Module partition for 3D CAD assembly models: A hierarchical clustering method based on component dependencies

Reusing previous CAD assembly models directly in new product development is almost impossible in One-of-a-Kind Production (OKP) in which customer requirements vary from one to another. As such, modularisation of CAD assembly models is required to facilitate modular design for OKP. However, to the authors best knowledge, there has been no research carried out on modularisation of CAD assembly models so far. To bridge this gap and make the best use of existing CAD models, this paper proposes a novel module partition approach, to group existing CAD assembly models into modules based on component dependencies. In this approach, an extraction algorithm was developed to extract assembly information from a given assembly model directly, by using automated programmable interfaces of CAD software tools. The extracted information is processed to generate the component design structure matrix (DSM) representing hierarchical relations and dependency strengths between components. Four popular hierarchical clustering methods were used to work with the component DSM to produce results of module partition. A case study was carried out to illustrate the proposed methods and demonstrate their feasibility. It enables OKP companies to respond rapidly to changing customer requirements and develop customised products in a short period.