Accelerating automotive electrical systems design

It has been announced that Siemens has acquired COMSA Computer and Software, a Munich-based company which develops software for electrical systems design and wire harness engineering. Its LDorado suite for automotive harness design and engineering software, and reflects deep local expertise and market presence with a well-established product portfolio and strong emphasis on standards.

The COMSA team and technology will join the Mentor business, part of Siemens PLM Software, where it will add harness engineering and design data analytics capabilities to the Siemens product range.

“The acquisition of COMSA is part of Siemens’ continued investment in technology for the automotive industry,” said Tony Hemmelgarn, President and CEO of Siemens PLM Software. “The combination of Siemens and COMSA solutions and specialist staff is unrivaled in the industry. Together, we will take electrical systems and harness engineering to the new levels needed to meet the demands of electric and autonomous vehicle development, and provide deeply integrated technical capabilities that will benefit COMSA and Siemens customers worldwide.”

Bishop and Associates estimate that in 2017 the worldwide revenue for the cable assembly market was $155bn with approximately 30% of the market from automotive. According to Cowen Research (October 19th, 2018), “The wiring harness today is the third highest cost component in a car (behind the engine and chassis). Harnesses are built one at a time and can comprise about 50% of the cost of labor for the entire car. The wiring harness is also the third heaviest component (behind the chassis and engine). Any technology that reduces this weight directly contributes to fuel economy.”

Through this acquisition, Siemens plans to extend worldwide the delivery of new technology offerings that address disruption in the automotive harness industry caused by megatrends such as autonomous driving and electric vehicles.

Siemens’ Capital software, part of the portfolio of recently acquired Mentor Graphics, extends from electrical/electronic architecture development through electrical systems design and service into wire harness design and manufacture. The addition of COMSA adds key harness engineering and design data analytics technologies, with strong support for new data standards emerging especially in Europe.

Josef Biermeier, CEO of COMSA, stated: “With Siemens’ acquisition of COMSA, we will be able to participate and contribute to this growing market in ways and locations that we could not have reached alone. The strength of COMSA’s LDorado software in wire harness engineering and analytics is a perfect complement to the Capital portfolio developed by Mentor, and we are excited to be a part of the forthcoming journey together. This combination is a win-win for both our companies, for our customers and the entire automotive industry.”

Martin O’Brien, Senior Vice President, Integrated Electrical Systems at Mentor, a Siemens business, added: “We have long admired the COMSA team and their products, and through this acquisition we are bringing together the complementary skills of two of the strongest players in the industry for the benefit of our customers. The combination of Capital and LDorado technology with Siemens expertise in adjacent design domains and factory automation will enable us to better assist our customers in transforming their operations’ competitiveness and increase profitability.”