A digital pattern approach to 3D CAD modelling of automotive car door assembly by using directed graphs

The present paper deals with methods for product development aimed to support designing activities and to re-use company know-how. The work is addressed to complex products i.e. products characterized by several components and dependencies among them. Then, the paper presents both the methodological approach and the application to the 3D CAD modelling of an automotive car door assembly. The work uses directed graphs and a series of algorithms to provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) able to support a designer by reducing the development time of new car door assemblies and increasing the accuracy of the design activities. According to a digital pattern approach, the GUI is used to determine the set of changes to 3D CAD models that typically occur in the automotive field, during the development of new car door assemblies