# Implementing CAD API Automated Processes in Engineering Design: A Case Study Approach
## 5 Results and Discussion  
This section presents the main outcomes of the automation framework developed using Autodesk Inventor's API, focusing on its impact on design efficiency, error reduction, and scalability in mechanical engineering workflows. By comparing automated processes  
Figure 10: Automatic report for Case #3.  
with established manual methods across three representative case studies, the analysis exhibits tangible improvements in productivity and consistency, particularly in routine documentation and data archiving tasks. In Case 1, automation was applied to streamline folder creation and metadata organization through an MS Excel-based index system. While seemingly simple, these tasks consume considerable time in manual workflows and are prone to inconsistencies. As shown in Figure 11, the manual documentation process required approximately 2.9 h for an annual batch of 50 parts. In contrast, the automated process reduced this to just 8 min (Figure 12), highlighting an over 90% reduction in task time. The Excel file served as a centralized, hyperlink-driven archive, improving file accessibility and reducing the likelihood of misplacement or duplication. Case 2 introduced drawing generation from CAD part files, expanding the automation framework to include visual and dimensional documentation. This feature eliminated the  
Figure 11: Time required for design documentation using the manual method. Figure 12: Time required for design documentation using the automatic method. need for manual drawing setup, title block editing, and view placement. When scaled across multiple parts, the time savings and error reduction became more pronounced, especially in enforcing standardized drawing formats. Figure 13 illustrates cumulative time savings as production volumes increase, clearly indicating the scalability of the approach and its growing benefits in high-throughput environments. Case 3 showcased the full integration of automation features, combining drawing generation, structured archiving, report compilation, and cost estimation within a single workflow. This advanced use case demonstrated how modular code could address both technical and financial aspects of the design process. The automatically generated Word report included part metadata, dimensional previews, and calculated cost estimates, providing a comprehensive reference for design, production, and managerial teams. The modularity of the codebase allowed real-time updates to pricing parameters and logic, ensuring adaptability to future changes in cost structures or part specifications. Overall, the results provide strong evidence of the system's ability to reduce design lead time, minimize documentation errors, and standardize file management. The visualizations in Figures 10-12 confirm that automation gains compound with production scale, making the framework particularly advantageous in industrial contexts requiring frequent design iterations or part customization. A key contribution of this work lies in its non-commercial, in-house development model. Unlike proprietary automation platforms with rigid workflows and high subscription costs, the proposed system offers full code transparency and modification capabilities. Engineers with basic programming knowledge can adapt the tool to evolving project needs, enabling organizations to avoid vendor lock-in and reduce long-term maintenance expenses. This agility allows teams to extend functionality, integrate additional modules, or respond to operational feedback more quickly than would be feasible with commercial systems. Moreover, the cost-effectiveness of the proposed approach is significant. Many commercial automation solutions are financially inaccessible to small companies or startups. In contrast, the use of VBA within Autodesk Inventor, a platform already present in many engineering firms, enables the creation of powerful automation tools without incurring additional licensing costs.