information sharing in the building industry.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the HVAC/R 

Industries (p. 

28)

MARITECH North 

Charleston, SC

Initiative to manage and focus national shipbuilding 

research and development funding on technologies that 

will reduce the cost of warships to the U.S. Navy and 

establish U.S. international competitiveness. 

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Consortia, National Programs, Professional and Trade Associations

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

53

Metrology Automation AssociationAnn Arbor,

MI

Consortium of suppliers, integrators, end users and technology developers of metrology automation, such as 

coordinate measurement machines.

Dimensional 

Inspection 

Information 

Exchange (p. 

13)

Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

National Electronics Manufacturing InitiativeHerndon, 

VA

Consortium dedicated to facilitating long-term North 

American leadership in volume electronics manufacturing.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

National Institute of Building 

Sciences (NIBS)

Washington, DCNon-governmental, not-for-profit organization established by Congress to serve public interest by promoting 

a rational regulatory environment for the building community by facilitating the introduction of new and innovative technology and disseminating nationally 

recognized technical information.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the HVAC/R 

Industries (p. 

28)

Next Generation Inspection 

System Program

Ann Arbor,

MI

NGIS is a program of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, Production Equipment and Systems 

Special Interest Group. The objective is to develop nextgeneration inspection capabilities on coordinate measuring machines and machine tools.

Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

North American OpenMath InitiativeVancouver, Canada

Promotes development of a single standard for storing, 

transmitting, and manipulating mathematical information in online scientific documents and systems.

Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Open Applications Group n/a The mission of the Open Applications Group is to promote the easy and cost-effective integration of key business application software components for enterprise and 

supply chain functions for end-user organizations.

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

OpenMath Consortium Helsinki, 

Finland

Promotes development of OpenMath, an emerging standard for representing mathematical objects with their 

semantics. 

Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Open Modular Architecture 

Control (OMAC)

Oak Ridge,

TN

OMAC seeks to develop an Open Architecture, Application Programming Interface (API) for machine controllers.

Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

Consortia, National Programs, Professional and Trade Associations

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

54

PDES, Inc. Charleston, SCThe PDES, Inc. consortium’s objective is to accelerate 

the development and implementation of STEP. The consortium includes the South Carolina Research Authority, 

Boeing, Ford, General Motors, Hughes, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and other participants.

Information 

Technology 

Metrology for 

Manufacturing 

Program (p. 17)

Petrotechnical Open Software 

Corporation (POSC)

Houston, 

TX

A not-for-profit corporation dedicated to facilitating 

integrated business processes and computing technology 

for the exploration and production segment of the international petroleum industry.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

PIEBASE (Process Industry 

Executive for achieving Business Advantage using Standards for data Exchange)

London, 

UK

PIEBASE is a global umbrella that coordinates development and implementation of data exchange and datasharing standards for the process plant industry consortia 

and member companies.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

PlantSTEP, Inc. Wilmington, DEPlantSTEP, Inc. is a consortium working to support the 

development of information exchange standards to 

advance the capabilities of process plant and construction industries. Members include DuPont, Merck, Black 

& Veach, Bechtel, Intergraph, Computervision, and 

CAD Centre.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Process Data eXchange Institute of AIChE (pdXi)New York, 

NY

pdXi is an industry trade group working to develop and 

maintain open approaches to electronic data exchange 

and management of process engineering data. Members 

include DuPont, Exxon, and Simulation Sciences, Union 

Carbide, and others.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Process Industry Practices Austin, TX Coalition of process industry owners and engineering/

construction contractors who serve the industry.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Process Interchange Format 

Group

Manoa, HI Informal industry and academic consortium. Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Research Collaboratory for 

Structural Bioinformatics

n/a Not-for-profit consortium dedicated to improving understanding of the function of biological systems through 

the study of the 3-D structure of biological macromolecules.

Web-Based Bioinformatics 

Databases (p. 

43)

RosettaNet Los Angeles, CAConsortium dedicated to development of industry-wide 

electronic business operability standards.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Consortia, National Programs, Professional and Trade Associations

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

55

SEMATECH Austin, TX SEMATECH’s objective is to sponsor and conduct 

research aimed at assuring leadership in semiconductor 

manufacturing technology for the U.S. semiconductor 

industry. The consortium includes Advanced Micro 

Devices, Digital Equipment Corporation, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, IBM, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, 

National Semiconductor Corporation, Rockwell International, and Texas Instruments.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Silicon Integration Initiative, 

Inc. (Si2)

Austin, TX An international, not-for-profit consortium whose mission is to facilitate and promote the adoption of open 

electronic design automation technologies which 

improve designer productivity. Si2's membership 

includes over 40 companies comprised of electronic 

design automation designers and suppliers of high performance semi-custom silicon in North America, 

Europe, and Asia.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Software Engineering Institute 

(SEI)

Pittsburgh, 

PA

DOD-funded R&D center tasked to provide leadership 

in advancing the state of the practice of software engineering to improve the quality of systems that depend on 

software.

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Supply Chain Council Pittsburgh, 

PA

A cross-industry consortium formed to establish a 

framework to enable manufacturers and their supplychain vendors to build a stronger supply chain and reap 

the competitive rewards of improved supply-chain management. 

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Surface Mount Equipment 

Manufacturers Association 

(SMEMA)

Highland 

Park, IL

A not-for-profit organization of companies manufacturing equipment or producing software for surface mount 

board production.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Virtual Assembly Technology 

Consortium

Pullman, 

WA

Consortium to bring together industry, government 

agencies, and universities to jointly address research, 

technology development, technology deployment, and 

standards issues related to the use of virtual reality, digital prototyping, modeling and simulation, and visualization techniques to plan, evaluate, and verify assembly 

processes for mechanical systems.

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Virtual Socket Interface (VSI) 

Alliance

Los Gatos, 

CA

The VSI Alliance is chartered to define, develop, authorize, test, and promote open standard specifications relating to data formats, test methodologies, and interfaces. 

These standards are to facilitate the mix and match and 

the reuse of blocks of electronic circuit functions from 

different sources in the design and development of system-level ICs. 

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Consortia, National Programs, Professional and Trade Associations

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

56

Web3D Consortium San 

Ramon, 

CA

A nonprofit corporation with the mission of fostering 

and evangelizing all three-dimensional technologies on 

the Internet. 

Visualization 

and Virtual 

Reality for Collaboration and 

Manufacturing 

(p. 34)

Workflow Management CoalitionWinchester, UKNot-for-profit international organization of workflow 

vendors, users, analysts and university/research groups 

seeking to promote and develop the use of workflow 

through the establishment of standards for software terminology, interoperability and connectivity between 

workflow products. 

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Individual Companies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Austin, TX Supplier of integrated circuits for the computer and communications markets.Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Advanced Technology and 

Research Corporation

Burtonsville, MDConsultants specializing in research and development of 

intelligent control systems, automation, robotics, simulation, engineering analysis, and computer science.

Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

Advanced Technology Institute Charleston, SCNot-for-profit technology management firm. Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Aeptec Microsystems Rockville, 

MD

Producer of wireless communications infrastructure, 

user-centric applications, and intelligent wireless 

devices.

Sensor Integration (p. 33)

Agile Software San Jose, 

CA

Producer of software that enables companies to collaborate over the Internet by interactively exchanging information about the manufacture and supply of products 

and components.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Agilent Technologies Palo Alto, 

CA

Provider of enabling technologies to high-growth markets within the communications, electronics, life sciences and healthcare industries.Sensor Integration (p. 33)

ALSTOM Power London, 

UK

Producer of power-generation equipment and systems. Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Consortia, National Programs, Professional and Trade Associations

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

57

AMP, Inc. Harrisburg, PAManufacturer of electronic connectors. Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Atomic Weapons EstablishmentReading, 

UK

British contractor dedicated to the research and development of the UK’s defence capability, the decommissioning of nuclear weaponry, and the monitoring of the 

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Automata Design, Inc. Herndon, 

VA

Vendor of software simulating circuit board design and 

production processes.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

AutoSimulation, Inc. Bountiful, 

UT

Vendor of simulation and scheduling software. Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Bechtel San Francisco, CAProvider of services to develop, engineer, construct, and 

manage capital projects and facilities worldwide.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

B.F. Goodrich Corporation Cleveland, 

OH

Aerospace and performance products manufacturer. Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Black and Decker Towson, 

MD

Manufacturer of portable power tools and household 

appliances.

