ISO 18629-11:2005

Overview

ISO 18629-11:2005 - Part 11 of the ISO 18629 family - defines the PSL Core (Process Specification Language core). It provides a formal, machine-interpretable representation of the basic concepts common to all manufacturing processes using a concise set of axioms written in the basic language of ISO 18629. ISO 18629-11 is intended to improve interoperability between process modeling, MES/ERP, PLM and other industrial automation systems by standardizing the ontology and basic semantics for describing processes.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Core ontology and axioms: A formal set of axioms that constrain interpretation of PSL symbols and define the primitive concepts of the language.
• Primitive lexicon: Basic categories and symbols such as:
  • activity, activity_occurrence, object, timepoint
  • Individual markers (e.g., inf-, inf+)
  • Primitive relations (e.g., before, occurrence_of, participates_in)
  • Primitive functions (e.g., beginof, endof)
• Defined lexicon: Conservatively defined terms built from primitives (examples include between, beforeEq, exists_at, is_occurring_at).
• Language syntax and grammar: Specification of lexicon, grammar, and well-formed formulae consistent with ISO 18629 basic language rules.
• Conformance rules: Criteria for conformance of ontologies and process descriptions to the PSL-Core.
• Supporting specifications: Normative and informative annexes (ASN.1 identifier, KIF syntax and semantics, BNF conventions) and process description examples to guide implementation.

Applications and who uses it

ISO 18629-11 (PSL Core) is used where a common, precise representation of process knowledge is needed:

• System integrators and solution architects implementing interoperability between MES, ERP, PLM, scheduling and planning tools.
• Software vendors producing process modeling, simulation, or execution systems that must exchange process descriptions.
• Ontology engineers and knowledge-modeling teams creating domain extensions or bespoke process vocabularies that build on a standardized core.
• Manufacturing engineers and operations researchers who need formal, unambiguous process representations for automation, optimization, and analytics.

Related standards

• ISO 18629 (other parts) - Process Specification Language family
• ISO/IEC 8824-1 (ASN.1) - referenced for identifier encoding
• ISO 10303-1 (STEP overview) and ISO 15531 (manufacturing management data) - related industrial data standards
• ISO 15531-42:2005 (time model) - time concepts referenced by PSL

ISO 18629-11:2005 is a foundational standard for process modeling and semantic interoperability in industrial automation, enabling consistent exchange and interpretation of manufacturing process information.