IEC 61987-1:2006

Overview

IEC 61987-1:2006 sets an international framework for organizing and describing product features of industrial-process measurement and control equipment with analogue or digital output. Developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), this standard introduces a generic catalogue structure to ensure consistent, clear, and easily transferable product information between manufacturers and users. By standardizing the way industrial measuring equipment is catalogued, IEC 61987-1 facilitates more efficient data exchange, reduces errors due to misinterpretation, and smooths the procurement and configuration processes in process automation and industrial control systems.

Key Topics

• Standardized Data Structures: IEC 61987-1 defines a comprehensive data model for process measuring equipment. It specifies how to structure product data using a hierarchy of chapters and features, promoting clarity and reusability.
• Analogue and Digital Output Equipment: The standard covers equipment that outputs measured values as continuous analogue signals or in digital formats, ensuring broad applicability within process industries.
• Metadocument Approach: Manufacturers are guided to produce metadocuments-structured documents describing equipment features using standardized terms and chapters. This enables interoperability across catalogues and databases.
• Classification Scheme: Product features are organized by measurement principle (e.g., pressure, temperature, flow, level), application, and design, supporting both human readability and electronic data management.

Applications

IEC 61987-1 is highly relevant in the following contexts:

• Manufacturers of Process Equipment: By following this standard, manufacturers can create catalogues that are readily understood internationally, helping customers compare products and reducing the need for custom documentation.
• Industrial Automation and Process Control: System integrators and engineers benefit from standardized dataset structures for specifying, acquiring, and commissioning measurement and control devices within complex automation systems.
• Procurement and Specification: Procurement teams and end-users can more precisely communicate technical requirements, evaluate equipment, and integrate supplier data into internal databases or engineering tools.
• Electronic Product Catalogues: The standard's structure supports implementation in electronic catalogs and digital platforms, improving compatibility with product lifecycle management (PLM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and computer-aided engineering (CAE) systems.
• Data Exchange and Integration: Features defined within IEC 61987-1 enable seamless electronic data exchange, supporting standards like XML and SGML, and aligning with ISO 15926 and IEC 61360 for further interoperability.

Related Standards

• IEC 61360 - Standard for data element types used in electronic component catalogs.
• ISO 13584 - Industrial automation systems and integration; standards for parts library.
• ISO 15926 - Integration of lifecycle data for process plants, including reference data libraries.
• IEC 60529 - Degrees of protection for enclosures (IP code).
• IEC 61000-4 - Electromagnetic compatibility testing and measurement techniques.
• IEC 61298 - General methods and procedures for evaluating performance of measurement and control devices.

Practical Value

Implementing IEC 61987-1:2006 ensures that industrial measuring equipment can be described, selected, and integrated efficiently across projects and systems worldwide. By reducing ambiguities and standardizing the presentation of product data, the standard enhances communication between manufacturers, suppliers, and users in the process industries. This leads to faster project delivery, fewer errors in device selection and configuration, and easier compliance with both corporate and regulatory requirements in process automation.

Keywords: IEC 61987-1, industrial process measurement, control equipment, data structures, analogue output, digital output, equipment catalogues, process automation, standardization, data exchange, electronic catalogues.