ISO 10303-104-2000 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 10303-104:2000 — Industrial automation systems and integration — Product data representation and exchange — Part 104: Integrated application resource: Finite element analysis. This part of the STEP family defines the information concepts and EXPRESS-based schema (resource definitions) needed to represent and exchange finite element analysis (FEA/CAE) models, meshes, properties, boundary conditions, loads and results. A PDF edition of the published standard is commonly available from standards publishers and ISO distributors.

Abstract

Part 104 of ISO 10303 (STEP) provides an integrated application resource for finite element analysis. It standardizes the data structures and semantics required to describe FEA model topology (nodes, elements, element sets), mesh representations, material and property assignments, boundary and initial conditions, loads, solver-relevant settings and result data representations so that CAE models can be exchanged between tools and archived in a neutral format.

General information

• Status: Published (Edition 1). Confirmed as current by ISO review in 2024.
• Publication date: December 2000 (Edition 1, 2000-12).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 25.040.40 — Industrial process measurement and control / Industrial data.
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2000).
• Number of pages: 532 pages (published edition).

Scope

ISO 10303-104:2000 specifies an integrated resource for representing finite element analysis information within the STEP framework. The scope covers the semantic definitions and EXPRESS schema needed to represent FEA geometric and topological model data, discretisation (meshes and elements), node and element grouping, material and section properties, boundary conditions and loads, solver configuration items required for interchange, and representation of analysis results. It is intended to be used in combination with other STEP parts (for geometry, units, and overarching application protocols) to enable neutral exchange and archiving of CAE models and results.

Key topics and requirements

• EXPRESS-based resource definitions for nodes, elements, element types and mesh topology.
• Entity sets and grouping mechanisms for parts of a model (element sets, node sets, load cases).
• Material, property and section definition entities and mechanisms to assign them to mesh entities.
• Definitions for boundary conditions, constraints and various load types (forces, pressures, thermal loads, etc.).
• Structures for representing analysis results (scalar/vector fields, time/history data, result locations).
• Conformance expectations for implementations exchanging FEA data using STEP resources.
• Interoperability guidance for linking FEA resources to geometric representations, units and other STEP application protocols.

Typical use and users

Primary users include CAE/FEA software vendors, CAD/CAE integration engineers, systems integrators, simulation data archivists, aerospace and automotive engineering teams, and organizations that need vendor-neutral exchange or long‑term storage of simulation models and results. Typical uses are tool-to-tool model transfer, handover of analysis models across engineering teams, digital archival of validated simulation models, and integration of simulation data into product lifecycle systems.

Related standards

ISO 10303-104 is part of the larger ISO 10303 (STEP) family. Closely related and commonly used documents include ISO 10303-11 (EXPRESS), ISO 10303-21 (Clear text encoding of the exchange structure — STEP-File), resource parts that define generic data types and units (various 4xx/10xx resource parts), and application protocols addressing geometry and assemblies (for example APs that handle geometrical/topological representation). This part has published corrigenda (ISO 10303-104:2000/Cor 1:2009 and Cor 2:2014) correcting or clarifying elements of the original text.

Keywords

ISO 10303, STEP, Part 104, finite element analysis, FEA, CAE, mesh, node, element, EXPRESS, product data exchange, simulation data, boundary conditions, loads, results, material properties.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 10303-104:2000 is a STEP resource part that defines the data models and semantics for representing finite element analysis models and related information for neutral exchange and archival.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers EXPRESS-based entity definitions and structures for nodes, elements and meshes, material and property assignments, boundary conditions and loads, representation of analysis results, and conventions for linking FEA data with other STEP resources (geometry, units, etc.).

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: CAE/FEA software vendors, CAD/CAE integrators, simulation engineers in industries such as aerospace, automotive and heavy engineering, and organizations needing vendor-neutral exchange or long-term archive of simulation models and results.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The published edition is Edition 1 (2000). The standard has received technical corrigenda (2009 and 2014) and was reviewed and confirmed by ISO in 2024; it remains the current published edition unless superseded by a future revision.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes. ISO 10303-104 is one part of the ISO 10303 (STEP) family, which is a modular collection of parts covering product data representation and exchange; other parts cover EXPRESS, STEP file encoding, geometry/topology, and multiple domain-specific application protocols.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: STEP, ISO 10303, finite element analysis, FEA, CAE, mesh, element, node, EXPRESS, product data exchange, simulation results.