Plant Engineering Infobase · Chapter 05 of 14
Documentation
Plant documentation is part of project management, like quality management and project controlling. When well structured, it lowers the operator's operating and maintenance costs and creates follow-up business for the designer.
Structure and identification of documents
The documentation structure is derived from the plant structure according to DIN EN IEC 81346. Recommended sequence at project start:
- Structure the plant (by function, product and location). At the start of design, usually only the function structure is available; the product structure is complete only once the design execution has been defined.
- Derive the documentation structure from it. Not every node needs its own documents; information on several objects can be assigned to a higher-level object.
- Define for which objects typicals (template documents) are used.
- Designate documents.
- Define the documentation scope for each object, with responsibilities.
Documents are classified according to IEC 61355-1:2008 (now IEC 81355-1:2024). At its core is the document kind classification code DCC. The document designation is made up of the object's reference designation, the DCC and a sheet number, and appears in the title block (title block according to DIN EN ISO 7200, document layout according to IEC 61082-1).
Summary based on the publication series "Identification and Documentation" by the Interessengemeinschaft Energieversorgungsunternehmen (IG EVU), Part 1 (IEC 61346) and Part 2 (IEC 61355)
Data sheets
Equipment, machine and valve data sheets record operating and design data: fluid, operating and design pressure and temperature, flow rates, material data, materials, nozzles with DN/PN and facing, corrosion allowance, test pressure and code. They are the bridge between process engineering, procurement and the CAD model and should carry the same tags as the P&ID.
Bills of materials
A bill of materials lists all parts and assemblies of a product with quantities. It is the basis for procurement, requirements planning, costing, production planning, warehousing, manufacturing and spare parts management. Each item carries at least an item number, quantity, description and part number, often also material, dimensions and weight. The reverse – which products a part is used in – is called a where-used list.
| Type of bill of materials | Characteristic | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Summarized bill of materials | All parts with total quantity, without structure | Easy to create and evaluate |
| Multi-level bill of materials | Entire product structure across all production levels | Shows at a glance where a part is used |
| Modular bill of materials | Only one level; assemblies get their own bills of materials | Clear, good for reuse |
| Variant bill of materials | Several similar products in one document, distinguished by attributes | Less maintenance effort for product families |
| Engineering bill of materials | Created with the drawing, often directly on it | Everything essential on one sheet |
| Manufacturing bill of materials | Engineering bill of materials, extended with order and manufacturing data | Planning and accounting of production |
In plant engineering, the material list (piping material take-off, BOM) from Plant 3D or the isometric corresponds to a summarized or engineering bill of materials per line.
Summary based on industrial-engineering-vision.de and Wikipedia: Bill of materials
Delivery times
Check delivery times of process components as soon as the order is received. Working backward from the commissioning date, the critical components can be identified from basic engineering; these are usually equipment, machines and special valves. Specify and order these items early.
Related offering
Further reading
Technical literature, course manuals and video courses on P&ID, Plant 3D, Report Creator and database management in the Download Center.
Before you go …
Don't miss any training dates, C³ invitations and news on AutoCAD Plant 3D and P&ID.
Our newsletter only arrives when there's something important – concise and with tips from practice.
Standards status for this page 6 standards · researched September 2026
| Standard | Contents | Current edition | Replaced / successor |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIN EN IEC 81346-1 | Structuring principles and reference designations – Part 1: Basic rules | DIN EN IEC 81346-1:2024-07 | replaces DIN EN 81346-1:2010-05 |
| DIN EN IEC 81346-2 | Structuring principles and reference designation – Part 2: Classification of objects and codes for classes | DIN EN IEC 81346-2:2020-10 | replaces DIN EN 81346-2:2010-05 |
| DIN EN ISO 7200 | Technical product documentation – Data fields in title blocks and document headers | DIN EN ISO 7200:2004-05 | replaces DIN 6771-1:1970-12 |
| IEC 61082-1 | Preparation of documents used in electrotechnology – Part 1: Rules | IEC 61082-1:2014 (Ed. 3.0) | replaces IEC 61082-1:2006 (Ed. 2.0) |
| EN 61346 / IEC 61346 | Structuring principles and reference designations | withdrawn | now: DIN EN IEC 81346-1:2024-07 and DIN EN IEC 81346-2:2020-10 |
| IEC 61355-1 | Classification and designation of documents for plants, systems and equipment | withdrawn | now: IEC 81355-1:2024 (IEC 61355-1 withdrawn on 6 December 2024) |
Researched at DIN Media, ISO, IEC and ASME, as of September 2026. Before binding use, please check the current edition with the standards publisher. Overview of all standards: Plant Engineering Infobase · Standards status.