ECLASS Semantics - Use of ECLASS in the Asset Administration Shell (AAS)

Question: Mr. Scherenschlich, what do ECLASS and AAS stand for?

Frank Scherenschlich:ECLASS and AAS are both central industry standards with different focuses. ECLASS is a classification and description standard that provides comprehensive and scalable semantics for products and materials. The administration shell, AAS (Asset Administration Shell), on the other hand, serves as a representation of the digital twin and is a key standard in the context of Industry 4.0.

Question: And how do the two standards interact?

Frank Scherenschlich:The asset administration shell AAS can be seen as an information container that organizes a wide variety of data. ECLASS is often used for the semantic description of this data in order to map the content in a clear and standardized way.

Question: You have created a specification on this topic. What added value does it offer?

Frank Scherenschlich:The specification clarifies how the extensive ECLASS semantics can be integrated into the AAS. Both standards, ECLASS and AAS, contain many elements such as classifications and characteristics through to the complex ECLASS Advanced data elements with blocks and cardinalities. The specification explains the transfer of this content in detail, supported by XML examples and practical explanations.

Question: Which submodels of the IDTA does this affect?

Frank Scherenschlich:Many of the existing submodels already make use of ECLASS, whether for mapping characteristics or more complex structures. The submodel "Generic Frame for Technical Data for Industrial Equipment in Manufacturing" (IDTA 02003), which includes detailed product descriptions, classifications and characteristics, is particularly noteworthy. I have also taken on the revision of this special submodel at IDTA.

Question: And what advantage does this offer the user?

Frank Scherenschlich:Standardization means that data is transferred uniformly, which is crucial for users. Nothing is more frustrating than using standards that lead to different results in practice and prevent uniform use. This was precisely the point I made in my presentation at the VDMA Interoperability Summit in September.

Question: Where can I find more information?

Frank Scherenschlich:The documentation and a comprehensive example file (.aasx) are available as an IDTA document at https://industrialdigitaltwin.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-10_IDTA_ECLASS_Semantic_Transport_ECLASS_in_AAS_1.0.pdf and as ECLASS Technical Specification 28.

I am also happy to answer any questions on this topic at frank.scherenschlich@classing.de.