Abstract. The ability to generate an NC tool path is now
commonplace in CAD/CAM systems, but the technology used
for programming and control of NC machines is still based on
1950s standards. Today, under the IMS project called STEPNC
in Europe and Asia, and Super Model in USA, industrialists
and academics are collaborating to deliver a new data model as
an ISO 14649 standard for CNC machines. This standard will
enable software vendors to revolutionize the programming of
these machines. This paper provides a futuristic view of how
this standard could be used in manufacturing and highlights a
number of possible generic frameworks for how CAD/CAM
systems may evolve using the ISO 14649 standard. Finally, the
paper proposes a prototype STEP-compliant CAD/CAM
system based on one of these frameworks using the new ISO
14649 standard for milling components.
1. Introduction
The goal of customized, rapid, efficient and automated
NC code generation has been sought for many
decades, since the development of the first NC machine
tool in 1952 at MIT, USA. With the advent of computer
numerical control (CNC) in the 1970s, together with
the 1990’s use of PC and Open CNC technology (Lutz
and Sperling 1997) there is a major opportunity to
improve the programming of CNC equipment through
intelligent programming of today’s highly sophisticated
CNC machine tools.
In parallel with these machining developments,
significant progress has been made with the rapid
development of CAD/CAM software with sophisticated
programming capabilities for highly configurable NC
code generation. Although these developments have
revolutionized CNC processes and programming capabilities;
the programming language has basically stayed