PDM system implementation based on UML

The paper deals with a Unified Modeling Language (UML)-based approach for implementing Product Data Management (PDM) system. Such kind of system enables the management of the entire product lifecycle and related information about its design, its manufacturing and its in-service. The interest of using an UML-based approach for modeling, specifying and implementing PDM systems is detailed. Then an implementation method is proposed in order to clarify the instantiation of UML diagrams into database entities. Regarding a business case study based on the needs of a turboprop aircraft development project, the preliminary implementation of PDM system is presented. The used UML diagrams for the modeling and integration of product, process, and resource data is detailed in order to argue the interest of an object-oriented approach in such kind of PDM implementation. © 2005 IMACS. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.