STEP compliant CAD/CAM – Challenges and the future

Abstract

The quest to increase productivity and profitability in a highly competitive designing and manufacturing industry has been of paramount importance. Improving quality and reliability has been in the fore front of the research to adopt a paradigm shift from ISO 6983 to STEP and its manufacturing off-shoot STEP-NC (ISO 14649). This paper attempts to describe the difference between the prevalent G-Code standard and the emerging STEP-NC standard. The working and methodology of STEP-NC is described and the research being carried out around the globe is mentioned. Lastly the advantages and disadvantages of adopting the new system are discussed.