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Black & Veatch Kansas 

City, MO

An engineering construction company. Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

blaxxun interactive San Francisco, CADevelops and markets products for Internet multimedia 

communication.

Visualization 

and Virtual 

Reality for Collaboration and 

Manufacturing 

(p. 34)

Individual Companies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

58

Boeing Seattle, 

WA

Aerospace manufacturer. Dimensional 

Inspection 

Information 

Exchange (p. 

13)

Information 

Technology 

Metrology for 

Manufacturing 

Program (p. 17)

Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Sensor Integration (p. 33)

Borg-Warner Automotive Chicago, 

IL

Designer and producer of key technology for engines, 

transmissions, and four-wheel drive systems.

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Bosonics Boulder, 

CO

Federal R&D contractor that develops optoelectronic 

systems and cost simulation software into commercial 

products. 

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Browne & Sharpe North 

Kingstown, RI

Manufacturer of coordinate measuring machines for 

dimensional inspection and software systems to support 

dimensional inspection. 

Dimensional 

Inspection 

Information 

Exchange (p. 

13)

Brüel & Kjær Nærum, 

Denmark

Producer of sound and vibration measurement equipment.Sensor Integration (p. 33)

Centor Software Corp. Irvine, CA A provider of business-to-business interaction management solutions for collaborative commerce.Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Creon Software, GmbH Linz-Kasbach am 

Rhein, 

Germany

Develops and sells quality-assurance applications for the 

pharmaceutical chemical, cosmetic, and food industries 

Standards for 

Exchange of 

Instrument Data 

and NIST 

Chemical Reference Data (p. 

42)

Cummins, Inc. Columbus 

IN

World’s largest producer of diesel engines above 200 

horsepower. 

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Individual Companies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

59

DaimlerChrysler Auburn 

Hills, MI

Motor vehicle manufacturer. Dimensional 

Inspection 

Information 

Exchange (p. 

13)

Delmia Troy, MI Vendor of 3D graphics-based factory simulation, telerobotic, and virtual reality software.Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23) 

Dow Chemical Company Midland, 

MI

The Dow Chemical Company provides chemicals, plastics, energy, agricultural products, consumer goods and 

environmental services.

Online Access 

to NIST Chemical Reference 

Data (p. 40)

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Dupont Wilmington, DEAn energy and chemistry-based company. Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Endevco San Juan 

Capistrano, CA

Supplier of dynamic instrumentation for vibration, 

shock, inertial motion and dynamic pressure measurements. 

Sensor Integration (p. 33)

Engineering Animation, Inc. Ames, IA Vendor of simulation software and services. Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM)Ann Arbor,

MI

A not-for profit organization dedicated to advancement 

of information technologies, such as the Internet and collaborative software, to enhance the efficiency and global 

competitiveness of US industry.

Information 

Technology 

Metrology for 

Manufacturing 

Program (p. 17)

EOG Hunt Valley, MDAn electronics manufacturing services provider. Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

ESM Software, Inc. Hamilton, 

OH

A developer and marketer of software related to materials science and thermochemistry.Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Individual Companies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

60

Fachinformationszentrum 

Karlsruhe Gesellschaft für wissenschaftlich-technische Information mbH

Karlsruhe, 

Germany

A non-profit organization set up to provide information 

and information services for academic and industrial 

research & development, as well as for business and 

administration.

Computerized 

Access to Full 

Structural Crystallographic 

Data (p. 35)

Ford Motor Company Dearborn, 

MI

Large automotive manufacturer. Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

FTL Systems, Inc. Rochester, 

MN

Developer and marketer of parallel optimizing compilers 

for shared memory multiprocessors, message-based parallel processors, and networked computer systems. 

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Gaussian, Inc. Carnegie, 

PA

Producer of software designed to model a broad range of 

molecular systems under a variety of conditions. The 

software performs its computations starting from the 

basic laws of quantum mechanics.

Online Access 

to NIST Chemical Reference 

Data (p. 40)

H. B. Zachry San Antonio, TXLarge construction and project development company. Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

HeliSys Corporation Carson, 

CA

Producer of layered material technology for rapid prototyping, modeling, pattern making, production tooling, 

and manufacturing.

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Honeywell Morristown, NJSupplier of automation and control systems, components, software, products and services for homes, industry, and aerospace.

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Ingersoll Milling Machine Co. Rockford, 

OH

Designer and producer of specialized machine tools used 

primarily in aerospace and automotive manufacturing.

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Intelligent Automation, Inc. Rockville, 

MD

R&D and consulting firm specializing in Artificial Intelligence applications.Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Individual Companies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

61

International Business Machine

Corp. (IBM)

White 

Plains, NY

Large information technology corporation. Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Kistler Instrument Corp. Amherst, 

NY

Producer of instruments for measuring pressure, force, 

acceleration and strain. 

Sensor Integration (p. 33)

Knowledge Based Systems, 

Inc.

College 

Station, TX

Vendor of software products for process modeling and 

analysis.

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Knowledge Revolution San Mateo,

CA

Producer of functional motion simulation software for 

engineering, visualization, and education.

Visualization 

and Virtual 

Reality for Collaboration and 

Manufacturing 

(p. 34)

Knowledge Technologies International, Inc.Burlington, MAAn independent organization handling development, 

marketing, sales and consulting services related to providing Knowledge-Based solutions to global manufacturing businesses. 

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

LK, Metrology Systems, Inc. Brighton, 

MI

Manufacturer of coordinate measuring machines and 

integrated software and hardware solutions for measurement. 

Dimensional 

Inspection 

Information 

Exchange (p. 

13)

Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft SystemsFort 

Worth, TX

Manufacturer of tactical combat aircraft. Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

MathSoft, Inc. Cambridge, MAA provider of math, science, and engineering software. Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Merck & Co., Inc. Somersett, 

NJ

A research-driven pharmaceutical products and services 

company.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Micro Analysis and Design Boulder, 

CO

Developer and vendor of simulation and process modeling software.Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Individual Companies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

62

Motion Factory Fremont, 

CA

Vendor of human modeling simulation systems. Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

MSC Software, Inc. Los Angeles, CAA provider of mechanical computer-aided engineering 

software solutions.

Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Netfish Technologies Santa 

Clara, CA

Specialist in business process integration, both inside 

and outside enterprises.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Nyamekye Research and ConsultingRolla, MO Research and consulting firm. Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

PACCAR, Inc. Bellevue, 

WA

Manufacturer of on- and off-road trucks. Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Pathway Technologies, Inc. Blue Bell, 

PA

Provider of R&D, design and engineering services, and 

software development.

Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

PCB Group/The Modal Shop Cincinnati, 

OH

Provider of structural and acoustic sensing systems. Sensor Integration (p. 33)

ProModel Corporation Orem, UT Producer of simulation products used in a wide variety 

of settings, including manufacturing, healthcare and service industries. 

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Reaction Design, Inc. San Diego, 

CA

Provides software simulation and modeling tools to help 

process engineers create more efficient and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. 

Online Access 

to NIST Chemical Reference 

Data (p. 40)

Real Time Innovations, Inc. Sunnyvale, CAVendor of real-time software development tools. Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

Shaw Group Baton 

Rouge, LA

World’s largest supplier of fabricated piping systems 

and services.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Individual Companies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

63

SRI International Menlo 

Park, CA

Not-for-profit research institute that seeks to promote 

and foster the application of science in the development 

of commerce, trade, and industry and in the improvement of the peace and prosperity of society.

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Sun Microsystems Laboratories

(SunLabs)

Palo Alto, 

CA

Develops, demonstrates, and introduces new advanced 

technology and technical methodologies for Sun Microsystems, Inc. and its subsidiary corporations. Maintains 

an awareness of, and contact with, outside technical 

activities in academia, government, and industry.

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Systems Modeling Corporation Pittsburgh, 

PA

Vendor of scheduling and simulation software. Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

TeamWave Software, Ltd. Calgary, 

Alberta, 

Canada

Vendor of software products that support distributed collaborations.Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Tecnomatix Technologies, Ltd. San Jose, 

CA

Developer and vendor of simulation and process modeling software.Dimensional 

Inspection 

Information 

Exchange (p. 

