The CADSEEK PLM Integration embeds shape-search directly in the PLM environment.
PLM search is reliant on attributes, but attributes are not reliable due to errors, complexity, language and acquisitions. When a design lacks an attribute, it becomes invisible to search. Frustration grows ... searches are abandoned ... and inefficiency and duplication grow. The CADSEEK Integration for PLM embeds shape-search directly in the PLM environment, giving each model page a shape-search tab (image above right).
Imagine that a PLM database contains 3 exhaust manifolds, but a PLM search for Manifold-4 returns only 1 item. Without a part number, the engineer is at a dead-end and might normally start a new design, or perform a cost estimation from scratch, resulting in duplication or inefficiency.
With the CADSEEK PLM Integration, the user can simply click on the CADSEEK Shape Search tab and see that two additional similar designs exist. These designs are readily found in the PLM even though they lack the required Manifold-4 attribute. Clicking on the file name will take the user to that item's model page in the PLM, or clicking the graphic image will launch Polaris with the design loaded as a search target where filtered searching or inspection tools can be used.
Each time a user clicks the CADSEEK Search tab a search is performed using the shape of the part on the model page as the search target. Results are populated in less than 2 seconds, using the same search index that powers Polaris, Adviser and CADSEEK Analytics. Performing a live search each times a tab is accessed ensures that search results are up to date and in synch with any changes in the PLM rather than recalling matches from searches performed weeks or months ago.
The CADSEEK Integration tab includes the CADSEEK similarity score, the size ratio score, and attribute values. Because the CADSEEK Search Tab accesses information from the CADSEEK database, the CADSEEK Search tab can also include data from other sources besides the PLM it is integrated in, such as showing designs in other PLM systems (e.g., data from Teamcenter could be represented in Windchill), as well as cost data from the ERP, data in spreadsheets or in tab-delimited text files, allowing PLM users convenient access to data from both inside and outside the PLM when desired.
The CADSEEK Integration for PLM serves all the same use cases as CADSEEK Polaris. The key difference is that Polaris provides search filtering with attributes, as well as model inspection and compare tools.
