7. Systems, parts, components, materials, and interfaces
A universal parts model needs several simultaneous structures. The same pump can be a product inside an assembly, a functional provider of pressure, a spatial object in a bay, a node on an electrical and fluid network, a maintenance item and a safety…
Concept & directionLNK
A universal parts model needs several simultaneous structures. The same pump can be a product inside an assembly, a functional provider of pressure, a spatial object in a bay, a node on an electrical and fluid network, a maintenance item and a safety barrier. One mutable parent_component_id cannot represent that reality.
Four-aspect discipline
Maintain product/composition, function, location, and type views, then add flow, control, maintenance, safety, ownership and certification views as relationships. A part can play several roles without changing its identity.#7.1 Universal system catalog
| System family | Includes |
|---|---|
| Identity + markings | plates, serial marks, transponders, colors, livery, labels and visible identity |
| Primary structure | frame, chassis, monocoque, airframe, hull, pressure vessel, envelope, backbone and joints |
| Body + enclosure | cab, cabin, body, fairing, shell, armor, weather enclosure, doors, hatches and glazing |
| Support interface | wheels, tires, tracks, skids, skis, legs, rail gear, hull, foils, wings, rotors, envelope and tether |
| Suspension + isolation | springs, dampers, bogies, active suspension, vibration isolation and leveling |
| Lift + buoyancy | wings, rotors, lifting surfaces, envelope/gas cells, ballonets, ballast, foils and cushion system |
| Propulsion | engines, motors, turbines, propulsors, fans, rotors, jets, rockets, sails, paddles and traction drives |
| Resource storage | fuel/oxidizer tanks, batteries, capacitors, pressure vessels, accumulators, feedstock and working mass |
| Resource feed | pumps, lines, valves, regulators, injectors, manifolds, intakes and filters |
| Power conversion | engines, motors, generators, fuel cells, power electronics, turbines and thermal converters |
| Transmission | clutch, gearbox, CVT, differential, shafts, joints, chain, belt, hydraulic/pneumatic and electrical distribution |
| Steering + guidance actuation | steering gear, articulated joints, rudders, control surfaces, thrust vectoring and trim devices |
| Braking + holding | friction/regenerative brakes, retarders, anchors, mooring, arresting, parking and station keeping |
| Stability + attitude | keels, stabilizers, fins, anti-roll, reaction wheels, control moment gyros, ballast and active control |
| Work actuation | hydraulic, pneumatic, electric and mechanical actuators; manipulators and tool drives |
| Tool / end effector | bucket, blade, fork, gripper, drill, cutter, mower, sprayer, winch, crane and mission mechanism |
| Payload + cargo | bays, racks, mounts, restraints, containers, tanks, seats, berths and handling systems |
| Sensing + metrology | position, motion, environment, force, pressure, temperature, imaging, ranging and condition sensors |
| Navigation + timing | GNSS, inertial, odometry, maps, beacons, clocks, celestial, magnetic, acoustic and terrain matching |
| Control + computing | controllers, flight/vehicle computers, safety PLCs, domain controllers, storage and edge compute |
| Data networks | buses, gateways, switches, wiring, fiber, wireless links, protocols and diagnostic interfaces |
| Communications | radio, cellular, satellite, acoustic, optical, antennas, modems, remote ID and traffic transponders |
| Electrical | generation, distribution, conversion, grounding, protection, harnesses, connectors and loads |
| Hydraulic + pneumatic | reservoirs, pumps, compressors, accumulators, valves, lines, actuators and conditioning |
| Thermal | cooling, heating, insulation, heat exchangers, radiators, cryogenic management, HVAC and deicing |
| Lubrication | reservoir, pump, distribution, filtration, cooling and monitoring |
| Intake + exhaust | air intake, filtration, combustion air, exhaust, aftertreatment, venting and plume management |
| Environmental control | pressurization, ventilation, air quality, humidity, life support and contamination control |
| Crew + human interface | controls, displays, seats, restraints, access, visibility, accessibility, bridge/cockpit and remote station |
