The
Digital Metrology Standards Consortium (DMSC) has announced that its Model‑Based Characteristics v1.0 (MBC 1.0) standard, formally designated DMSC MBC v1.0 – 2026, has been approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as an American National Standard, marking a significant step forward for model‑based engineering and digital manufacturing.
The Model‑Based Characteristics standard establishes a consistent and interoperable method for identifying, defining and exchanging product characteristics directly within digital engineering models. By replacing the manual interpretation of engineering drawings with machine‑readable definitions, the standard is intended to enable greater automation, improve data quality and strengthen digital continuity across the product lifecycle.
ANSI approval confirms that the standard has undergone a rigorous, consensus‑based review process involving stakeholders from industry, government, academia and technology providers. The designation provides organisations with confidence to adopt the standard as part of their digital transformation strategies and supports wider implementation of model‑based enterprise practices.
Curtis Brown, President of the DMSC, said: “The approval of the Model-Based Characteristics Standard as an American National Standard represents a major milestone for the manufacturing community. “As organisations continue their transformation toward a digital Model-Based Enterprise (MBE), standardised digital product characteristics provide the critical connection points that extend the digital thread directly to the product definition itself.
“By establishing a common, machine-readable language for characteristics, the MBC Standard enables greater automation, improved interoperability, and more trusted digital product information throughout the supply chain.”
The standard complements DMSC’s Quality Information Framework by providing a structured mechanism for defining and exchanging product characteristics across engineering, manufacturing, inspection and quality systems. It is expected to benefit sectors including aerospace, defence, automotive, medical devices and industrial equipment, where precise product definition and verification are essential.
The DMSC says that software developers, metrology providers and systems integrators will be able to use the new standard to create interoperable solutions, reduce implementation costs and eliminate ambiguity in digital product definitions, supporting more efficient and resilient digital manufacturing ecosystems.