13)

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

TechnoSoft, Inc. Cincinnati, 

OH

Software vendor. Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Viewlogic Systems IncorporatedMarlborough, MAVendor of electronic product design and engineering 

software.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

William Andrew Publishing, 

Inc.

Norwich, 

NY

A scientific-technical publisher in the area of materials 

science. Also provides organization and management of 

disparate and unstructured information. 

Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Wilcoxon Gaithersburg, MDProducer of vibration instrumentation. Sensor Integration (p. 33)

Individual Companies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

64

Government Agencies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)

Air Force Research Laboratory WrightPatterson 

AFB, OH

Charged to lead the discovery, development, and timely 

transition of affordable, integrated technologies to maintain the U.S. Air Force’s leading position.

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Argonne National Laboratory Argonne, 

IL

Large research laboratory operated by the Department of 

Energy, and the first U.S. national laboratory.

Web-based 

Neutron Science (p. 45)

Defense Advanced Research 

Projects Agency (DARPA)

Arlington, 

VA

This Defense Department agency’s primary mission is to 

develop imaginative, innovative and often high-risk 

research ideas offering a significant technological 

impact that will go well beyond the normal evolutionary 

developmental approaches; and, to pursue these ideas 

from the demonstration of technical feasibility through 

the development of prototype systems.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Defense Modeling and Simulation OfficeMcLean, 

VA

The lead agency for modeling and simulation activities 

within the U.S. Department of Defense.

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Department of Energy Washington, DCA science and technology agency whose research supports the nation's energy security, national security, and 

environmental quality.

Web-Based Bioinformatics 

Databases (p. 

43)

French National Institute for 

Research in Computer Science 

and Control (INRIA)

Paris, 

France

A scientific and technological institute operating under 

the dual authority of the Ministry of Research and the 

Ministry of Industry.

Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Lawrence Berkeley National 

Laboratory

Berkeley, 

CA

A Department of Energy national research laboratory. Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Product Data 

Standards for 

the HVAC/R 

Industries (p. 

28)
Collaborators

65

National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration (NASA)

Washington, DCNASA’s mission is to: 

-Explore, use, and enable the development of space for 

human enterprise

-Advance scientific knowledge and understanding of the 

Earth, the solar system, and the universe and use the 

environment of space for research

-Research, develop, verify, and transfer advanced aeronautics, space, and related technologies. 

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Information 

Technology 

Metrology for 

Manufacturing 

Program (p. 17)

Integration of 

NIST Standard 

Reference Data 

into Information Networks 

(p. 38)

National Institutes of Health Bethesda, 

MD

The Federal focal point for biomedical research in the 

U.S. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that 

will lead to better health for everyone. 

Web-Based Bioinformatics 

Databases (p. 

43)

National Research Institute for 

Metals, Japan

Tsukuba, 

Japan

National research agency devoted to devoted to metals 

and metallic materials.

Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

National Science Foundation Arlington, 

VA

An independent U.S. government agency responsible for 

promoting science and engineering. 

Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Web-Based Bioinformatics 

Databases (p. 

43)

Navy Industry Digital 

Exchange Standards Committee (NIDDESC)

Arlington, 

VA

NIDDESC seeks to identify the actions, costs and timetables for completing U.S. content specifications, developing an international exchange specification and 

developing a test suite for all the anticipated functional 

areas involved in the exchange of a ship product model.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Office of Naval Research Arlington, 

VA

ONR coordinates, executes, and promotes the science 

and technology programs of the United States Navy and 

Marine Corps through universities, government laboratories, and nonprofit and for-profit organizations. 

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Government Agencies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

66

Oak Ridge National LaboratoriesOak Ridge,

TN

Conducts basic and applied research and development to 

create scientific knowledge and technological solutions 

that strengthen the nation's leadership in key areas of science; increase the availability of clean, abundant energy; 

restore and protect the environment; and contribute to 

national security.

Integration of 

NIST Standard 

Reference Data 

into Information Networks 

(p. 38)

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Sensor Integration (p. 33)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Construction Engineering 

Research Laboratory (USACERL)

Champaign, ILPart of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, CERL directs research toward increasing 

the Army's ability to more efficiently construct, operate, 

and maintain its installations and ensure environmental 

quality and safety at a reduced life-cycle cost. 

Product Data 

Standards for 

the HVAC/R 

Industries (p. 

28)

Academic Institutions

Name Location Department

Collaborating 

Project(s)

American University of SharjahSharjah, 

UAE

College of Arts and Sciences Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Arizona State University Tempe, AZ Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems 

Engineering

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Arizona State University Tempe, AZ Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Beloit College Beloit, WI Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, 

CA

Project MATHEMATICS Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Government Agencies

Name Location Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

67

Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, 

PA

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, 

PA

Robotics Institute Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

Catholic University Washington, DCDepartment of Mechanical Engineering Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

City University of Hong Kong Hong 

Kong, 

China

Faculty of Science and Engineering Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Colorado School of Mines Golden, 

CO

Division of Metallurgical and Material Engineering Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

CWI, the National Research 

Institute for Mathematics and 

Computer Science in the Netherlands

Amsterdam, The 

Netherlands

Probability, Networks, and Algoritms Cluster and Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis ClusterDigital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Dalhousie University Halifax, 

Canada

Mathematics and Statistics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Delft University of Technology Delft, The 

Netherlands

Department of Technical Mathematics and Informatics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Drexel University Philadelphia, PADepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

Drexel University Philadelphia, PADepartment of Mathematics and Computer Science Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Academic Institutions

Name Location Department

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

68

Fachhochschule Wiesbaden Weisbaden, 

Germany

Computer Science Department Standards for 

Exchange of 

Instrument Data 

and NIST 

Chemical Reference Data (p. 

42)

Florida International University Miami, FL Industrial and Systems Engineering Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Free University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, The 

Netherlands

Statistics Research Group Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

George Washington University Washington, DCDepartment of Physics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)Atlanta, 

Georgia

Manufacturing Research Center Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)Atlanta, 

Georgia

School of Mechanical Engineering Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Harvard University Cambridge, MAHarvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Integration of 

NIST Standard 

Reference Data 

into Information Networks 

(p. 38)

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 

India

Mechanical Engineering Department Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

INRIA, the French National 

Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control

Paris, 

France

n/a Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Iowa State University Ames, 

Iowa

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Academic Institutions

Name Location Department

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

69

Iowa State University Ames, 

Iowa

Department of Mathematics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Johannes Kepler University Linz, AustriaInstitute for Symbolic Computation Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Macalester College St. Paul, 

MN

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Mannheim University of 

Applied Sciences

Mannheim, Germany

n/a Product Data 

Standards for 

the HVAC/R 

Industries (p. 

28)

Masssachusetts Institute of 

Technology

Cambridge, MADepartment of Material Science and Engineering Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Masssachusetts Institute of 

Technology

Cambridge, MADepartment of Mathematics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Musashi University Tokyo, 

Japan

Department of Management Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Pennsylvania State University State College, PADepartment of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Pennsylvania State University State College, PADepartment of Mathematics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Pennsylvania State University State College, PAInformation Systems Department Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Academic Institutions

Name Location Department

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

70

Purdue University Lafayette, 

IN

Computer Science Department Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJDepartment of Chemistry Web-Based Bioinformatics 

Databases (p. 

43)

San Diego State University San Diego, 

CA

Mathematical and Computer Sciences Department Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Stanford University Stanford, 

CA

Center for Design Research Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Stanford University Stanford, 

CA

Center for Integrated Facilities Engineering Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Stanford University Stanford, 

CA

Department of Statistics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Stanford University Stanford, 

CA

School of Engineering Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Syracuse University Syracuse, 

NY

Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing EngineeringProduct Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Université des Sciences et 

Technologies de Lille 

Lille, 

France

Laboratoire d'Analyse Numérique et d'Optimisation Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University College London London, 

UK

Department of Physics and Astronomy Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Abertay Dundee Dundee, 

UK

Department of Mathematics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Arizona Tucson, 

AZ

Systems and Industrial Engineering Department Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Academic Institutions

Name Location Department

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

71

University of Bristol Bristol, UK Department of Physics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of California San Diego, 

CA

San Diego Supercomputer Center Web-Based Bioinformatics 

Databases (p. 

