ISO 21308-1:2018

Overview

ISO 21308-1:2018 - Road vehicles - Product data exchange between chassis and bodywork manufacturers (BEP) - Part 1: General principles defines the general principles for a generic system to exchange product data between truck chassis manufacturers and bodywork manufacturers. It applies to commercial vehicles (ISO 3833) with a maximum gross vehicle mass above 3 500 kg. The standard introduces the BEP coding system and recommends communication methods and representation formats (including XML and STEP) to ensure unambiguous, efficient data exchange.

Key topics

• BEP coding principles: structured identifier format (example format: BEP-ppMccc.n.p.q.s.t) that distinguishes chassis vs. bodywork categories and denotes measure type (e.g., coordinates, mass, force, angle, administrative).
• Units and value conventions: preferred units - dimensions and coordinates in millimetres (mm), masses in kilograms (kg), forces in Newtons (N), moments in Newton-metres (Nm), and angles in degrees (°).
• Communication methods and formats:
  • Methods: e-mail, website/STEP browser, online databases, IT networks, internal PDM systems.
  • Formats: plain text, CSV, spreadsheets (Excel templates available via ISO maintenance), XML (with normative guidance and XSD schema in Annexes A and B), and STEP (per ISO/TS 21308‑4).
• Benefits and objectives: reduce lead time, enable prefabrication, improve documentation and quality, reduce order changes and conflicts, and facilitate homologation and inspections.
• XML representation: Annex A/B provide rules and schema for well-formed, valid BEP XML documents to transmit BEP codes and values unambiguously.

Applications

ISO 21308-1:2018 is practical for:

• Specifying chassis-to-bodywork interfaces and dimensional data for design and production.
• Enabling bodywork prefabrication based on reliable chassis information.
• Integrating BEP data into PDM/ERP systems, online configurators and STEP-based CAD workflows.
• Extracting legally relevant vehicle data for homologation and periodic inspection.
• Creating unambiguous technical drawings, sales specifications and parts documentation.

Practical example: communicating a fifth-wheel height with BEP code and unit - e.g., “BEP-H079 Fifth-wheel coupling above ground, laden, lowest position = 1 230 mm”.

Who should use it

• Chassis manufacturers, importers and dealers
• Bodywork and component manufacturers (e.g., demountable bodies, cranes, loading/tipping equipment)
• Homologation authorities and inspection bodies
• OEM engineering, design and supply-chain teams integrating PDM/ERP/CAD workflows

Related standards

• ISO 21308 series (Parts 2–7 for dimensional, mass/administrative parameters and bodywork-type coding)
• ISO/TS 21308-4 (mapping to STEP AP239)
• ISO 3833, ISO 612 and ISO 7656 (referenced terminology and definitions)

For XSD schema files, templates and further parts of the ISO 21308 series see the ISO Standards Maintenance website (standards.iso.org/iso/21308).