ISO 10303-239-2024 PDF

Full title and description

Industrial automation systems and integration — Product data representation and exchange — Part 239: Application protocol: Product life cycle support (ISO 10303-239:2024). This edition (Edition 3) defines the AP239 application protocol (PLCS) for representing and exchanging product and support information across the full product life cycle, including parts, assemblies, configurations, maintenance activities, and product history.

Abstract

This standard specifies the information model and exchange constructs required to define complex products and their support solutions, to represent through‑life product configurations, to plan and record maintenance and support activities, and to manage product history, documentation and classification for long‑term product support. It formalizes EXPRESS schemas and resources for product identification, versioning, assemblies, shape composition, effectivity rules and activity/resource planning.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: October 2024 (publication month/year)
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• ICS / categories: 25.040.40 - Industrial process measurement and control
• Edition / version: Edition 3 (ISO 10303-239:2024)
• Number of pages: 356

Key bibliographic and status information above is taken from the ISO catalogue entry for ISO 10303-239:2024.

Scope

ISO 10303-239:2024 (AP239 PLCS) covers data and information constructs needed to support product life‑cycle activities: defining products and support solutions; maintaining products through life; configuration and change management for products and their support solutions; representation of assemblies, parts and part versions; representation and association of product shape information; specification and planning of activities (tasks, resources, locations, required skills); recording activity history and product history; and the location and association of related product documentation. The scope is explicitly focused on ensuring interoperable data exchange to support through‑life product support processes.

Key topics and requirements

• Formal information model (EXPRESS schemas) for product, parts, versions and assemblies.
• Through‑life configuration and change management: effectivity constraints, configuration identification and status.
• Representation of product shape as composition of component shapes and linking of geometry to product structure.
• Specification and scheduling of maintenance/support activities including required resources, skills and locations.
• Recording of activity history, usage records and product historical states for traceability and sustainment.
• Management of documentation, approvals, metadata, classifications and valued properties for parts and assemblies.
• Interoperability considerations and reuse of STEP integrated resources and application modules to support long‑term data portability.

Typical use and users

Primary users are aerospace & defense OEMs and their supply chains, complex equipment manufacturers, maintenance/repair/overhaul (MRO) organizations, systems integrators, PLM software vendors, and organisations responsible for long‑term asset sustainment and configuration management. It is used to exchange maintenance data, spare parts information, configuration baselines, task plans and product history between disparate systems and over extended operational lifecycles.

Related standards

AP239 is part of the ISO 10303 (STEP) family and is commonly used alongside other STEP APs and resources such as AP242 (Managed model‑based 3D engineering), AP214/AP203 (where applicable for CAD/product data), and other domain application modules and integrated resources that supply geometry, material and product descriptor constructs. The AP239 Edition 3 project and ecosystem (including work to harmonize PLCS with STEP core models) are documented by the AP239 community.

Keywords

AP239; PLCS; STEP; ISO 10303; product life cycle support; configuration management; maintenance planning; product history; EXPRESS schema; PLM; interoperability.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 10303-239:2024 (AP239 PLCS) is an application protocol in the ISO 10303 (STEP) series that defines data models and exchange mechanisms for product life‑cycle support information, enabling interoperable exchange of maintenance, configuration and support data.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers representation of parts, versions, assemblies, product configurations and effectivity; shape composition; scheduling and specification of support activities; recording activity and product histories; documentation and classification needed to support product sustainment across long lifetimes.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: OEMs (particularly aerospace & defense), MRO providers, systems integrators, PLM and maintenance software vendors, and organisations that require rigorous configuration and sustainment data exchange across suppliers and operational phases.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: This is the current published edition (Edition 3) released in October 2024; it supersedes earlier editions (for example the 2012 edition) and is the authoritative AP239 reference as of its 2024 publication.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — AP239 is one application protocol within the ISO 10303 (STEP) series of standards for product data representation and exchange and is normally used together with other APs and STEP resources to cover geometry, materials and domain‑specific needs.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Product life cycle support, PLCS, AP239, STEP, ISO 10303, configuration management, maintenance planning, product history, EXPRESS, PLM, interoperability.