Graph-Based Design Languages for Engineering Automation: A Formula Student Race Car Case Study

The development of modern vehicles faces an increase in complexity, as well as a need for shorter development cycles and a seamless cross-domain integration. In order to meet these challenges, a graph-based design language which formalizes and automates engineering workflows is presented and applied in a design case study to a Formula Student race car suspension system. The proposed method uses an ontology-based vocabulary definition and executable model transformations to compile design knowledge into a central and consistent design graph. This graph enables the automatic generation of consistent 3D CAD models, domain-specific simulations and suspension kinematic analyses, replacing manual and error-prone tool and data handover processes. The design language captures both the structural and dynamic behavior of the suspension, supports variant exploration and allows for integrated validation, such as 3D collision detection. The study illustrates how graph-based design languages can serve as ‘digital DNA’ for knowledge-based product development, offering a scalable, reusable platform for engineering automation. This approach enhances the digital consistency of data, the digital continuity of processes and the digital interoperability of tools across all relevant engineering disciplines in order to support the validation of early-stage designs and the optimization of complex systems.