Extended INFELT STEP: An interoperable Platform for managing collaboration among new product development applications and CAD/CAM software Integrated based on ISO 10303 (STEP) Standard

Today's information technology capabilities enable the enterprises to increase the manufacturing collaboration and interoperability among their different departments. These departments are engaged in different product development processes from design to manufacturing. INFELT STEP is a three-layered platform. These layers have functions and structures that enable the INFELT STEP platform to manage the product development collaboration among different CAD/CAM application software with an integrated product data structure. INFELT STEP has structures and functions in its interoperability layer that enable different CAD/CAM application software and CNC post processors to use their own data structures for interoperable product development. INFELT STEP has an integrated data structure based on STEP (ISO 10303) standard. This article extends the INFELT STEP architecture to improve its capabilities to integrate enterprises product information based on STEP (ISO 10303) standard. By this extension, INFELT STEP is capable of managing collaboration among New Product Development (NPD) processes and CAD/CAPP/CAM software in an interoperable environment. The paper will discuss the NPD and CAD/CAPP/CAM integration based on INFELT STEP platform. The collaborative environment and STEP based data integration between product specifications activities in NPD processes and CAD/CAM efforts in product development processes reduces time to market and insure the product capabilities for answering the customers' need. The different aspects of this integration will be described in INFELT STEP platform. product specifications should be developed. Features (characteristics of the product) are one of the important information that should be gathered in product specifications activities during NPD processes (2). These features influence the product design and product manufacturing processes. The Product design process starts with a careful analysis of customers' needs in terms of features, functions, and benefits of the product (3). Therefore, the integrated information exchange between "NPD processes" and "product design", "product process plan design" can lead to short time to market and higher ability of the product to satisfy the customer needs. These benefits will be improved highly if the application software engaged in NPD product specification processes and CAD software can collaborate with each other and exchange their product information in an interoperable environment.