Automatic modification retrieval between CAD parts

Several research works have been focused on integrating FEA (finite-elements analysis) with CAD (Computer Aided Design) over the last decade. In spite of the improvements brought by this inte- gration, research work remains to be done in order to better integrate all the operations led during the design process. Until now, the communication between CAD modules remains static. The design process involves several modifications of an initial design solution. Consequently, there is a need for more flexible communications between CAD modules through the design cycle. Some approaches have been developed in order to reduce the design process length when using FEA, and to automate the transfer of part's data from one step of the process to the next one. Automatic re-meshing is one of these approaches and it is based on automatically updating the part's mesh around modifications zones, in the case of a minor change in the part's design, without the need to re-mesh the entire part. The purpose of this paper is presenting a new tool, aiming at the improvement of automatic re-meshing procedures. It basically consists in auto- matically identifying and locating modifications between two CAD parts (typically an initial design and a modified design). A major benefit of the approach presented here is that it is completely independent of the description frame, which is made possible with the use of vector-based geometric representations.