Automated generation of the computer-aided design model from the system structure for mechanical systems based on systems modeling language

The system-level structure model significantly affects the subsequent development process. However, such a model cannot be used directly due to its document-based representation. A significant gap exists between the system-level model and the detailed domain-specific model. The model integration method significantly facilitates the design scenario involving different design phases because it supports tasks such as complexity management and consistency maintenance. However, the automated generation of the computer-aided design model from the systems modeling language-based structure model of the mechanical system is a typical issue. In this study, a meta-model-based approach is proposed to generate the initial computer-aided design model represented by the STEP file from the systems modeling language-based system structure model. A geometry-related system structure modeling method is described, and the triple graph grammar is introduced to transform the systems modeling language model into the EXPRESS model. An automated generation algorithm is proposed to construct the initial computer-aided design model for mechanical systems against the ISO 10303-203 (AP 203) standard by parsing the EXPRESS model. Our approach facilitates model integration and helps reduce the gap between the system-level structure model and the computer-aided design model. This reduction would be beneficial for eliminating misunderstandings between different designers and thus to accelerate the design process. Finally, an example of an engine is provided to illustrate the proposed method.