Shape Search Engine Use Expands

By DE Editors

Imaginestics LLC (Purdue Research Park, IN), a global supplier search engine company, announced recently that Axonai Inc. (West Lafayette, IN), which specializes in connecting buyers and suppliers, will use the former's 3D-Seek shape search engine.

"With over 200 categories, identification of the correct supplier for a given request for quotes (RFQ) can be often challenging," said Nainesh Rathod, president and CEO of Imaginestics. "Most RFQ portals, or companies that help the manufacturing industry identify suppliers, match the RFQs based on the buyers and sellers respective product categorization. However, in almost 50 to 60 percent of the cases, the buyer has selected a category that is different from the suppliers, therefore compromising the supplier's ability to bid for an RFQ."

In order to alleviate this problem, Rathod said many RFQ portals have employed a manual process of researching and matching of buyer's RFQs to supplier's capabilities.

Using 3D-Seek technology, which allows searching with graphics, Axonai will enable their suppliers to identify or recognize similar parts that have been created with different processes upon submittal of the drawing with the RFQ, he said. In addition, 3D-Seek technology will automatically match the shape provided in the drawing with the capabilities of suppliers, Rathod said.
 
Rathod said Imaginestics is looking forward to applying 3D-Seek to the sourcing industry. "We expect that this partnership with Axonai will immensely benefit 3D-Seek's growing custom-supplier network," he said.

For more information, visit imaginestics.com.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.