A roadmap for parametric CAD efficiency in the automotive industry

3D CAD systems are used in product design for simultaneous engineering and to improve productivity. CAD tools can substantially enhance design performance. Although 3D CAD is a widely used and highly effective tool in mechanical design, mastery of CAD skills is complex and time-consuming. The concepts of parametric–associative models and systems are powerful tools whose efficiency is proportional to the complexity of their implementation. The availability of a framework for actions that can be taken to improve CAD efficiency can therefore be highly beneficial. Today, a clear and structured approach does not exist in this way for CAD methodology deployment. The novelty of this work is therefore to propose a general strategy for utilizing the advantages of parametric CAD in the automotive industry in the form of a roadmap. The main stages of the roadmap are illustrated by means of industrial use cases. The first results of his research are discussed and suggestions for future work are given. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.