STEP integration of CAD/CAM & CAPP in numerical control machining

Abstract

In manufacturing, Numerical Control (NC) was a revolutionary innovation while the development and application of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) has boosted manufacturing greatly. However, there have been "walls" between CAD/CAM and the workpiece processing on the shop floor. Fortunately, thanks to the international collaborative research projects, we now have the "Standard for the Exchange of Product model data ", known as "STEP", which are industrial automation systems and integration product data representation and exchange. These systems are able to describe product data covering the entire lifecycle of a product, independent from any particular system. This description is of such nature as it is not only fit for neutral file exchange but also serves as a basis for executing and sharing product databases and archiving.