AI for Engineering Knowledge Management
Leo AI Introduces Free Text Search for Vendor Parts
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2 min read
Dr. Maor Farid
Maor Farid is the Co-Founder and CEO of Leo AI, the first AI platform purpose-built for mechanical engineers. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and completed postdoctoral research at MIT as a Fulbright fellow. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former AI researcher and Mechanical Engineer in an elite military intelligence, Maor leads Leo AI's mission to transform how engineering teams design better products faster.
BOTTOM LINE
Free-text search for vendor parts eliminates the single biggest time drain in component selection: knowing the exact part number before you can find the part. Engineers can describe what they need in plain language and get results across vendor catalogs in seconds.
The time savings compound across every engineer on every project — this is one of the highest-ROI features in Leo's platform.
The numbers quantify the impact. Engineers spend 35% of their time designing parts that already exist. When they find the right part instead—whether internal or from 120M+ vendor options—BOM costs drop by 15% and time-to-market accelerates. Organizations running Leo report finding existing parts in their own vaults that would have cost thousands to custom-engineer.
Leo AI Introduces Free Text Search for Vendor Parts
In a move that transforms how mechanical engineers find and select parts, Leo AI now lets you search vendor catalogs using free text - just like talking to a colleague.
Gone are the days of browsing outdated part catalogs, guessing keywords, or hopping between vendor websites. Instead, just type something like:
"I need a ball bearing for a 30 mm shaft, suitable for outdoor environments"
Leo will scan top vendor sites and return a list of relevant parts.
Why This Matters for Engineers
According to multiple industry reports, including McKinsey and Engineering.com, engineers spend 20–30% of their time selecting and sourcing components - a major bottleneck in modern design workflows.
Leo AI aims to fix this.
With the new free text part search, engineers can now:
Skip manual vendor navigation
Get relevant suggestions faster
Focus more on design, less on procurement
And it’s just the beginning.
IN PRACTICE
What Engineers Are Saying
"Instead of looking things up on Google, it's much easier to find what I'm looking for — parts, fasteners, or a good solution for my specific problem. It saves time and reduces costs by using pre-existing parts instead of custom ones."
— Max B., Engineer
What’s Available Today
Right now, Leo integrates with top vendor databases and lets engineers input their needs using plain language - no special syntax required.
For supported CAD tools, Leo will soon also interpret the geometry of your design to suggest parts, even without written input.
That means no more switching tabs, guessing part numbers, or struggling to explain what you need.
Just design → describe → find.
FAQ
Stop Wasting Hours on Manual CAD Search
Leo AI turns your existing vault into a searchable knowledge base.
Leo AI connects to your PDM and makes every part findable by description in under 10 seconds. <a href="/onboarding">Try Leo Today</a>
Schedule a Demo →
#1 New AI Software Globally - G2 2026
Enterprise-grade security
Trusted by world-class engineering teams
Stop Wasting Hours on Manual CAD Search
Leo AI turns your existing vault into a searchable knowledge base.
Leo AI connects to your PDM and makes every part findable by description in under 10 seconds. <a href="/onboarding">Try Leo Today</a>
Schedule a Demo →
#1 New AI Software Globally - G2 2026
Enterprise-grade security
Trusted by world-class engineering teams