Search the materials database with a fuzzy/colloquial query and return ranked candidate materials, without forcing a single guess.

Use to resolve a user's material description (industry grade name like 'PA12', a colloquial term like 'nylon', a Chinese term, or a vague description) into concrete materials.csv entries. Unlike compare_materials/find_equivalent_materials (which need an exact known ID), this tool accepts messy input and returns a ranked list of candidates — use it as the first step when you don't already know the exact material_id. If multiple candidates come back, ask the user to pick one rather than guessing. Optionally narrow by category_hint (Plastic/Metal/Rubber/Resin/Powder Metals/Powder Polymers) or process_filter (e.g. 'Selective Laser Sintering', 'SLS', 'Injection Molding') when the context already implies a manufacturing process.