TS EN 61346-1

TS EN 61346-1 defines the basic rules for structuring principles and reference designations in industrial systems, installations, equipment, and industrial products. It treats a system not only as a physical assembly of parts, but also as an information structure that must be organised consistently and unambiguously.

What structuring and reference designations are for

In general technical practice, structuring means breaking a complex system into functional, locational, or product-oriented parts and identifying those parts in a consistent way. Reference designations help show where an item belongs in the system, what role it plays, and how it relates to other items. This is important in drawings, technical documentation, maintenance records, and systems engineering, where different disciplines need to refer to the same item in the same way.

This part establishes the general principles of the IEC 61346 family and focuses on how information about systems is structured. It provides a common framework for clearly expressing relationships in complex industrial installations where electrical, mechanical, control, and information-related elements coexist.

Why the scope matters technically

• It supports a common way of handling both system information and the system itself.
• It addresses general rules that help keep reference designations consistent.
• It applies to industrial systems, installations, equipment, and industrial products as a shared structuring approach.
• It supports clearer relationships in technical product documentation.

This record corresponds to an older edition of the standard, and its status may have changed in later publication history. Even so, the subject remains a core reference for understanding how information architecture, identification, and classification work together in complex technical systems.