43)

University of California Santa Barbara, CADepartment of Mathematics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, 

OH

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and 

Computer Science

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

University of Delaware Newark, 

DE

Center for Composite Materials Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

University of Delaware Newark, 

DE

Department of Mechanical Engineering Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, UKDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Essen Essen, GermanyMathematics and Computer Science Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Illinois Chicago, 

IL

Department of Mechanical Engineering Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

University of Iowa Iowa City, 

IA

Department of Industrial Engineering Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

University of Kent Canterbury, UKInstitute of Mathematics and Statistics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Academic Institutions

Name Location Department

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

72

University of Leeds Leeds, UK Department of Applied Mathematics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Lille (Science 

and Technology)

Lille, 

France

Numerical Optimization and Analysis Laboratory Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Maryland Baltimore, 

MD

Department of Chemistry Online Access 

to NIST Chemical Reference 

Data (p. 40)

University of Maryland Baltimore, 

MD

Department of Computer Science and Electrical EngineeringElectronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

University of Maryland College 

Park, MD

Department of Computer Science Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

University of Maryland College 

Park, MD

Department of Electrical Engineering Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

University of Maryland College 

Park, MD

Department of Mechanical Engineering Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

University of Maryland College 

Park, MD

Institute for Physical Science and Technology Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Academic Institutions

Name Location Department

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

73

University of Maryland College 

Park, MD

Institute of Systems Research Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

University of Melbourne Parkville, 

Victoria, 

Australia

School of Physics Integration of 

NIST Standard 

Reference Data 

into Information Networks 

(p. 38)

University of Michigan Ann Arbor,

MI

School of Information

Collaboratory for Research in Electronic Work (CREW)

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

University of Michigan Ann Arbor,

MI

College of Engineering Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

University of Mississippi Jackson, 

MS

Medical Center Web-Based Bioinformatics 

Databases (p. 

43)

University of Nebraska Lincoln, 

NE

Department of Physics and Astronomy Integration of 

NIST Standard 

Reference Data 

into Information Networks 

(p. 38)

University of New Brunswick Saint John, 

NB, Canada

Department of Physical Sciences Integration of 

NIST Standard 

Reference Data 

into Information Networks 

(p. 38)

University of North Carolina 

Charlotte

Charlotte, 

NC

Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering 

Science

Dimensional 

Inspection 

Information 

Exchange (p. 

13)

University of St Andrews St 

Andrews, 

UK

School of Mathematics and Statistics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, 

Saskatche

wan, Canada

Department of Computer Science Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Academic Institutions

Name Location Department

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

74

University of South Carolina Columbia, 

SC

College of Engineering and Information Technology Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

University of Southhampton Southhampton, 

UK

Faculty of Mathematical Studies Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Tennessee Knoxville, 

TN

Department of Chemistry Online Access 

to NIST Chemical Reference 

Data (p. 40)

University of Toronto Toronto, 

Canada

Enterprise Integration Laboratory Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

University of Virginia Charlottesville, VADepartment of Electrical Engineering Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

University of Washington Seattle, 

WA

Department of Chemistry Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, 

WI

Department of Biostatics and Medical Informatics Web-Based Bioinformatics 

Databases (p. 

43)

University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, 

WI

Department of Mathematics Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WIDepartment of Engineering & Mathematical Sciences Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Virginia Polytechnic UniversityBlacksburg, VADepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Virtual School of Molecular 

Sciences

Nottingham, UKn/a Materials Informatics 

Resources: 

MatML (p. 25)

Academic Institutions

Name Location Department

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

75

Washington State University Pullman, 

WA

School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Washington University St. 

Louis

St. Louis, 

MO

School of Arts and Sciences Digital Library 

of Mathematical Functions 

(p. 36)

Standards Committees

Committee Organization Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)

ASME

Y14.5

American Society of Mechanical EngineersDimensioning and Tolerancing. Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

ASTM/SC 

E28.16 

American Society for Testing 

and Materials

Mechanical Testing/Rapid Prototyped Parts. Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

ASTM/SC 

E01.25

American Society for Testing 

and Materials

Analytical Chemistry for Metals, Ores and Related 

Materials.

Standards for 

Exchange of 

Instrument Data 

and NIST 

Chemical Reference Data (p. 

42)

ASTM/SC 

E49.08 

American Society for Testing 

and Materials

Analytical Data Interchange Protocols. Standards for 

Exchange of 

Instrument Data 

and NIST 

Chemical Reference Data (p. 

42)

ASTM/SC 

E49.50

American Society for Testing 

and Materials

Chemical Data Interchange. Standards for 

Exchange of 

Instrument Data 

and NIST 

Chemical Reference Data (p. 

42)

Consortium for Advanced 

Manufacturing, Inc. (CAM-I)

Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

Academic Institutions

Name Location Department

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

76

ASC X12 Data Interchange Standards 

Association

Electronic Data Interchange Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Foundation for Intelligent 

Physical Agents (FIPA)

Promotes the development of specifications of 

generic agent technologies that maximize interoperability within and across agent-based applications.

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Conformance 

and Validation 

Testing

Implementor 

Forum

IGES/PDES ANSI-accredited national standards body with 

industry, government, and academic representation. 

Dedicated to the development and implementation 

of world-wide standards for the digital representation and communication of product data.

Information 

Technology 

Metrology for 

Manufacturing 

Program (p. 17)

DASC Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) DASC seeks to promote the development of standards in the Design Automation industry.Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

DATC Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Professional society for advancing the theory and 

practice of electrical, electronics and computer 

engineering and computer science.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

TC-9 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Sensor Technology Sensor Integration (p. 33)

IEC/TC3/SC3D/

WG2

International Electrotechnical 

Commission (IEC)

The role of IEC/TC3/SC3D is to prepare standards 

regarding methods and rules associated with the 

handling of information in computer-sensible form. 

WG2 concentrates on classification of components 

and definition of technical data element types.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

IEC/TC93/WG1 International Electrotechnical 

Commission (IEC)

The role of IEC/TC93/WG1 is to propose to TC 93 

an overall strategy and practical working approach 

for the harmonization and interoperability of electrotechnical data description standards.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

IEC/TC93/WG3 International Electrotechnical 

Commission (IEC)

The role of IEC/TC93/WG3 is to develop an IEC 

Standard based on the EDIF Standard from the EIA 

(Electronic Industries Association) in the U.S. The 

coverage of this standard includes an exchange format for describing the connectivity of components 

in electronic and electrotechnical netlists and PC 

boards.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

IEC/TC93/WG5 International Electrotechnical 

Commission (IEC)

The role of IEC/TC93/WG5 is to investigate test, 

validation, conformance and qualification methodologies for international standards for electrical and 

electronic product data exchange.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Standards Committees

Committee Organization Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

77

IEC/TC93/WG6 International Electrotechnical 

Commission (IEC)

The role of IEC/TC93/WG6 is to define standards 

and infrastructure necessary to support the 

exchange of component information at the international level.

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Area Committee: AutomationNational Committee for Clinical Laboratory StandardsSubcommittee: System Status and Error and Exception HandlingStandards for 

Exchange of 

Instrument Data 

and NIST 

Chemical Reference Data (p. 

42)

Area Committee: AutomationNational Committee for Clinical Laboratory StandardsSubcommittee: Communications with Automated 

Systems

Standards for 

Exchange of 

Instrument Data 

and NIST 

Chemical Reference Data (p. 

42)

JTC1/SC24 International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Joint Technical Committee: Information Technology

Subcommittee: Computer Graphics and Image Processing

Visualization 

and Virtual 

Reality for Collaboration and 

Manufacturing 

(p. 34)

TC184/SC4 International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Technical Committee: Industrial Automation Systems and Integration

Subcommittee: Industrial Data

SC4 develops standards which provide capabilities 

to describe and manage product data throughout the 

life of the product. 

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Information 

Technology 

Metrology for 

Manufacturing 

Program (p. 17)

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Standards Committees

Committee Organization Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

78

TC184/SC4/

Quality Committee

International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Responsible for developing STEP methods and 

assessing the compliance of draft STEP parts with 

prescribed methods.

