Siemens Digital Industries Software (SDI) continues to build up the sub-PLM capabilities in their Xcelerator portfolio. This time, it’s with an interesting acquisition on the simulation side. The company has signed an agreement to acquire Culgi, a software company that develops solutions for chemical modeling and calculations, with a focus on multi-scale simulations in the process industrial area.

But the truly fruitful step in this arrangement comes when Siemens integrates the specialties of the Culgi software with the Simcenter platform and the Xcelerator portfolio.

With expanded simulation functions in these environments, Siemens will be the first on the market to offer platform-integrated capabilities of this magnitude. Linking Culgi to the Simcenter portfolio will give process engineers access to the opportunity to build more comprehensive digital twins, and the ability to combine modeling of materials in micro, meso and macro scale. But what is the value of this?

“Several things,” says Jan Leuridan, senior VP of simulation solutions at SDI. “But one main point is that often innovations in, for example, software technology begins at the quantum and molecular level. With the integrated Culgi technology, process engineers via Simcenter get access to modeling capacity in all size scales. With a tightly integrated workflow, this enables design exploration of advanced materials within the framework of product performance objectives.”

With the newly acquired Culgi, Siemens will be able to offer a unique integrated software on its CAE platform Simcenter—one that enables performance-driven optimization of advanced hard and soft materials, from the molecular level and upwards in size scale. These solutions also broaden the simulation functions in the Xcelerator portfolio with quantum and molecular chemistry models, which are seamlessly linked to the continuity method in Simcenter's STAR-CCM+ software.

The solution that SDI has with Culgi is the full potential of its functionality coupled to Siemens' acquisition of MultiMechanics in November 2019. The latter software gave users access to tools for effective prediction of solid, hard material properties and behavior—Siemens' combined Simcenter portfolio also plays the main role here as a central platform. However, the addition of Culgi's simulation capabilities also expands the simulation area to include multi-scale soft materials, as well.

An example of Culgi's interface.

Tools for Inventing the Future

All in all, the main value boils down to Simcenter being able to offer what we talked about in the introduction above: a unique integrated CAE solution that enables performance-driven optimization of advanced hard, solid and soft materials.

Siemens’ Jan Leuridan, senior VP.

“Let me stress that innovations often begin with and contain the need of tools related to quantum and molecular levels. With the integrated Culgi technology, engineers via Simcenter get access to modeling capacity in all size scales,” adds Leuridan.

These solutions also broaden the simulation functions in the Xcelerator portfolio with quantum and molecular chemistry models, which are seamlessly adapted and linked to the continuum approach in Simcenter's STAR-CCM+ software—paving the way for unique technical workflows. The bottom line is that this can provide significant cost savings, as well as accelerating innovation in the materials and process industry, which increases the potential for product and process transformations.

“We are very pleased to be a part of Siemens and with our solution contribute to inventing the future of simulation software,” commented Johannes Fraaije, professor at Leiden University and CEO of Culgi.

“Virtual screening of new materials in the early stages of development is an important factor for digitization in the chemical industry,” he continued. “With the integration of Culgi molecular simulation software and services within the Simcenter portfolio, engineers have an additional tool for designing materials efficiently and effectively, with desired properties along the entire value chain from the start, to process development, to logistics and market analysis.”

More About Culgi’s Background

Culgi was founded in 1999 in Leiden, the Netherlands. The company provides expertise and develops software solutions for chemical simulation at several scales, from quantum chemistry to molecular dynamics.

How and in which industries are Culgi’s solutions used? Generally, the products are used by companies to design and analyze new materials in areas such as specialty chemicals, batteries, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

The transaction is expected to be completed during the calendar year 2020. The terms of the transaction are not revealed in the press material.