# Implementing CAD API Automated Processes in Engineering Design: A Case Study Approach
###### Abstract  
Increasing mechanical design complexity and volume, particularly in component-based manufacturing, require scalable, traceable, and efficient design processes. In this research, a modular in-house automation platform using Autodesk Inventor's Application Programming Interface (API) and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is developed to automate recurrent tasks such as CAD file generation, drawing production, structured archiving, and cost estimation. The proposed framework was implemented and tested on three real-world case studies in a turbocharger reconditioning unit with varying degrees of automation. Findings indicate remarkable time savings of up to 90% in certain documentation tasks with improved consistency, traceability, and reduced manual intervention. Moreover, the system also facilitated automatic generation of metadata-rich Excel and Word documents, allowing centralized documentation and access to data. In comparison with commercial automation software, the solution is flexible, cost-effective, and responsive to project changes and thus suitable for small and medium enterprises. Though automation reduced workload and rendered the system more reliable, some limitations remain, especially in fully removing engineering judgment, especially in complex design scenarios. Overall, this study investigates how API-based automation can significantly increase productivity and data integrity in CAD-intensive environments and explores future integration opportunities using AI and other CAD software. CAD automation; design optimization; Application Programming Interface (API); Visual Basic for Applications (VBA); mechanical engineering design; traceability; productivity enhancement 2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Systems (IEEE), 2020 IEEE/RSJ International  
with proportionate increases in design diversity, in turn, increases the need for scalability, traceability, and modularity in automation tools [3]. Traditional CAD processes, specifically in environments that simulate assemblies/part families, typically rely on manual duplicate and edit, increasing the risk for error and inefficiency [4]. This work proposes a systematic and modularity-based design automation approach implemented in VBA in CAD environments for streamlining repetitive tasks in design, imposing naming conventions and archive standards, and maintaining traceability in iterations. In this context, internal combustion engines and turbochargers are critical components with various applications in industrial and manufacturing-related sectors, providing enhanced reliability and enhanced performance for industrial applications. Diesel engines especially offer durability and combustion efficiency, while turbochargers improve engine performance by increasing power density and efficiency, resulting in higher power output and reduced emissions [5]. Mostly composed of cast iron, turbochargers account for 20% of sales in this industry and are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, making them a prime target for reducing emissions [6]. During the machining process, the crucial factor for manufacturing components is the precision of cutting tools meeting tolerance demands with energy-assisted subtracting technologies for avoiding efficiency reduction and surface integrity deterioration [7]. Information comprised of a set of data is processed, analyzed, and organized in such a way that it is complete and solid [8]. Currently, designers are forced to implement effective information organization techniques to be responsive and efficient, as the highly competitive, dynamic, and strongly regulated industrial sector faces a growing number of challenges. For industrial users in a wide range of sectors, including engineering, one challenge is to gain total control over processes through real-time management. For example, the workflow ranges from raw material purchasing to transformation via production, equipment, logistics, traceability, and distribution until it reaches the final consumer.