posted on 11/10/2011 2:54:50 PM
In its latest software acquisition, Siemens’ Industry Automation group will add engineering applications for advanced composite materials to its PLM portfolio.
In a move that expands its product lifecycle management offering, Siemens announced this week that it will acquire Vistagy Inc., a supplier of specialized engineering software and services. The acquisition, terms of which were not disclosed, will expand the industrial software portfolio of Siemens’ Industry Automation group, the company said, enabling the PLM provider to support the whole value creation for carbon fiber components, from product definition and development to manufacturing and service.
Vistagy caters specifically to the aerospace and energy industries, which rely on advanced composite materials. According to Siemens, companies that use materials like carbon fiber components in their products are faced with the task of further reducing costs and time-to-market to sharpen the competitive edge that composites offer. The combination of low weight, high strength, and durability will make composite structures (already used extensively in the aerospace industry and for the rotor blades of wind power turbines) appealing to the automotive and marine industries.
The prediction that there will be widespread use of composites across a variety of industries prompted Siemens to add industry-specific engineering software to its PLM portfolio.
“Advanced software solutions tailored to specific industry requirements are vital for companies to achieve the next level of performance in their products,” said Anton Huber, CEO of the Industry Automation division, in a statement. “The planned integration of our PLM Software business with Vistagy’s universally acknowledged expertise in industry-specific software, such as composites, will make us the partner of choice in this market today and well into the future.”
The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the year, at which point Siemens will integrate Vistagy’s technology and services into its PLM Software business unit. Vistagy currently has about 300 customers worldwide that are using its software products for a variety of applications, ranging from composites engineering and manufacturing of complex assemblies to the design and production of transportation seat systems and interior components. Siemens PLM’s open business model enables its products to work with a mix of IT solutions and CAD platforms, which the company says will ensure the ongoing support of existing Vistagy customers.
[For a view of the PLM landscape, check out the PLM product listing in Managing Automation’s sister site, TechMATCH Pro.]