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The Importance of STEP-NC in the IR 4.0 Manufacturing Systems

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) is a massive initiative around the globe. This initiative aims to digitalise industrial manufacturing via the exploitation of innovative technologies. The transformation goal is to enable and enhance the flexibility, individualisation and customisation abilities of the production system. In order to meet the challenges of IR 4.0, the current manufacturing system requires a significant transformation in the information handling between Computer Aided Design (CAD)/ Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP)/ Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Numerical Control (CNC). At present, the commercial manufacturing system uses the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 6983 standard, commonly known as G-code, for the information handling between CAD/CAPP/CAM and CNC. However, this standard has many obstacles, due to which, it has not been able to support the smooth integration between design and manufacturing. In order to tackle this issue, the new data interface model has been introduced, known as Standard for The Exchange of Product Data (STEP) and STEP - Numeric Control (NC). This paper discusses the impact of STEP-NC in the context of IR 4.0. The article also explains how the adoption of STEP-NC will transform the manufacturing system as per the goal of IR 4.0. Consequently, this discussion will also trigger new concepts and ideas for the realisation of IR 4.0.