AI part search for CAD: find the similar part before modelling a new one
In short
AI part search for CAD finds existing parts by shape or by description instead of by file name, so a part is reused before a new one is modelled. It works on STEP files from any CAD system. We tailor our search framework to your system, data and workflows, and designers get ranked candidates.
Updated 28 Oct 2026
A bracket or a washer is often modelled again because nobody finds the existing one under its file name. Every new part brings a drawing, a part number and stock with it. The search is our framework, built by the inteliScience team behind axometra. For each customer we tailor it to the CAD system, the data and the workflows, so it fits your setup and not the other way round.
- Works with
- STEP files from any CAD system
- Tailored to
- Your system, data and workflows
- Result
- Ranked candidates linked to the original file
How the search works, in 40 seconds
The explainer shows four steps. CAD parts become embeddings, a text description is compared with them in vector space, the ranked hits lead back to the linked CAD part, and a selected part finds similar geometry through a geometry descriptor.
How it works
- 01
Tailor and index
We fit our search framework to your setup: CAD system and PDM, part families and properties, and the point in your workflow where designers search. Then parts from network folders or your PDM are indexed as STEP files, rendered from several views and stored as image embeddings with their part ID, so every entry leads back to the original file.
- 02
Search by description
A designer describes the part in a few words, in the video “washer”. The text is encoded into the same vector space and compared with the indexed views. The parts whose views come closest are listed first, with preview and part number.
- 03
Search from a part
Starting from a selected part or a rough model, the search compares a geometry descriptor: extents in X, Y and Z, volume, surface area, fill ratio, face count and cylinder count. The smaller the distance, the higher the rank, regardless of how the parts are named.
- 04
Open and decide
Each hit leads back to its file through the stored part ID. The designer opens the candidate in the CAD system, compares it and decides whether to reuse it, derive a variant or model a new part.
What you get
Index of your part library
Parts from network folders or your PDM, updated on a schedule you choose, for example every night.
Search by text and by part
In a browser or in a panel inside your CAD system, depending on how your designers work.
Ranked shortlist
Candidates with preview, part number and a link that opens the original file.
Runs in your network
Index and search run in your network or a private cloud, and the CAD files stay where they are.
Walkthrough: the search on real STEP files
A three-minute tour of the search tool. A description finds a washer in two imported models, a selected part finds similar geometry, and the second half shows what happens behind the scenes. Narrated in English, with English and German captions.
Limits and extensions
The text search compares what parts look like, so it finds parts by appearance, not by function, material or tolerance. A spacer and a washer of similar proportions can rank close together. The geometry descriptor compares overall size and shape values and does not see fits, threads or surface finish. Every hit is a candidate that an engineer checks before reuse. The index is only as good as the library: parts without a usable 3D body, broken files or missing part numbers cannot be found or opened. The first indexing of a large library takes time, because every part is exported and rendered once. How well descriptions in languages other than English work depends on the model chosen for the project, and the Sprint tests it on your parts. Depending on what your process needs, the search can be extended, for example with filters for material and properties from your PDM, with more geometry features such as holes and threads, or with further languages.
Frequently asked questions
What is a similar part search in CAD?
A similar part search looks for existing parts by their geometry or by a description instead of by file name or part number. It compares the 3D shape, ranks the parts of a library by similarity and shows the closest ones first. The goal is reuse: a designer finds an identical or nearly identical part before modelling a new one, which saves a new drawing, a new part number and extra stock.
Can a similar part search work across different CAD systems?
Yes, if the parts are indexed from a neutral exchange format. STEP (ISO 10303) is exported by practically every CAD system and carries the exact 3D geometry, so a search on STEP files compares parts regardless of the system they were designed in. STEP does not carry the feature history or parameters, so each hit links back to the native file, which the designer opens and edits in the original CAD system.
How does AI search CAD parts by a text description?
An image-text model maps pictures and words into one vector space. Each CAD part is rendered from several views, and the views are stored as vectors. A description such as “washer” is encoded the same way, and the parts whose views lie closest rank highest. Rendering several 2D views of a 3D model is a common approach in research on CAD and 3D retrieval. The ranking reflects appearance, so an engineer checks the candidates.
Shape search or property search: which finds CAD parts for reuse more reliably?
It depends on the data. A property or file name search finds a part only if names, part numbers and properties are maintained consistently. A shape search compares geometry and finds parts regardless of naming, but it needs a model or a description to start from and does not know material, tolerances or function. In practice, a shape or text search proposes candidates and the properties confirm them.
Talk to us about your task.
In the free 45-minute intro call we show a live demo on comparable geometry. Someone from our team replies personally within one working day.