Siemens to Acquire Vistagy, Inc.

By DE Editors

Siemens has expanded its industrial software portfolio with the acquisition of Vistagy Inc., Waltham, MA, which is a supplier of specialized engineering software and services with emphasis on designing and manufacturing with composite materials. According to a press statement, this acquisition allows Industry Automation, a Division of the Siemens Industry Sector, to continue to enhance its position as a supplier of industrial software.

With their combination of low weight, high strength, and durability, composites are already used extensively in the aerospace industry and for rotor blades of wind power turbines. For example, Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner is half composites, including the fuselage and wing. The one-piece fuelage eliminates about 1,500 aluminum sheets and 40,000 to 50,000 fasteners, according to the company. The lighter materials are partially behind Boeing’s promises of the Dreamliner using 20% less fuel than non-composite planes of the same size.

Siemens expects composite materials to continue to experience more widespread use—primarily in the automotive and marine industries—as the complexity and time required for developing and producing composite structures is reduced.

A recent survey by Vistagy indicated companies designing with composites were looking to reduce weight (81%), seeking to improve strength-to-weight ratios (69%), and attempting to combine multiple parts (51%).

With the acquisition of Vistagy, Siemens says it will become the only company worldwide to support the whole value creation for carbon fiber components with its software tools—from product definition and development to manufacturing and service.

“Advanced software solutions tailored to specific industry requirements are vital for companies to achieve the next level of performance in their products,” said Anton S. Huber, CEO of the Siemens Industry Automation Division in a press statement. “This type of industry focus will be the differentiating factor for success in the industry software market. 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.”

Siemens says it is planning to integrate the software supplier and its products, services and support into its PLM Software Business Unit, a part of the Siemens Industry Automation Division.

Recent years have seen a number of acquisitions by the Siemens Industry Automation Division, including UGS in 2007, Innotec in 2008, Elan Software Systems in 2009 and Active SA this year.

For further information, please visit Siemens and Vistagy.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.