Retrieval of CAD part models complying with design specification using a relational design rule-embedded BOM

Reusing existing CAD part models in product development can significantly shorten design time and reduce costs. However, due to the extensive number of existing CAD part models within the Product Data Management (PDM) system, designers often spend a considerable amount of time retrieving models that meet their specific requirements. This study introduces a method to retrieve parts that comply with design specifications using a relational design rule-embedded bill of materials (BOM). Parameters are extracted from CAD part models in the database to generate a list of parts with properties. The compliance of each part with the design specifications is verified utilizing the relational design rule-embedded BOM, and CAD part models meeting the specifications are identified and retrieved. To validate this approach, an experiment was conducted to retrieve CAD part models needed for designing a hinge assembly center of a refrigerator. The experiment successfully retrieved 24 CAD part models that complied with design specifications out of a total of 139 CAD part models from six different part types. Notably, this retrieval process was completed within 1 min and 45 s.