How is ECLASS and Concept dictionary are used

Ensuring Semantic interoperability

There are 100s of solutions that allows an asset to be represented as a Digital twin. Also there are multiple standards and protocols that streams the data to an application. The biggest challenge is that it only solves the problem of data transmission and storage but not the context.

Context is always hidden with in the application which makes them non interoperable

Lets take an example of a defining a property like IP Code, or Ingress Protection Code for an asset. Now every application will get this get this data and will store it under its own field name and provide its own description. Now this is all great as long as information needs to be accessed on with in the solution context. But business requires information to shared along the value chain. To customer to vendors or even other solutions.

This is where Eclass or concept dictionary plays a role. Instead of defining them under the solutions own structure they are mapped as properties in AAS and then mapped to a unique identifier ( IRDI / URI ) this is a global standard and open semantic dictionary which allows anyone to get the clear context of this information. So now your asset ( Digital twin) becomes a Industry 4.0 compliant asset which is interoperable.

Another key benefit is multi language support - Eclass offers the definition in all leading languages like English, Chinese, German, Frech, Korean etc which makes it easy for global interpretation of your information.