Information 

Technology 

Metrology for 

Manufacturing 

Program (p. 17)

TC184/SC4/

WG3/ Ad Hoc 

Committee on 

Parametrics

International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

The role of the Parametrics Committee is to determine the need for parametric representations in 

STEP and related standards, and propose how techniques and models may be changed to meet those 

needs.

Intelligent Unit 

Process Control 

in Next Generation Open Manufacturing 

Systems (p. 19)

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

TC184/SC4/

WG3/T11

International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Technical Committee: Industrial Automation Systems and Integration

Subcommittee: Industrial Data

Working Group: Product Modeling

Team: Manufacturing Technology

Information 

Technology 

Metrology for 

Manufacturing 

Program (p. 17)

TC184/SC4/

WG3/T20

International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Technical Committee: Industrial Automation Systems and Integration

Subcommittee: Industrial Data 

Working Group: Product Modeling 

Team: Process Plant Industries

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

TC184/SC4/

WG8

International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Technical Committee: Industrial Automation Systems and Integration

Subcommittee: Industrial Data 

Working Group: Industrial Manufacturing Management Data

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

TC184/SC4/

WG11

International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Technical Committee: Industrial Automation Systems and Integration

Subcommittee: Industrial Data 

Working Group: EXPRESS Language, Conformance, Testing, and Implementation Specifications

Information 

Technology 

Metrology for 

Manufacturing 

Program (p. 17)

TC184/SC4/

WG12

International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Technical Committee: Industrial Automation Systems and Integration

Subcommittee: Industrial Data 

Working Group: Common resources

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Standards Committees

Committee Organization Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

79

TC184/SC5/ International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Technical Committee: Industrial Automation Systems and Integration

Subcommittee: Architecture, Communications, and 

Integration Frameworks 

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

TC184/SC5/

WG1

International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Technical Committee: Industrial Automation Systems and Integration

Subcommittee: Architecture, Communications, and 

Integration Frameworks 

Working Group: Modeling and architecture

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

TC184/SC5/

WG4

International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Technical Committee: Industrial Automation Systems and Integration

Subcommittee: Architecture, Communications, and 

Integration Framework 

Working Group: Manufacturing programming 

environments

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

TC213/WG13 International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)

Technical Committee: Dimensional and Geometrical Product Specifications and Verification

Working Group: Statistical tolerancing of mechanical parts

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

JTC1/SC32 International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

Joint Technical Committee: Information Technology

Subcommittee: Data Management and Interchange

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

JTC1/SC34 International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

Joint Technical Committee: Information Technology

Subcommittee: Document Description and Processing Languages

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

STEP Steering 

Committee

International Society for Measurement and Control (ISA)Develops the ISA STEP implementation plan and 

promotes the value of participation in the development of STEP APs.

Product Data 

Standards for 

the Process 

Plant Industries 

(p. 29)

Area Committee on Automation

NCCLS Global standards-developing and educational organization that promotes the development and use of 

voluntary consensus standards and guidelines 

within the healthcare community.

Standards for 

Exchange of 

Instrument Data 

and NIST 

Chemical Reference Data (p. 

42)

Electronic Commerce Working 

Group

Object Management Group Consortium dedicated to the development of technology and standards for distributed object systems.Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Standards Committees

Committee Organization Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
Collaborators

80

Manufacturing 

Domain task 

Force

Object Management Group Consortium dedicated to the development of technology and standards for distributed object systems.Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

Product Engineering Program 

(p. 31)

Simulation Special Interest 

Group

Object Management Group Consortium dedicated to the development of technology and standards for distributed object systems.Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Manufacturing 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

Program (p. 23)

 Human Modeling Technology 

Standards Committee

Society of Automotive EngineersOrganization for engineers involved in designing, 

building, maintaining, and operating self-propelled 

vehicles for use on land or sea, in air or space.

Visualization 

and Virtual 

Reality for Collaboration and 

Manufacturing 

(p. 34)

Electronic Data 

Interchange for 

Administration, 

Commerce and 

Transport (EDIFACT) Working

Group

United Nations Coordinates formation of internationally agreed 

standards, directories, and guidelines for the electronic interchange of structured data

Manufacturing 

Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

Electrical Applications CommitteeUS/PRO Provides the management functions for the IGES/

PDES Organization (IPO) and its related activities, 

including the U.S. Technical Advisory Group 

(TAG) to ISO TC184/SC4. 

Electronic Commerce for the 

Electronics 

Industry (ECEI) 

(p. 15)

Workflow Management CoalitionDevelops standards for software terminology, 

interoperability and connectivity between workflow

products. 

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 

26)

Standards Committees

Committee Organization Description

Collaborating 

Project(s)
FY99-00 Project Publications

81

Appendix C: FY99-00 Project Publications

Electronic Commerce for the Electronics Industry (ECEI) (p. 15)

[1] Goldstein, B., Cartwright, J., “Opening Up to Standardization”, Circuits Assembly, Vol. 10, Number 6, June

1999.

[2] Goldstein, B., Cartwright, J., Friedman, J., Minchella, J., “Virtual Factory Project Tackles Integration”,

Future EMS International, Vol. 2, September 1999.

[3] Goldstein, B., Rhodes, T., "Integrating Manufacturing Across Electronics Supply Chain Partners: the NIST

Internet Commerce for Manufacturing Project," Engineering Development International, October 2000.

[4] McCaleb, M., “A Conceptual Data Model of Datum Standards”, Journal of Research of the National Institute

of Standards and Technology, Vol. 104, 349 (1999).

[5] Parks, C., “Internet Commerce for Manufacturing Product Data”, NISTIR 6320, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD,

April 1999.

[6] Parks, C., Nell, J., “Internet Commerce for Manufacturing Data Staging”, NISTIR 6578, NIST, Gaithersburg,

MD, October 2000.

Manufacturing Enterprise Integration Program (p. 21)

[7] Barkmeyer, E., Nell, J., Parks, C., “Internet Commerce for Manufacturing Activity Model”, NISTIR 6516,

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, May 2000.

[8] Ivezic, N., Barbacci, M., Libes, D., Potok, T., Robert, J., “An Analysis of a Supply Chain Management Agent

Architecture”, Proceedings of The Fourth International Conference on MultiAgent Systems, Boston, MA,

July 2000.

[9] Ivezic, N., Barbacci, M., Libes, D., Potok, T., Robert, J., “An Architecture Analysis of Agent-based

Systems”, Proceedings of Engineering Societies in the Agents’ World (ESAW 00), Berlin, Germany, August

2000.

[10] Ivezic, N., Barbacci, M., Libes, D., Potok, T., Robert, J., “An Architecture and COTS Analysis of Agent

Systems”, Proceedings of The First Goddard Workshop on Formal Approaches to Agent-based Systems,

Greenbelt, MD, April 2000.

[11] Ivezic, N., Fong, E., Peng, Y., Rhodes, T., "B2B E-Commerce Infrastructure using Agents and Standards",

Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Design of Information Infrastructure Systems for

Manufacturing (DIISM) 2000, Melbourne, Australia, November 2000.

[12] Knutilla, A., Steve, M., Allen, R., "Workshop on Evaluating Collaborative Enterprises - Workshop Report",

Proceedings of the IEEE 9th International Workshops on Enabling Technologies: Infrastructure for

Collaborative Enterprises (WETICE), Gaithersburg, MD, June 2000.

[13] Morse, E., Steves, M., "CollabLogger: A Tool for Visualizing Groups at Work", Proceedings of the IEEE 9th

International Workshops on Enabling Technologies: Infrastructure for Collaborative Enterprises (WETICE),

Gaithersburg, MD, June 2000.

[14] Nell, J., Christopher, N., “Standards Road Map Project, Criteria Analysis”, NISTIR 6408, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD, October, 1999. 

[15] Nell, J., Christopher, N., “Standards Road Map Project, Standards Classification Strategy and Methodology”,

NISTIR 6409, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, October 1999.

