Development of a PC-based milling machine operated by STEP-NC in XML format

STEP-NC has been generally written in Part 21 format, but the current paper uses a new format for STEP-NC using XML. This paper also presents a uniquely developed and built five-axis STEP-NC milling machine that is run by STEP-NC in XML. The intelligent controller of this five-axis STEP-NC milling machine executes machining automatically. The interpreter for STEP-NC in XML is newly designed and developed to have a user-friendly interface. All software of the STEP-NC interpreter and the controller was programmed with Visual C++, and tested in OS of Windows 98, NT and 2000. Since this hardware has a PC-based open architecture, the developed STEP-NC milling machine can easily be expanded and modified. It is also possible to implement this developed STEP-NC system directly to commercial machine tools. The entire system was tested with two XML files of 2.5D and 3D geometries. These two files were written with an XML editor from the developed interpreter. Both test files were machined automatically by the STEP-NC controller without using G-code.