Siemens has signed an agreement to acquire MultiMechanics, developer of MultiMech finite element software that helps companies virtually predict failure in advanced materials. The company plans to integrate MultiMechanics into Siemens Digital Industries Software, which will add the ability for customers to create a digital twin of materials by integrating materials engineering with part design, performance engineering and manufacturing through the TRUE Multiscale technology for a broad range of material-driven applications.
Siemens’ acquisition of MultiMechanics integrates advanced modelling of failure and damage of 3D printed lattice structures and meta materials.
According to Siemens, MultiMechanics’ technology was created to help companies 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 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,” said Jan Leuridan, senior vice president, simulation and 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."
Simcenter software will be able to virtually predict failure in advanced materials.
The company says that the acquisition of MultiMechanics expands its ability to create a 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. Siemens hopes that 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.