[16] Pouchard, L., Ivezic, N., Schlenoff, C., "Ontology Engineering for Distributed Collaboration in

Manufacturing", AI Simulation and Planning Conference (AIS 2000), Tucson, AZ, March 2000.
FY99-00 Project Publications

82

[17] Schlenoff, C., Gruninger, M., Ciocoiu, M. and Libes, D., "Process Specification Language (PSL): Results of

the First Pilot Implementation", Proceedings of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress

and Exposition, Nashville, TN, October 1999.

[18] Steves, M., Chang, W., Knutilla, A., “Supporting Manufacturing Process Analysis and trouble Shooting with

ACTS”, Proceedings of the IEEE 8th International Workshops on Enabling Technologies: Infrastructure for

Collaborative Enterprises (WETICE), Stanford, CA, June 1999.

[19] Steves, M., Knutilla, A., “Collaboration Technologies for Global Manufacturing”, Proceedings of the ASME

International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE): Symposium on Manufacturing

Logistics in a Global Economy, Nashville, TN, November 1999.

[20] Steves, M., Scholtz, J., “Modified Field Studies for CSCW Systems”, ACM SIGGroup Bulletin, 1999.

Information Technology Metrology for Manufacturing Program (p. 17)

[21] Barnard, A., “Guidlines for Development of Abstract test Suites”, ISO TC184/SC4 N873, June 1999.

[22] Barnard-Feeney, A., "A Modular Architecture for STEP," Proceedings of World Automation Congress 2000,

June 2000.

[23] Flater, D., "Improving Testability of MfgDTF Standards," OMG White Paper, July 2000.

Available: http://cgi.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?mfg/00-07-01

[24] Flater, D., “Testability of Product Data Management Interfaces”, NISTIR 6429, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD,

December 1999.

[25] Flater, D., “Specification of Interactions in Integrated Manufacturing Systems”, NISTIR 6484, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD, March 2000.

[26] Flater, D., "Testing for Feasible Performance of a Distributed Manufacturing System: a Brief Experience

Report," Proceedings of the 4th World Multiconference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, Orlando,

FL, July 2000.

[27] Flater, D., "Testing for Imperfect Integration of Legacy Software Components," Proceedings of 1st AsiaPacific Conference on Quality Software, Hong Kong, China, October 2000.

[28] Flater, D., Barkmeyer, E., Wallace, E., "Towards Unambiguous Specifications: Five Alternative Job Control

Models for An Object-Oriented, Hierarchical Shop Control System," Proceedings of the 1999 ASME Design

Engineering Technical Conferences, Las Vegas, NV, September 1999.

[29] Lubell, J., “Structured Markup on the Web: A Tale of Two Sites”, Markup Technologies: Theory and

Practice, Vol 1, Issue 3, summer 1999.

[30] Lubell, J., "Process Representation Using Architectural Forms: Accentuating the Positive," Proceedings of

Markup Technologies '99, Philadelphia, PA, December 1999.

[31] Lubell, J., "An XML Repository Architecture for STEP," Proceedings of World Automation Congress 2000,

Maui, HI, June 2000.

[32] Morris, K., Flater, D., "Design of a Flexible, Integrated Testing System for STEP and OMG Standards,"

Journal of Computer Standards and Interfaces, Vol. 22, No. 5, February 2000, pp. 297-305.

[33] Sauder, D., “The EXPRESS Web Server: A User Interface for Standards Development”, Proceedings of the

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Symposium for Applied Computing ‘99, San Antonio, TX,

February 1999.

[34] Sauder, D., Lubell, J., “The EXPRESS Web Server: A User Interface for Standards Development”,

Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, San Antonio, TX, February 1999.
FY99-00 Project Publications

83

Materials Informatics Resources: MatML (p. 25)

[35] Begley, E., Sturrock, C., “MatML: An XML for Standardizing Web-based Materials Property Data”, JOM,

p. 56, July 2000.

Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization Program (p. 23)

[36] Lee, Y. T., “Initial Manufacturing Exchange Specification (IMES): Information Model for the Process Plan

– Workstation Level”, NISTIR 6307, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, March 1999.

[37] Lee, Y. T., “An Overview of Information Modeling for Manufacturing Systems Integration”, NISTIR 6382,

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, August 1999.

[38] Lee, Y. T., “Information Modeling: From Design to Implementation,” Proceedings of the Second World

Manufacturing Congress 1999, University of Durham, Durham UK, September 1999.

[39] Lee, Y. T., McLean, C., Leong, S., “Activity Model: Ship Repair and Conversion,” NISTIR 6533, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD, June 2000.

[40] McLean, C., “Manufacturing Simulation Using State of the Art Tools”, Proceedings of the IIE Simulations

Solutions Conference ‘99, Mesa, AZ, March 1999.

[41] McLean, C., Riddick, F., “Integration of Manufacturing Simulations Using HLA”, Proceedings of the AST

2000 Conference, Washington, DC, April 2000.

[42] McLean, C., Riddick, F., Leong, S., “Architecture for Modeling and Simulation of Global Distributed

Enterprises,” Proceedings of the ASIM 2000 Conference, Berlin, Germany, March 2000.

[43] Stieren, D., Caskey, G., McLean, C., Neyhart, T., “Knowledge-Based Modular Repair: Advanced

Technology Applications for Ship Repair and Conversion,” Proceedings of the 2000 Ship Production

Symposium, Williamsburg, VA, August 2000.

Product Data Standards for the Process Plant Industries (p. 29)

[44] Palmer, M., “ISO/IS 10303-227: Product Data Representation and Exchange - Application Protocol: Plant

Spatial Configuration”, ISO, Geneva, Switzerland, 2000.

Predictive Process Engineering Program (p. 26)

[45] Ciocoiu, M., Nau D., “Ontology-Based Semantics,” Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on

Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning (KR'2000), Breckenridge, CO, April 2000.

[46] Cutting-Decelle, A., Baldwin, A., Gruninger, M. “Towards a Unified Specification of the Construction

Process Information: the PSL Approach”, Proceedings of the Third European Conference on Product and

Process Modeling, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2000.

[47] Feng. S., “Manufacturing Planning and Execution Objects Foundation Interfaces,” Journal of Manufacturing

Systems, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2000, pp. 1-17.

[48] Feng, S., Nederbragt, W., Kaing, S., Sriram, R., “Incorporating Process Planning into Conceptual Design”,

Proceedings of the 1999 ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences- Design for Manufacturing

Conference, Las Vegas, NV, September 1999.

[49] Feng, S., Song, E., “Information Modeling on Conceptual Design Integrated with Process Planning,”

accepted, Proceedings of the Symposia on Design For Manufacturability, International Mechanical

Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE), Orlando, FL, November 2000.

[50] Feng, S., Song, E., “Information Modeling on Conceptual Process Planning Integrated with Conceptual

Design,” Proceedings of the 5th Design For Manufacturing Conference in the ASME Design Engineering

Technical Conference, Baltimore, MD, September 2000.
FY99-00 Project Publications

84

[51] Feng, S., Zhang, Y., “A Modular Architecture for Rapid Development of CAPP Systems for Agile

Manufacturing”, IIE Transactions Focused Issues on Design and Manufacturing, Vol. 30, October 1998.

[52] Feng, S., Zhang, Y., “Conceptual Process Planning- a Definition and Functional Decomposition”,

Proceedings of 1999 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE),

Nashville, TN, November 1999.

[53] Kim, Y., Feng, S., “Case Studies to Understand the Relations Among Function, Form, and Manufacturing

Processes for Integration of Design and Process Planning in the Conceptual Design Stage”, Proceedings of

the 1999 ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences - Computers and Information in Engineering

Conference, Las Vegas, NV, September 1999.

[54] Lee, J., Schlenoff, C., “Component-Based Standards Development Issues in the Process Specification

Language Project,” Proceedings of the International Symposium on Manufacturing with Applications at the

WAC 2000 Conference, Maui, HI, June 2000. 

[55] Lubell, J, Schlenoff, C., “Process Representation Using Architectural Forms: Accentuating the Positive,”

Proceedings of the MarkUp Technologies '99 Conference, Philadelphia, PA, December 1999. 

[56] Moncarz, H., et al., “Proceedings of the NIST Workshop on Process Information Technology: From Research

to Industry”, Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Vol. 103, Number

5, September-October 1998.

