DEVELOPMENT OF A STEP FEATURE-BASED INTELLIGENT PROCESSPLANNING SYSTEM FOR PRISMATIC PARTSA THESIS SUBMITTED TOTHE GRADUTE SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCEOFMIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITYBYSALEH M. AMAITIKIN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THEDEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHYINMECHANICAL ENGINEERINGAPRIL 2005