Introduction to ISO 10303—the STEP Standard for Product Data Exchange

Abstract

Since 1984 the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has been working on the development of a comprehensive standard for the electronic exchange of product data between computer-based product life-cycle systems. Initial concentration has been on design and manufacturing applications. This standard, ISO 10303 123, is informally known as STEP (STandard for the Exchange of Product model data). Its scope is much broader than that of other existing CAD data exchange formats, notably the Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES), a US standard that has been in use for nearly twenty years. Whereas IGES was developed primarily for the exchange of pure geometric data between computer aided design (CAD) systems, STEP is intended to handle a much wider range of product-related data covering the entire life-cycle of a product.