STEP-NC A NewData Interface for NC-Programming

The first problem is that the data model used in the design and planning department is quite different to the G code used on the shopfloor. This means that the translation of the data to the shop floor is irreversible and any additional information from the shopfloor cannot be fed back to the design department. In addition to this, G code originated from punch card technology which was used in the first generation of Numeric Controllers and is incapable of supporting many of the high-level functionalities of modern day Numeric Controllers. This current one-directional interface between the planning department and the shopfloor is the major bottleneck in the manufacturing information network.

To improve the interface between the design/planning department and the shopfloor a new data model is needed - not just an extension to ISO 6983. Over the past few years WZL in Germany, together with many European industries and academic partners have researched on the next generation interface, the result of which is the STEP-NC Project.

STEP-NC is an ESPRIT project funded by the EU which started in January 1999 and will be completed by the end of December 2001. In addition to the European funding, an Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) Project has also been set up to allow for input from the US and Korea.

The new interface will be standardized by ISO/TC194/SC1/WG7 as ISO 14649 "Data model for Computerised Numerical Controllers" and is focusing on the milling data model. Currently the project is working on a Committee Draft (CD) version with the intention of reaching Draft International Standard (DIS) status mid-2000.

Further information from http://www.step-nc.org/