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changes to a single system, a major revision to the connection architecture is normally required. Additionally, several manual steps might be nec- essary to perform the actual data transfer. These environments typically don't have support for data management, putting a heavy burden on the sys- tems user. This is especially true in the "one of a kind" production in shipbuilding, where the CAD to CAM data transfer happens often. Research, Development, Sharing = Better CAD Systems As the implementation of 3-D product modeling becomes the norm in more shipyards, the need for a flexible CAD and CAM integration solution will increase. The need for flexibility is compounded by the worldwide consolidations taking place in the industry. Acquisitions and mergers have created families of companies working together in ways that would have seemed impossible just five years ago. The current direction from the large product model vendors is to allow an open standard format as an optional output from their product model. This is demonstrated by vendor involvement in pro- jects such as NSRP, ISE / ESTEP. Use of open standards would support a local integrated architec- ture and provide data access between systems used by sister shipyards or subcontractors. Two open-standard formats; STEP and STEP-NC are destined to compete with proprietary solid- model formats. These important standards allow the sharing of model data between different sys- tems and will provide a better integration of CAD and CAM. STEP or ISO 10303 (http://www.diffuse.Org/products.html#STEP) is a vendor neutral standard that describes how to rep- resent (and therefore exchange) digital product information. STEP-NC or ISO 14649 (www.step- nc.org) provides a neutral NC-programming inter- face to support information transfer between CAD and CAM and NC systems. Recent emphasis has been on milling operations; however further exploitation of this standard for other applications such as shipbuilding is currently underway. There are several U.S.-based R&D projects cur- rently underway that are intended to better integrate CAD, with the current and planned CAM systems. The Integrated Steel Processing Environment (ISPE) is an NSRP-ASE funded research project. Headed by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, the project goal is to create an interoperable solution that removes the dedicated link from one CAD sys- tem to one CAM system for the design and produc- tion of steel plate. STEP Tools (Troy, NY) currently is working on an U.S. Navy, ONR funded research project to examine the technical merits of utilizing STEP-NC for manufacturing operations in the shipbuilding industry. STEP Tools will study applying STEP- NC technology to control pipe bending and cutting at Electric Boat, Quonset Point, RI. 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