Siemens Acquires MultiMechanics

Siemens has signed an agreement to acquire MultiMechanics, Inc., developer of MultiMech finite element software that helps companies virtually predict failure in advanced materials with speed and accuracy, the company reports. The company plans to integrate MultiMechanics into Siemens Digital Industries Software. This will add the ability for customers to create a digital twin of materials by closely integrating materials engineering with part design, performance engineering and manufacturing through the TRUE Multiscale technology for a  range of material-driven applications.

MultiMechanics' technology helps companies to efficiently predict material properties and behavior, including failure starting at the microstructural level. This technology will be incorporated into Simcenter software within Siemens' Xcelerator portfolio, implementing materials engineering into the digital workflow and establishing a pervasive link between material developers, manufacturing process developers and part designers.

"The addition of this technology enables our customers to build a digital twin of materials, which will help to shrink the innovation cycle of new products and materials, possibly saving millions of dollars and several years in development and certification in aerospace, automotive and other sectors," explains Jan Leuridan, senior vice president, Simulation & Test Solutions, Siemens Digital Industries Software. "Customers will have the ability to fully exploit the potential of advanced materials to optimize weight and performance in an efficient way that is not possible with classical, test-based, approaches." 

"We are excited to join Siemens and the Simcenter family," says Flavio Souza, president and chief technical officer, MultiMechanics, Inc. "The combination of the TRUE Multiscale technology of MultiMechanics with Simcenter 3D software will provide a strong basis for further innovation, enabling an expansion of scope of structural simulation to include multi-physics support for applications such as minimization of part distortion, prevention of voids during material flow, and prediction of visco-elastic acoustic properties."

Simcenter software will be able to virtually predict failure in advanced materials such as composites, at an unprecedented level of speed and accuracy. Image courtesy of Siemens Digital Industries Software.

Siemens' acquisition of MultiMechanics further expands the ability to create the most comprehensive digital twin by integrating structural computer-aided engineering (CAE) with detailed materials modeling through TRUE Multiscale technology, for a broad range of materials, including polymers, metals, composites and ceramics. Manufacturing technologies such as injection-moulding and additive manufacturing will see immediate applications, as the digital twin of materials can account for manufacturing variability and imperfections, identify the root cause of material failure at microstructure level, optimize material microstructure for best performance and enable the creation and virtual testing of new material systems.

The acquisition is due to close in November 2019. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

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