Plus, CoLab releases AI-based AutoReview tool, PTC launches and A&D startup program, and more engineering software news.
This is Engineering Paper, and here’s the latest design and simulation software news.
The big news this week is that EDA developer Synopsys completed its acquisition of simulation giant Ansys. The sale was announced in January 2024 for the staggering price of $35 billion.
Former Ansys CEO Ajei Gopal will transition to the Synopsys board of directors, and Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi will be president and CEO of the combined company.
“The increasing complexity of developing intelligent systems demands design solutions with a deeper integration of electronics and physics, enhanced by AI. With Ansys’ leading system simulation and analysis solutions now part of Synopsys, we can maximize the capabilities of engineering teams broadly, igniting their innovation from silicon to systems,” Ghazi said in the announcement.
When will users notice their innovation being ignited? Synopsys says it “expects to deliver the first set of integrated capabilities in the first half of 2026 that fuse multiphysics across the full EDA stack, including for multi-die advanced packaging.”
This is the second massive simulation acquisition that’s closed this year. Just a few months ago Siemens completed its purchase of Altair for a comparatively meager $10 billion.
CoLab releases AI-based AutoReview
Canadian developer CoLab has launched AutoReview, an AI tool that reviews engineering drawings and 3D models to identify issues and provide manufacturing optimizations. The tool is currently available through an early access waitlist.
For example, CoLab says that AutoReview “will flag if there are missing or incorrect countersinks within drawings… It also checks molding measurements in designs to make sure wall thickness dimensions will work and that molds are easy to remove for manufacturing.”
AutoReview can also learn and apply lessons from past reviews, according to CoLab CEO Adam Keating.
“If a sharp internal corner previously caused fatigue failures and warranty claims, AutoReview can flag similar geometry in a new design and surface that past feedback for the current design team to use,” Keating said in the CoLab press release. “As product complexity increases, it’s easy for these types of errors to slip through the cracks. But ultimately these are preventable costs.”
I’ll be speaking with Keating soon to learn more about AutoReview, so stay tuned for further coverage.
PTC launches A&D startup program
PTC, still not a part of Autodesk, has announced a new program for aerospace and defense startups. The A&D startup program will offer free access to PTC software including Creo+ (the cloud version of Creo), Onshape (including Onshape Government), Codebeamer+, and Arena.
Each software package has a different application form on the startup program’s landing page. For Creo, Onshape, or Codebeamer, eligible startups will get one year of free access and can reapply for another year when it expires. PTC hasn’t stated the terms for Arena, with the site saying to “speak with our team after your application is accepted.”
What does it take to be an eligible A&D startup? PTC’s landing page says only that it depends on “factors such as funding, lifetime revenue, and association with an incubator/investor.” But make sure you “have a functioning website” and don’t already pay for the software for which you’re applying. The page concludes: “When in doubt, just apply.”
Quick hits
- Foundation EGI, the company working to build an engineering general intelligence platform, announced that it has secured $23 million in Series A funding.
- Ametek has completed its acquisition of 3D imaging company Faro Technologies for approximately $920 million.
- Chinese CAD developer ZWSoft has announced ZWCAD Flex, a subscription plan for its 2D CAD software ZWCAD. Currently available only in the U.S. and Canada, ZWCAD Flex offers monthly, yearly, and three-year subscription plans for both ZWCAD Standard and ZWCAD Professional. The plans start at $29.90/month for ZWCAD Standard.
One last link
What do advanced airliners, air refueling tankers and the “Big Beautiful Bill” have in common? Engineering.com’s Jim Anderton explains in the latest episode of End of the Line.
Got news, tips, comments, or complaints? Send them my way: malba@wtwhmedia.com.
