AspenTech scores PIMS coup with ICI agreement
15 Jan 2000
ICI has signed up US 'smart manufacturing' software specialist AspenTech to provide its worldwide standard process information management system (PIMS). In a 'multi million dollar' deal, the American firm will supply its InfoPlus 2.1 system to ICI's polyurethanes, halochemicals and acrylics businesses, as well as the recently-acquired specialities businesses Quest, Unichema, National Starch and Crosfield.
Adopting a common PIMS will simplify sharing of data between the various ICI plants and businesses, and will aid consistent decision-making across the various divisions, says AspenTech. The system will be used to monitor product quality and consistency, and will help the company 'improve its fundamental process understanding,' it adds; it will also help cut manufacturing costs, improve yields and increase capacity by identifying bottlenecks (see PE June, p31).
'Our goal at ICI Acrylics is to add value to manufacturing operations by applying best-in-class information management and process control tools,' comments Colin MacLaine of ICI Acrylics. 'AspenTech's InfoPlus 2.1 and its layered products applied across the business will not only help us to add that value, but will also allow us to cross-learn through a consistent manufacturing information framework.'
