Siemens buys Aster Technologies to advance circuit-board test offerings

Siemens Co. announced January 13 it had agreed to acquire Aster Technologies, a software company that specializes in programs that engineer and test printed circuit boards. According to the company statement, the purchase will shore up Siemens “Design for Manufacturing” (DFM) offerings for circuit board manufacturers.

Following the purchase, Siemens will own Aster’s TestWay flagship program for design-for-testing circuit-board planning. According to its company statement, Siemens plans to integrate TestWay into its portfolio of fabrication and circuit assembly products.

Siemens did not disclose how much it paid for the privately-held circuit-board assembly test company. The German industrial manufacturer emphasized the purchase comes at a time when demand for automotive electronics and 5G integration in electronics systems is “accelerating,” increasing the demand for testing systems to avoid defects.

What people are saying

"The addition of ASTER Technologies is a game-changer for our customers in the PCB design and manufacturing space. By integrating ASTER's market-leading test engineering software, we are empowering our customers to optimize designs much earlier in the design cycle," said AJ Incorvaia, GM of electronic board systems at Siemens Digital Industries Software. "This can dramatically reduce costs, accelerate time-to-market and helps to ensure the highest levels of product quality and reliability. It's about giving our customers a complete, integrated solution that sets them up for success from the very first design concept through final production."

"Joining forces with Siemens is an incredibly exciting next chapter for our team and our customers. We've always been passionate about helping engineers create flawless PCB designs through advanced test coverage analysis," said Christophe Lotz, founder and CEO of ASTER Technologies. "Now, as part of Siemens, we have an unparalleled opportunity to integrate our expertise into a broader, industry-leading portfolio. This means our innovative solutions can reach more customers, enabling them to achieve even greater efficiency, quality and competitive advantage. We are thrilled to contribute to Siemens' vision of a truly integrated digital thread for electronics design and manufacturing with just enough test."