There can be few approaches to handle large number of contacts:
Approach 1: Auto-generated contacts may be detecting erroneous contacts across thin bodies. Delete the current contacts (shift-click to multiple select). Go to the connection group folder and set the Tolerance smaller than your thinnest body. May be ~25% of thickness for example. Right-click on the connections group folder to “Create Automatic Connections.”
Approach 2: Take the model to DesignModeler (DM) or SpaceClaim to form MultiBodyParts across bodies that would otherwise be connected with bonded contacts. This will mesh the bodies as the connected mesh. In DM, you can select multiple bodies in the Tree Outline, then right click to “Form New Part.” In SpaceClaim, you can select multiple bodies and right click to “Move to new component” or just drag bodies to a component name. In the Properties of the component, set the “Share Topology” to “Share.”