How industrial AI deepens sustainability in 3 ways

Benefits include cleaning and contextualizing data for BASF, managing over 200 production facilities and 3 million data streams; and helping Chevron refineries to grow revenues by 38 times through the continuous implementation of optimized supply chain strategies.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Understand three key benefits of using artificial intelligence (AI) software in industry
  • Explore how to accelerate industrial AI use.
  • Learn how AI helps manufacturing with sustainable development.

At present, in the rapidly changing global market full of opportunities and challenges, artificial intelligence (AI) technology, especially industrial AI, has become an important tool to help enterprises meet various challenges in economy, supply chain, energy transformation and other areas. AspenTech is among providers of industrial software using industrial AI.

Rob Howard, senior director of global enterprise solutions consulting at AspenTech, and Chen Jie, senior director of solutions consulting at AspenTech Greater China, recently discussed industrial software innovation, markets, sustainable development strategy and industrial AI with Control Engineering China.

Three key benefits of AI in industry

Applications of industrial AI are continuing to expand, with opportunities to help transform and upgrade traditional manufacturing, especially with intelligent production, predictive maintenance, quality inspection and supply chain optimization. Howard said AI has demonstrated three major advantages in the industrial sector:

1) flexibility, enabling quicker and more accurate decision-making and adapting to change;

2) tighter focus for advanced process control and intelligent suggestions to enhance operational understanding;

3) automation, which rapidly scales technology and reduces operator specialization requirements.

Due to its ability to create enormous value, in recent years, traditional automation manufacturers and industrial software companies have been actively expanding. Howard said, “AspenTech has over 40 years of leading experience in industrial solutions. Our product portfolio covers everything from chemical databases and industrial process control apps to a variety of innovative software. In addition, AspenTech has over 20 years of experience in industrial AI, continuously integrating neural networks, generative AI and deep learning into solutions and achieving significant results.”

Underground image pixel visualization, multivariable adaptive control technology and parallel engineering workflow are among applicable AspenTech innovations. Howard added that between 2005 and 2010, AspenTech integrated neural networks into Mtell (AI predictive analytics field). AspenTech Hybrid Models and AspenTech Virtual Advisor help to increase waste heat recovery, improve reliability and maximize return on investment.

Aspen Hybrid Models combine AI data with first principles models and 40 years of industry expertise to create a more predictive model. Three advantages of industrial AI are flexibility, tighter advanced process control (APC) and automation. Courtesy: Control Engineering with AspenTech information
Aspen Hybrid Models combine AI data with first principles models and 40 years of industry expertise to create a more predictive model. Three advantages of industrial AI are flexibility, tighter advanced process control (APC) and automation. Courtesy: Control Engineering with AspenTech information

Accelerating industrial AI use

Arithmetic, algorithms and data are the three major difficulties and pain points that manufacturing enterprises and technology providers will commonly face when implementing AI technologies. Data is the most challenging area, and industrial AI needs to combine specific knowledge, experience and engineering insights to adapt AI to industrial scenarios. Helping with industry data asset deposition, AspenTech’s chemical modeling database includes 34,000 compounds, with more than 8,000 industrial process control applications and a wide range of software.

Data governance is a key element for enterprises to fully utilize the value of their data. Production environments include structured and unstructured data; AspenTech can provide enterprises with efficient data aggregation capabilities to help with data governance and cybersecurity. For example, to dispel the concerns of the majority of users about data governance and security issues, AspenTech adopts advanced data weaving technologies and cybersecurity measures to ensure data security and reliability, while actively communicating and cooperating with customers to jointly develop data usage policies and norms.

Chen Jie said AspenTech is committed to introducing the world’s best AI practices in engineering design and construction to Chinese customers through its leading software products as a platform. Over the years, the company collaborated with leading companies in the global petrochemical and chemical industries and has accumulated numerous industry best practices, including cleaning and contextualizing data for BASF, managing over 200 production facilities, and 3 million data streams; and helping Chevron refineries to grow revenues by 38 times through the continuous implementation of optimized supply chain strategies.

AI, manufacturing and sustainable development

At present, for the majority of manufacturing enterprises, in addition to the core demand of improving quality and efficiency, the practice of sustainable development has also become a new industry standard. Green and sustainable development is a positive response to environmental protection and an intrinsic requirement for the long-term development and competitiveness of enterprises.

Chen Jie said that China has a huge chemical market with great potential, and the enthusiasm and active practice of enterprises in promoting digital transformation and sustainable development provide a broad market space for AspenTech, which will continue to increase its investment in the Chinese market, enhance the level of localized services, and work with its partners to promote the development of the Chinese market.

AspenTech’s active involvement in sustainability includes providing customers with solutions in energy efficiency management, emissions management, electrification, and other areas, while participating in the research and development and application of cutting-edge areas such as plastics recyclability, new materials and carbon dioxide as a raw material. Howard said AspenTech has in-depth partnerships with a number of internationally renowned companies, including OMV, ExxonMobil and others to jointly promote sustainability.

Stone Shi is executive editor-in-chief, Control Engineering China; edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor-in-chief, Control Engineering, WTWH Media, [email protected].

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