| Safety + survival | fire protection, emergency stop, guarding, containment, parachute, flotation, evacuation and rescue |
| Lighting + signaling | illumination, navigation lights, indicators, horn, siren, markers and conspicuity |
| Coupling + docking | hitch, fifth wheel, coupler, towline, docking ring, latches, launch/recovery and refuel interfaces |
| Ground / site support | jacks, stands, chocks, mooring, transport fixtures, chargers, fueling and test equipment |
| Service + diagnostics | test points, condition monitoring, built-in test, access panels, tooling and maintenance data |
| Finish + character | paint, wrap, coating, trim, interior, livery, lighting effects, sound and persona-linked appearance |
| Software + data | firmware, applications, maps, AI models, rules, keys, calibration, parameters and content canon |
#7.2 Trackable item kinds
| Kind | Identity and lifecycle behavior |
|---|---|
| DesignDefinition | Make/model/part/revision and intended characteristics; not a physical object |
| Serialized instance | Unique physical part with installation, custody, condition, meter and repair history |
| Lot / batch occurrence | Group identity for manufactured material or parts with shared provenance |
| Bulk material | Quantity-managed material whose individual units are not tracked |
| Consumable | Fuel, fluid, filter, tire compound, coating, propellant, gas, lubricant or treatment material consumed or depleted |
| Life-limited item | Tracks cycles, hours, distance, starts, pressure events, fatigue or calendar limit |
| Software artifact | Versioned executable, library, operating system, map, AI model, rule set or data package |
| Calibration set | Parameters and learned/adapted values tied to hardware, software, procedure and approval |
| Material specimen | Sample or coupon with chain of custody and test results |
| Tooling / support equipment | Fixture, charger, diagnostic tool, ground support, mold or transport cradle |
| Temporary payload | Installed for an operation with services, mass properties, custody and removal event |
#7.3 InterfacePort and Connection
| Port family | Compatibility attributes |
|---|---|
| Mechanical load | geometry, mating standard, degrees of freedom, load paths, torque, preload, retention, wear and environment |
| Structural joint | weld, bond, rivet, bolt, clamp, hinge, bearing, composite joint and inspection requirements |
| Electrical power | voltage, current, frequency, phases, polarity, grounding, protection, connector and isolation |
| Electrical signal | pinout, level, impedance, timing, shielding, diagnostic and failure behavior |
| Data / control | physical layer, protocol, role, direction, bandwidth, latency, address, security and version |
| Fluid | medium, phase, pressure, temperature, flow, cleanliness, material compatibility, coupling and leakage class |
| Gas / air | composition, pressure, flow, filtration, drying, toxicity/flammability and venting |
| Thermal | heat-load direction, resistance/conductance, temperature range, coolant and contact geometry |
| Optical | wavelength, aperture, alignment, power, modulation and contamination control |
| RF | frequency, bandwidth, power, antenna, pattern, polarization, emissions and authorization |
| Acoustic | medium, frequency, source/sensor level, geometry, coding and propagation limits |
| Human | reach, force, visibility, accessibility, cognitive load, control/display convention and protection |
| Cargo / occupant | envelope, mass, restraint, access, environment, compatibility and emergency release |
| Software / service | API, schema, authentication, authorization, rate, error semantics and compatibility |
#Flow networks
- Represent structural load, mechanical power, electrical power, fluid/material, thermal, information, command, exhaust/waste, people/cargo and rights/custody flows separately.
- Composition must be acyclic inside one snapshot. Energy, fluid, thermal, data and control networks may contain registered cycles.
- A Connection is a dated realized relationship between compatible ports. It records state, orientation, routing, protection, tests and disconnection history.
- Unknown extension ports and vendor concepts are preserved in namespaced vocabularies; they never collapse to a lossy ‘other.’