Abstract: o avoid virtual assembly system being information silo,an integrated architecture of virtual assembly system is proposed. The design procedure integration of virtual assembly system and CAD system come true based on VACADPIM model of bidirectional information transfer. Designers can switch between immersive virtual environment and CAD environment, make full use of advantages of them using a combined interactive mode of virtualhandbased and mousekeyboardbased. The integrated work procedure is described by analyzing information flow, running principle and workflow. Finally, based on CATIA V5, its third part development environment and Immersion Virtual Hand SDK, a prototype system instance is developed, and it is manifested that the architecture is highly integrative, extensible, and portable through its application.

Key words: virtual assembly, architecture, assembly information model, assembly planning, virtual reality