Available: http://nvl.nist.gov/pub/nistpubs/jres/103/5/j35ce-mon.pdf

[57] Pouchard, L., et. al. “Ontology Engineering for Distributed Collaboration in Manufacturing,” Proceedings of

the AIS2000 Conference, Tucson, AZ, March 2000.

[58] Schlenoff, C., Ciocoiu, M., Libes, D., Gruninger, M., “Process Specification Language: Results of the First

Pilot Implementation”, Proceedings of the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition,

Nashville, TN, November 1999.

[59] Schlenoff, C., Garniture, M., Ciocoiu, M., “The Essence of the Process Specification Language”,

Transactions of the Society for Computer Simulation International, Vol 16, Number 4, December 1999.

Available: http://www.scs.org/pubs/T99toc.html

[60] Schlenoff, C., Gruninger M., Tissot, F., Valois, J., Lubell, J., Lee, J., “The Process Specification Language

(PSL): Overview and Version 1.0 Specification,” NISTIR 6459, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, 2000.

[61] Zhang, Y., Feng, S., Wang, X., Tian, W., and Wu, R. “Object-oriented Manufacturing Resource Modeling

for Adaptive Process Planning,” International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 37, No. 18, December

1999, pp. 4179-4195.

Product Engineering Program (p. 31)

[62] Allen, R., Fijol, R., Szykman, S., Sriram, R., “Representing an Artifact Transport System in a Design

Repository: A Case Study,” Proceedings of the 1999 ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences,

Baltimore, MD, September 1999.

[63] Allen, R., Sriram, R., “Knowledge-based Systems Interoperability”, Journal of Research of the National

Institute of Standards and Technology, Vol. 103, No. 5, September-October 1998.

Available: http://nvl.nist.gov/pub/nistpubs/jres/103/5/j35ce-all.pdf

[64] Jayaram, S., Jayaram, U.,Wang, Y.,Lyons, K., Hart, P., “VADE: A Virtual Assembly Design Environment”,

IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, Vol. 19, Number 6, November/December 1999.

Available: http://www.computer.org/cga/cg1999/g6toc.htm

[65] Jayaram, S., et al., “A Virtual Assembly Design Environment”, Proceedings of the IEEE Virtual Reality ‘99

Conference, Houston, TX, March 1999.

[66] Jurrens, K., “NIST Activities in Support of Rapid Prototyping Standards”, IEEE Spectrum, February 1999.
References

85

[67] Lyons, K., Hart, P., Keirouz, W., Shooter, S., “The Open Assembly Design Environment Project: An

Architecture for Design Agent Interoperability”, Proceedings of the 1999 ASME Design Engineering

Technical Conferences - International Conference on Design Theory and Methodology, Las Vegas, NV,

September 1999.

[68] Patil, L., Dutta, D., Bhatt, A., Jurrens, K., Lyons, K., Pratt, M., Sriram, R., “Representation of Heterogeneous

objects in ISO 10303 (STEP)”, Proceedings of ASME conference, Orlando, FL, November 2000.

[69] Pratt, M., “A Shape Modeling API for the STEP Standard”, Proceedings of the Seminar on Geometric

Modeling, Schloss Dagstuhl, Germany, May 1999.

[70] Pratt, M., “Lessons Learned from STEP”, Proceedings of the IFIP WG5.2 Geometry in CAD, Tokyo, Japan,

December 1998.

[71] Pratt, M., “Towards a Standardized CAD Modeler APIU”, Proceedings of the 5th International Conference

on Information Systems Analysis and Synthesis, Orlando, FL, August 1999.

[72] Shooter, S., Keirouz, W., Szykman, S., Fenves, S., “A Model of the Flow of Information in Design,”

Proceedings of the 1999 ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences, Baltimore, MD, September

1999.

[73] Sudarsan, R., et al., “Design for Tolerance of Electro-mechanical Assemblies: An Integrated Approach”,

IEEE Transaction on Robotics and Automation, Special Issue on Design Automation.

[74] Sudarsan, R., et al., “Information models for Design Tolerancing: From Conceptual to the Detailed Design”,

NISTIR 6524, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, May 2000.

[75] Szykman, S., Bochenek, C., Racz, J., Senfaute, J., Sriram R., “Design Repositories: Next-Generation

Engineering Design Databases,” IEEE Intelligent Systems, Vol. 15, No. 3. 

[76] Szykman, S., Racz, J., Bochenek, C., Sriram, R., “A Web-based System for Design Artifact Modeling,”

Design Studies, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp 145-165.

[77] Szykman, S., Fenves, S, Shooter, S., Keirouz, W., “A Foundation for Interoperability in Next-generation

Product Development Systems,” Proceedings of the 1999 ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences,

Baltimore, MD, September 1999.

[78] Utpal, R., et al., “Information Models for Design Tolerancing: From Conceptual to Detailed Design”,

Proceedings of the ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference 99, Las Vegas, NV, September 1999.

[79] Wang, Y., Jayaram, S., Jayaram, U., Lyons, K., “Representations of Swept Volumes in a Parametric CAD

System Using Trajectory Information from Virtual Environments”, Proceedings of the ASME Design

Engineering Technical Conferences, Las Vegas, NV, September 1999.

Intelligent Unit Process Control in Next Generation Open Manufacturing Systems (p. 19)

[80] Albus, J., “The Engineering of Mind,” Information Sciences, Vol. 117, No.1-2, 1999.

[81] Balakirsky, S., “Vehicle Level World Model Manager Interface Description”, NISTIR 6441, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD, October 1999.

[82] Balakirsky, S., Lacaze, A., “World Modeling and Behavior Generation for Autonomous Ground Vehicles,”

Proceedings of the 2000 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, April 2000.

[83] Dabrowski, C., Huang, H., Messina, E., Horst, J., “Formalizing the NIST 4-D/RCS Reference Model

Architecture Using an Architectural Description Language,” NISTIR 6443, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD,

December 1999.

[84] Horst, J., “Real-Time and Object-Oriented Issues for an Inspection Workstation Application,” Proceedings

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System,” Proceedings of the 3rd IEEE International Symposium on Object-oriented Real-time Distributed

Computing (ISORC 2000), Newport Beach, CA, March 2000.

[86] Huang, H., Albus, J., Shackleford, W., Scott, H., Kramer, T., Messina, E., Proctor, F., “An Architecting Tool

for Large-Scale System Control with an Application to a Manufacturing Workstation,” Proceedings of the 4th

International Software Architecture Workshop, in conjunction with the International Conference on Software

Engineering 2000, Limerick, Ireland, June 2000.

[87] Huang, H., Albus, J., Shackleford, W., Scott, H., Kramer, T., Messina, E., Proctor, F., “Towards a Common

Architecture for Large-Scale Real-Time Control Systems,” Proceedings of the 16th IFIP World Computer

Congress, Conference on Software: Theory and Practice (ICS2000), August 2000.

[88] Huang, H., Albus, J., Shackleford, W., Scott, H., Kramer, T., Messina, E., Proctor, F., “An Open System

Approach and its Application to a Manufacturing Inspection Workstation,” Proceedings of the IEEE

International Conference on Control Applications & IEEE International Symposium on Computer-Aided

Control System Design, Anchorage, AK, September 2000.

[89] Messina, E., Horst, J., Kramer, T., Huang, H., Michaloski, J., “Component Specifications for Robotics

Integration”, Autonomous Robots Journal, Vol. 6, No. 3, June 1999.

[90] Messina, E., Horst, J., Kramer, T., Huang, H., Tsai, T., and Amatucci, E., “A Knowledge-Based Inspection

Workstation,” Proceedings of the 1999 IEEE International Conference on Information, Intelligence, and

Systems, November 1999. 

[91] Messina, E., et al., “A Knowledge-based Inspection Workstation”, Proceedings of the IEEE Symposium on

Computational Intelligence in Robotics and Automation (CIRA 99), Monterey, CA, November 1999.

[92] Messina, E., Dabrowski, C., Huang, H., Horst, J., “Representation of the RCS Reference Model Architecture

Using an Architectural Description Language”, Proceedings of the 1999 EUROCAST workshop, Vienna,

Austria, September 1999.

[93] Messina, E., Huang, H., Scott, H., “An Open Architecture Inspection System,” Proceedings of the 2000

Japan-USA Symposium on Flexible Automation, July 2000.

