Industrial part identification
Turn incomplete part records into identifiable, usable catalog data.
Connect bearing designations, supplier codes and technical specifications to a consistent product record. Review the evidence, distinguish variants and keep unresolved matches visible.
Workflow preview — request an assessment
The problem
Why part records
resist identification
Identification fails quietly. A record that looks “close enough” ends up linked to the wrong product, and nobody can see why.
- 01
Supplier codes are not designations
A supplier SKU or internal code says nothing reliable about the manufacturer product behind it. The mapping has to be established, not assumed.
- 02
Short descriptions hide the variant
“brg 25mm open” drops the suffixes that separate closures, clearances, cages and tolerance classes — exactly the details that make two parts different.
- 03
Evidence is scattered
The answer sits across datasheets, supplier listings and old exports with different labels and units. Without a record of where each fact came from, nobody can check it.
Identification example
An honest result:
“probably, but not yet”
A static walkthrough built from synthetic records. No backend is queried and no real manufacturer data is shown.
Input preserved
Supplier row SYN-88213
- Text
- "DEMO 101 brg open"
- Maker field
- blank
- Bore
- 25
- Width B
- 12
Parsed
Known identifiers
- Series token
- DEMO-101
- Closure hint
- "open"
- Manufacturer
- inferred: Synthetic Maker A
- Confidence
- method-specific
Candidates
Two products match the series
- A
- DEMO-101-OPEN
- B
- DEMO-101-SEALED
- Dimensions
- identical for A and B
- Discriminator
- closure
Not accepted
Insufficient evidence
- Best
- DEMO-101-OPEN
- Missing
- manufacturer confirmation
- Missing
- clearance class
- Status
- needs review
| Attribute | Supplier row | DEMO-101-OPEN | DEMO-101-SEALED | Evidence note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full designation | — (text only) | DEMO-101-OPEN | DEMO-101-SEALED | Row never states a full designation |
| Manufacturer | blank | Synthetic Maker A | Synthetic Maker A | Inferred from series token; unconfirmed |
| Bore diameter | 25 | 25 mm | 25 mm | Unit assumed mm in supplier file |
| Ring width (“B”) | 12 | 12 mm | 12 mm | Family rule maps B → ring width |
| Closure | “open” in text | open | sealed | supports A |
| Clearance class | — | normal | normal | not stated in row |
| Source date | Feed 2026-09 (synthetic) | Datasheet rev. X (synthetic) | Datasheet rev. X (synthetic) | Dates recorded per source |
Outcome: not accepted. DEMO-101-OPEN is the best candidate, but the manufacturer is inferred and the clearance class is absent. The record goes to review with both gaps listed — it is not silently linked, and DEMO-101-SEALED is not offered as a substitute.
How it works
Five steps from text
to a reviewable identity
Each step is recorded, so a reviewer can see exactly why a record was or was not linked.
Preserve the input
Keep the original row, codes and wording untouched alongside everything derived from them.
Parse known identifiers
Extract manufacturer names, designation tokens and attributes using documented, family-aware rules.
Retrieve candidates
Find manufacturer products consistent with those identifiers and stated specifications.
Compare evidence
Line up supported attributes, differences and missing fields, with source and date for each.
Review identity
Accept, reject or leave unresolved. Acceptance records who or what decided, on which evidence and schema version.
Result states
Four outcomes,
all of them explicit
Every record ends in exactly one of these states. Only the first can be accepted without further evidence.
- Exact candidate
One product fits
Manufacturer and full designation are supported, and no relevant attribute disagrees. Ready for review and acceptance.
- Variant discrepancy
Right family, wrong detail
Series matches but a suffix-level attribute — closure, clearance, cage — differs or is missing. Not accepted.
- Multiple candidates
Evidence cannot decide
Several products fit what the record says. The candidates and the missing discriminator are listed.
- Insufficient evidence
Nothing to anchor on
Too little in the record to retrieve credible candidates. Stays unresolved; we say what input would help.
What matters technically
The attributes that decide identity
For bearings, identity rests on manufacturer and the full designation. Dimensions narrow the search but rarely decide it on their own.
| Attribute group | Why it matters for identity |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | The same characters can mean different things at different makers. |
| Full designation incl. suffixes | Suffixes encode variants; conventions differ per manufacturer. |
| Family / type | Decides which fields apply and how labels like “B” are read. |
| Applicable boundary dimensions | Narrow candidates; equal dimensions do not prove equal products. |
| Closure, clearance, cage, precision | Typical variant discriminators between same-size products. |
| Source and source date | Allows the decision to be checked and re-checked when sources change. |
Catalog destination
Where an accepted
identity lands
An accepted identity links records together. It never overwrites the identifiers you started with.
| Layer | Record | Kept as-is | Linked by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer product | DEMO-101-OPEN · Synthetic Maker A | Designation as published | product_id (opaque, stable) |
| Supplier listing | Supplier X · SYN-88213 · 1 pc | Supplier SKU and description | same_identity · reviewed |
| Your catalog record | INT-00412 | Your SKU, taxonomy and values | customer link · approved by reviewer |
| Decision record | schema 0.1-draft · 2 sources | Unresolved: clearance class | who/what accepted, when, why |
Supported inputs
Inputs and
their real status
What you can bring today, and what is only on the roadmap.
| Input | Today | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Description, manufacturer, designation | Assessment on request | Live identifier resolver |
| CSV rows | Local structural check · identification via assessment | Private batch identification jobs |
| Manufacturer PDF / datasheet | Used as evidence inside assessments | Document extraction with locations and provenance |
| Technical drawing | Planned | Drawing extraction on evaluated formats |
| Photo of a physical part | Not offered | Separate research track, if ever |
| 3D CAD / geometry | Not offered | Separate research track, if ever |
Ways to use it
Assessment first,
software when it is real
- On request
Private assessment
Send a sample of unidentified records under an agreed handling process. You receive candidates, evidence and unresolved cases in a flat file.
Request an assessment - Preview
Resolve API
A proposed POST /v1/resolve contract that returns exact and candidate identities with explanations.
Review the contract - Planned
Review workspace
Import, compare candidates and accept identities with audit history.
Related
Keep reading
Can it identify every industrial part?
No. Coverage is bounded by supported categories, the identifiers in your records and the source evidence available. We start with bearings and will publish actual coverage once it is measured.
Is identification the same as interchangeability?
No. Identification connects a record to one manufacturer product. A substitute is a different product; using it requires an explicitly scoped comparison and the appropriate technical review for your application.
Can it work without a manufacturer part number?
Sometimes. Specifications, descriptions or documents can support retrieving candidates, but if the evidence is not sufficient the record stays unresolved — it is not forced into a match.
Does it identify a physical part from a photo?
Not in this release. The scope is catalog records and identifiers. Photo recognition is a separate capability that is not offered.
How are similar variants handled?
Full designations, including meaningful suffixes, are preserved. Two products are not merged because their dimensions align — a sealed and an open bearing of the same size are different products.
Can developers use it?
A proposed resolve endpoint contract is published for review. There is no live API access yet.
Can I upload confidential files?
Not through this website. Files are exchanged only through a privately agreed process with stated handling. The catalog checker processes files locally in your browser and does not identify parts.
Have records nobody can place?
Let’s look at a sample.
Tell us what you have — descriptions, supplier codes, partial designations — and how many. We will say what an identification assessment can and cannot resolve.