Automating CAD for creating assembly structure from Bill of Materials

This paper presents the development of an add-on for CAD system generating assembly structure automatically based on a given Bill of Materials (BOM). The BOM in Excel format is scanned by the system and the system arrange 3D CAD files into assembly at in CATIA V5 CAD system automatically. This program has been tested and succeeded well at compiling 3D assembly based on 3D part file data that is available or not available. If the 3D file is not available then the 3D assembly is still generated according to the assembly structure listed on Excel file but its 3D representation does not appear.