[94] Meystel, A., Messina, E., “The Challenge of Intelligent Systems,” Proceedings of the 2000-15th IEEE

International Symposium on Intelligent Control, July 2000.

[95] Michaloski, J., “Analysis of Module Interaction in an OMAC Controller,” World Automation Conference,

Maui, HI, June 2000. 

[96] Michaloski, J., Birla, S., Igou, R., Weinert, G., and Yen, C.J., “An Open System Framework for ComponentBased CNC Machines,” ACM Computing Survey Symposium on “Object-Oriented Application

Frameworks,” March 2000.

[97] Michaloski, J., Birla, S., Yen, C. J., “Software Models for Standardizing the Human-Machine Interface

Connection to a Machine Controller,” World Automation Conference, Maui, HI, June 2000.

Sensor Integration (p. 33)

[98] Lee, K., “IEEE 1451: A Standard in Support of Smart Transducer Networking”, Proceedings of

Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (IMTC/2000), Baltimore, MD, May 2000.

Visualization and Virtual Reality for Collaboration and Manufacturing (p. 34)

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Appendix D: Program Products Newly Available in FY99 - 00

Software/Services

AnthroGloss - 3D Visual Anthropometric Landmark Glossary

A three-dimensional, manipulable visual glossary depicting human anatomical reference points.

Available: http://ovrt.nist.gov/projects/vrml/h-anim/landmarkInfo.html

EXPRESSO Version 2.3

A software tool to validate STEP schemas and verify STEP translator conformance.

Available: http://www.nist.gov/expresso

Tools for Planning Neutron Small-Angle Scattering and Reflectrometry and Powder Diffraction Experiments

Tools for planning small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and neutron reflectivity (NR) experiments are on line.

Available: http://webster.ncnr.nist.gov/resources/

Analogous tools for powder diffraction experiments are now on line.

Available: http://webster.ncnr.nist.gov/programs/crystallography/

Tools for Analysis of Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) Data

Macros for more than a dozen models of scattering functions used to analyze SANS data have been written according 

to a uniform protocol and are now available for downloading, along with documentation.

Available: http://webster.ncnr.nist.gov/programs/sans/

Standard Reference Databases2

Atomic Spectral Line Broadening Bibliographic Database

This database contains approximately 800 recent references, all collected after the most recent published 

bibliography (NIST Special Publication 366, Suppl. 4, 1993). These papers contain numerical data, general 

information, comments, and review articles and are part of the collection of the Data Center on Atomic Line Shapes 

and Shifts at NIST. 

Available: http://physics.nist.gov/linebrbib

Atomic Transition Probability Bibliographic Database, Version 6.0

The database contains numerical data, comments, and review articles on atomic transition probabilities (oscillator 

strengths, line strengths, or radiative lifetimes).

Available: http://physics.nist.gov/fvalbib

Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions, Version 2.1

The atomic weights are available for elements 1 through 111, and isotopic compositions or abundances are given 

when appropriate. The atomic weights data were published by T. B. Coplen in Atomic Weights of the Elements 1995,

and the isotopic compositions data were published by K. J. R. Rosman and P. D. P. Taylor in Isotopic Compositions 

of the Elements 1997. One should note that the isotopic compositions data are not based on Atomic Weights of the 

Elements 1995 but on Atomic Weights of the Elements 1997.

Available: http://physics.nist.gov/comp

Digital Library of Mathematical Functions

Prototype site from a project which will eventually provide a comprehensive, ongoing and authoritative body of 

information on the notation, properties, computation and applications of the higher mathematical functions, and to 

2. More information on Standard Reference Data products can be found at http://www.nist.gov/srd/.
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present this data free of charge on the World Wide Web in the form of an interactive Digital Library of Mathematical 

Functions (DLMF). 

Available: http://dlmf.nist.gov/

Electron-Impact Ionization Cross Section Database

This database contains primarily total ionization cross sections of molecules by electron impact. It also includes cross 

sections for a small number of atoms and energy distributions of ejected electrons for H, He, and H2. The cross 

sections were calculated using the Binary-Encounter-Bethe (BEB) model, which combines the Mott cross section 

with the high-incident energy behavior of the Bethe cross section. Selected experimental data are included.

Available: http://physics.nist.gov/ionxsec

Elemental Data Index

The Elemental Data Index provides access to the holdings of NIST Physics Laboratory online data organized by 

element. It is intended to simplify the process of retrieving online scientific data for a specific element. Data 

accessible through this index include: atomic spectroscopic data, electron-impact ionization cross sections, x-ray and 

gamma ray absorption data, radiation dosimetry data, radionuclide half-life measurements, isotopic compositions and 

atomic weights, and atomic reference data for electronic structure calculations. Other Physics Laboratory databases 

were modified to allow access to data through the EDI.

Available: http://physics.nist.gov/edi

Glossary of Terms for Phase Equilibria Diagrams

Multi-media and cross-referenced glossary.

Available: http://www.ceramics.nist.gov/webbook/glossary/ped/glossary.htm

Java Virtual Environment Device Interfaces (JVEDI)

Provides source code for server/client JVEDI for control and monitoring of Lego robots, a video camera, and a Flock 

of Birds device.

Available: http://ovrt.nist.gov/jvedi/ 

NIST Atomic Spectra Database v.2.0

Version 2.0 features a completely new engine and vastly expanded data that integrate atomic energy level 

information with transition probability information.

The Atomic Spectra Database (ASD) contains data for radiative transitions and energy levels in atoms and atomic 

ions. Data are included for observed transitions of 99 elements and energy levels of 52 elements. ASD contains data 

on about 900 spectra from about 1 Å (Ångströms) to 200 μm (micrometers), with about 70,000 energy levels and 

91,000 lines, 40,000 of which have transition probabilities listed. The most current NIST-evaluated data associated 

with each transition are integrated under a single listing.

Energy level data are included for most spectra of H-Kr (Z=1-36), Mo (Z=42), plus up to the first five spectra of the 

lanthanide rare earths (Z=57-71). Classified lines with transition probabilities are included for most spectra of H-Ni 

(Z=1-28), including new extensive transition probabilities for C, N, and O; output for these can be ordered by either 

multiplet (for a given spectrum) or wavelength. Also, prominent lines (unclassified) with wavelengths and relative 

intensities are included for up to the first five spectra of H-Es (Z=1-99). Some transition probabilities are listed for 

selected lines of Cu-Es (Z=29-99). Comprehensive wavelength lists of observed lines with relative intensities are 

incorporated for all spectra of Mg, Al, S, Sc, plus Be I, O II, and Ne I. 

Available: http://physics.nist.gov/asd

Searchable Bibliography on the Constants

This bibliographic database contains citations for the most important theoretical and experimental publications 

relevant to the fundamental constants and closely related precision measurements published since the mid 1980s, but 

also includes many older papers of particular interest, some of which date back to the early 1900s. It is periodically 
References

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updated through the addition of papers from the current literature and made more comprehensive through the addition 

of papers published earlier.

Available: http://physics.nist.gov/constantsbib

Stopping-Power and Range Tables for Electrons, Protons, and Helium Ions

Three radiation dosimetry databases (ESTAR, PSTAR, and ASTAR) calculate stopping powers, ranges and related 

quantities, for electrons, protons and helium ions. The underlying methods were developed by a members of a report 

committee sponsored by the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU).

With a default option, ESTAR generates stopping powers and ranges for electrons which are the same as those tabulated in ICRU Report 37 for 72 materials at a standard grid of 81 kinetic energies between 10 keV and 1000 MeV. 

ESTAR can also calculate similar tables for any other element, compound or mixture. Furthermore, it can calculate 

stopping powers at any set of kinetic energies between 1 keV and 10 GeV.

With a default option, PSTAR and ASTAR generate the stopping powers and ranges for protons and helium ions tabulated in ICRU Report 49 for 74 materials at a standard grid of 133 kinetic energies between 1 keV and 10 GeV for 

protons, and 122 kinetic energies between 1 keV and 1 GeV for helium ions. These databases can also calculate similar results at any other energy grid between these limits.

Available: http://physics.nist.gov/star