Quickie: Ansys acquires MDL & its Motor-CAD

Ansys just announced that it has acquired Motor Design Limited (MDL) Motor-CAD to “strengthen Ansys’ Electronics portfolio, enabling customers to design more efficient electric machines and apply them to more applications”.

The companies had been distribution partners for years, so know one another well.

Ansys says that “[b]ringing Motor-CAD fully into the Ansys family of multiphysics analysis software products will enable Ansys customers to design and bring to market more efficient electric machines leading to a more sustainable use of rare materials”.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed and Motor-CAD is not expected to have a material impact on Ansys’ financials in 2022.

The logic is unassailable. Power efficiency, electrification, and sustainability are driving many companies’ R&D and acquisition agendas. Ansys says the “acquisition of MDL will answer the growing global demand, providing customers with an industry leading comprehensive multiphysics workflow for electric machine design. Combining Ansys solvers with MDL’s Motor-CAD into an end-to-end solution will enable customers to not only design more efficient electric machines but also apply them to more applications …”

Exactly how this “combining” will work isn’t spelled out, though MDLCEO James Goss is quoted in the press release as saying, “MDL will deliver upfront design capabilities to Ansys’ industry-leading multiphysics analysis capabilities. Bringing this comprehensive solution to the market will transform how customers approach electric machine design. We are thrilled to join Ansys and together deliver this end-to-end workflow to customers pushing the boundaries of electric machine design and performance.”

Ansys announces results tonight and hosts an investor call tomorrow morning. I think it’s fair to say this will be atopic to listen for.