CAD/CAM interfaces - a review

The aim of this work is to present the available commercial interfaces. An interface can be regarded as an aggregate of conditions, rules and conventions, which describe the information exchange between two communicating objects. In order to assume efficient transmission and communication of information related to the design from one CAD-System to another, the various interfaces must be used. The use of technical product information for parallel or processes downstream points the following advantages to : Avoidance of multiple input of data, elimination of sources of error, multiple use of data, speeding up of data exchange and integration of existing CA islands. Regarding the computer supported exchange of construction data three fundamental interface concepts can be differentiated. The Data exchange formats, the Procedural interfaces and the Programmed interfaces. Data exchange formats contain the Data structure the data format and the data information. Procedural interfaces contain Subroutine name, subroutine parameter and Guest language. Finally programmed interfaces contains linguistic elements - syntax and grammar. The most important relevant interfaces have been used in construction and manufacturing are following: IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification), DXF (Drawing Exchange File), VDAFS (Verband der Automobil-Industrie Flaechenschnitt-stelle), VDAIS (VDA IGES-Subset), SET (Standard d´Echange et de transfert-ANFOR), PDDI (Product Definition Data Interface), PDES (Product Data Exchange Specification), CAD I-Interface, AIS (Applications Interface Specification) and VDAPS (VDA Programmierschnittstelle). Today STEP is replacing the standards mentioned above.