The early NC machines and the current CNC utilise the same standard programming of G&M codes formalised as the ISO 6893 standard to machine parts with complex shape in a precise manner. However, the G&M code contains implicit technical information and does not meet the requirements of modern NC technology as it uses low level codes to describe tool movements and instructions. Literature shows that the current CNC is difficult to manage, modify and verify NC data easily. ISO 14649 referred to as STEP-NC is the result of an international effort to achieve full interoperability and bi-directional information exchange throughout the manufacturing network. STEP-NC has been designed in such a way that information remains in its context and without reducing to primitive instructions such as G&M code. This research will explore ISO 6983 (G&M code) together with ISO 14649 (STEP-NC) and utilise STEP-NC in overcoming the problems of G&M code and at the same time take advantage of current advances in computing and controllers. A new STEP-NC code generator (GEN-MILL) which focuses on the milling process that is able to generate STEP-NC codes based on Example 1 in ISO 14649 Part 11 was developed. The advantages of the proposed STEP-NC code generator (GEN-MILL) program was verified and evaluated by comparing the output generated by the software with ISO 14649 Physical File for Example 1. The STEP-NC code generator (GEN-MILL) can understand and generate STEP-NC codes through a STEP-NC compliant interface and will give industries and academicians more in-depth understanding and confidence to switch from G&M code to STEP-NC.

Getting rid of unwanted noise in car compartment is necessary and really significant measure for automotive makers. This research was directed to produce nonwoven material from Kenaf fiber using the needle-punching machine and the ability of the produced material to absorb sound will be tested. The performance in sound absorption of the sample was analyzed by the sound absorption coefficient (SAC) and noise reduction coefficient (NRC) using the impedance tube test referring to ASTM E1050-98. The sound absorption frequencies were evaluated utilizing the two-microphone transfer function technique in the impedance tube that has a 100 mm diameter for low frequency and 28 mm for high frequency, 0 Hz to 4000 Hz respectively. The physical examination also was executed according to ASTM D1772 to determine the density and the thickness of each sample. The parameter verified in this research is the number of layers to form the samples and it also were compared with the commercial products. As the outcome of this research, the sound absorption coefficient (SAC) showed that the sound reduction coefficient value was increased as the number of layers of the sample increase. In summation, the result also proved that the denser the samples, the higher the absorption coefficient value. On the other hand, for the noise reduction coefficient (NRC), overall result showed slight differences between each sample. The result is due to the rating is an average, two materials with the same rating might not perform the same. Referring to the previous research, the sample with higher areal density is dependable for higher sound reduction and there is a negative relationship between area density and bulk density of needle-punched nonwoven and sound reduction. With the rise in the number of density of nonwoven fabric, the sound reduction through the fabric increases at first but after the maximum it remains almost unaffected.

STEP-NC is used to transfer machining data between STEP-NC compliant Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Numerical Controller (CNC). It overcomes G&M code weakness which has thousand lines of codes but none of them define the machining process. In order to create a complete chain of STEP-NC system to be a new way of producing product in manufacturing environment, a new CNC machine and CAM software that are compliant to STEP-NC has to be developed. Internationally the research and development of STEP-NC has gain many achievement until now, but there is still no commercial STEP-NC system that are fully working in producing variety of features. This research focusing on the software development, named as GEN-M. The software that has been successfully developed are capable to generate code for drilling referring to selected case study from Annex F (Example 1) in ISO 14649 Part 11.