TS EN 9300-004

TS EN 9300-004 addresses description methods for the long-term archiving and retrieval of digital technical product documentation in aerospace, including 3D, CAD and PDM data within the LOTAR framework. The focus is not on the product data itself alone, but on how that information is described, structured and presented so it can remain understandable and usable over time.

The four method groups used for description

The standard organises its methods into four main categories: scope and scenario description, process description, data, and system architecture. Scope and scenario description is based on UML Use Case diagrams; process descriptions are expressed with Simplified Activity diagrams. Data modules are described using EXPRESS-G diagrams, while rules and constraints are captured through EXPRESS-Where-Rules. UML Package diagrams are used to support the development of a system architecture. Together, these modelling approaches provide a consistent way to define technical product information and its context.

Why this matters in LOTAR practice

LOTAR is concerned with more than storage: it aims to preserve digital product information so that it can still be interpreted and retrieved long after the original systems have changed. In aerospace, 3D models, CAD datasets and PDM records serve different but related purposes, from geometry and design intent to product structure and lifecycle information. The methods described in this standard help make those distinctions explicit and document the relationships between them in a disciplined way.

In general technical terms, modelling methods such as use cases, activity diagrams, data models and package structures are valuable because they separate business meaning, process flow, data definition and system organisation. That separation is especially important in long-lived archives, where consistent terminology and clear structure reduce ambiguity and support future reuse of the information.