Keyence Buys CAD Parts Library TraceParts to Link Design Data With Measurement

Keyence, the Japanese automation and industrial metrology company, has acquired TraceParts, a platform that provides CAD data for industrial components. 

TraceParts was founded in 2001. Its platform has more than 6.5 million registered users, mainly engineers and manufacturers. It hosts more than 2,300 catalogues certified by component makers. These supply 2D drawings, 3D models and technical data sheets that designers can drop straight into their CAD work.

Keyence’s aim is  to connect that library to its own hardware. TraceParts content will be linked to the company’s sensors, vision systems and metrology equipment. This will  push digitalisation of design and manufacturing further by tying component data to measurement and automation.

The deal brings together two stages of manufacturing that often run on separate systems, but details on how that connection will appear inside the TraceParts platform or in customers’ CAD workflows is yet to be rolled out .