Software provides process control in polymer industry.
Press Release Summary:
Aspen Apollo uses artificial intelligence technology to apply advanced control to highly complex processes. It maintains safe and efficient operation during both steady-state and dynamic conditions. Technology also enables manufacturers to achieve faster time-to-benefit, since models that form basis of controller can be created using historical plant data, avoiding need for extended implementation period within plant to build and validate model.
Original Press Release:
Innovative AspenTech Solution Delivers New Levels of Manufacturing Performance to Polymers Industry
Breakthrough in advanced process control enables plastics producers to benefit from faster product transitions, increased throughput and improved quality
CAMBRIDGE, MA-October 22, 2002-Aspen Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: AZPN) today announced a breakthrough in advanced process control technology that enables polymer manufacturers to achieve significant improvements in manufacturing performance. The unique, patented technology has already been successfully implemented at the polyethylene plant operated by SABIC Polyolefine GmbH in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, delivering faster product transitions, reduced off-specification material and improved product quality.
The new product, Aspen Apollo, uses next-generation artificial intelligence technology to apply advanced control to the highly complex processes found in the polymers industry. This enables manufacturers to gain significant benefits during all phases of plant operations, but particularly during the critical transitions between different product grades. These transitions are typically time-consuming, resulting in lost manufacturing capacity and generating large quantities of waste material.
"Aspen Apollo has now been implemented in our polyethylene production facility at Gelsenkirchen, and has successfully been controlling product quality round the clock," said Jan Versteeg, IT Manager, SABIC Polyolefine GmbH in Gelsenkirchen. "AspenTech's nonlinear production control solution delivers substantial measurable benefits to SABIC, resulting in faster and repeatable transitions, increased throughput and reduced off-specification material."
With its ability to consistently maintain safe and efficient operation during both steady-state and dynamic conditions, the advanced technology used by Aspen Apollo provides a significant step forward from earlier neural-net based solutions. The technology also enables manufacturers to achieve faster time-to-benefit, since the models that form the basis of the controller can be created using historical plant data, avoiding the need for an extended implementation period within the plant to build and validate the model.
"Aspen Apollo represents a major step forward for the polymers industry, making the full economic benefits of advanced control available for the first time," said David McQuillin, President and CEO of AspenTech. "We believe that this technology will expand AspenTech's business as it enables polymers producers to gain a significant competitive advantage, driving both improved profitability and increased customer satisfaction."
Aspen Apollo is an important element of the Aspen Plantelligence(TM) solution for the polymers industry. Plantelligence is AspenTech's integrated solution for manufacturing execution, which enables companies to manage their manufacturing operations in real-time, improving their efficiency and profitability.
About AspenTech
Aspen Technology, Inc. is a leading supplier of enterprise software to the process industries, enabling its customers to increase their margins and optimize their business performance. AspenTech's engineering solutions, including Hyprotech's technologies, help companies design and improve their plants and processes, maximizing returns throughout their operational life. AspenTech's manufacturing/supply chainsolutions allow companies to run their plants and supply chains more profitably, from customer demand through to the delivery of the finished products. Over 1,200 leading companies rely on AspenTech's software every day to drive improvements across their most important engineering and operational processes. AspenTech's customers include: Air Liquide, AstraZeneca, Bayer, BASF, BP, ChevronTexaco, Dow Chemical, DuPont, ExxonMobil, GlaxoSmithKline, Lyondell Equistar, Merck, Mitsubishi Chemical, Shell and Unilever. For more information, visit www.aspentech.com.
Contacts:
For Media:
Carin Warner
Warner Communications
(978) 526-1960
carin@warnerpr.com
Joshua Young
Aspen Technology, Inc.
(617) 949-1274
joshua.young@aspentech.com
