The integration of the structural analysis phase within a Computer Aided Design (CAD) environment dedicated to the design process of mechanical structures is the problem addressed here. The complexity of the organisation of such systems where many actors are involved during the use of CAD and mechanical analysis tools, and where many different dimensioning techniques (e.g. : the FE method, the strength of material approach (SMA)) are used at successive phases of the design process, characterize another aspect of the integration environment.

The approach introduced here focuses on the organisation and the architecture of a Mechanical Analysis Module which improves the integration of the structural analysis into the design process.

First, the concept of a Mechanical Analysis Module is introduced with respect to a Design Data Model and to the various modules involved into the analysis process of a part independently of the analysis method used.

The Mechanical Analysis Module relies on a specific Mechanical Analysis Data Model which has been specified using an entity-relationship approach. These generic data structures are identified and illustrated by examples which emphasize the separation between the geometric and the mechanical data. This separation particularly enforces the distributed architecture of the environment of an integrated design system.

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