Press release - July 22, 2020
New geometric similarity search in CIM Database PLM
CONTACT Software has integrated an innovative partner solution into its PLM portfolio. Similia enables a quick search in the entire product data stock for suitable parts and components. This avoids duplicate work in development, reduces the variety of parts and saves considerable process costs.
Each new part design causes efforts in development, production planning, manufacturing, purchasing and logistics as well as costs of 500 Euro on average. Nevertheless, designers create assemblies from scratch several times, because searching for similar parts is usually tedious and time-consuming. Experts estimate that up to 9 percent of the enterprise master data is superfluous and avoidable.
The joint offer of CONTACT Software and its solution partner SIMUFORM Search Solutions helps companies to establish a consistent identical parts strategy in product development. With the integrated SIMUFORM solution Similia, designers can quickly and easily search the entire product data stock in CIM Database PLM for reusable parts and get the results within seconds. In this way companies can achieve savings of 100,000 Euro and more per year depending on their business operation.
One of Similia's strengths is the geometric similarity search with various filter and visualization functions. First, the process automatically generates a digital fingerprint of all CAD data and then displays the search result in 2D or 3D, regardless of the CAD system used.
The solution's search algorithms are not limited to geometries. Users can also find master data, meta documents and process information in CIM Database. Similia clearly reduces friction losses in everyday work and contributes to an increased efficiency in business processes.
"Together with SIMUFORM we offer an innovative solution for optimal parts management", says Michael S. Murgai, member of the management board and responsible for the CONTACT Global Ecosystem. "This enables customers from mechanical and plant engineering, the automotive sector and related industries to use their inventory data more efficiently than before for new components or products, thus saving significant time and money."
