Bayer Implements Hyprotech's Operator Training System; Completion of HYSYS OTS+ Steady State and Dynamic Simulation Model Incorporates Siemens PCS 7 System.

Business Editors and High-Tech/Medical Writers

CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2002

Bayer AG and Hyprotech Ltd. today announced the successful completion of an operator training simulator at Bayer's Leverkusen, Germany, site using Hyprotech's HYSYS OTS+, which incorporated the Siemens PCS 7 system control configuration and operator graphics with a rigorous HYSYS.Plant+ model of the process.

Bayer AG, a leading international pharmaceutical, agrochemical, polymer and chemicals company, identified the need for a simulation-based operator training system (OTS) to train its operators for a new monomer production plant. The available time from project kick-off to the start of the training was one year and several key project objectives had to be realized.

The process was highly proprietary to Bayer, requiring the use of a commercial simulator that Bayer's own personnel could use to develop the rigorous dynamic process models under a tight project timeline. This insured that Bayer maintained complete control of their proprietary process knowledge. Secondly, the simulation engine had to be very reliable and highly robust, so start-up and (interlock-triggered) shutdown could be simulated in real time and in a realistic way.

Additionally, the simulation software and work process had to support exchange of process data and knowledge between Bayer's project team members located in Germany and the United States in an efficient manner. Finally, the original DCS software and operator screens had to be used, so the operators could be trained using the same interface and functionality as in the actual plant. The DCS used in the actual plant is PCS 7 from Siemens. This was the first OTS project that the PCS 7 system was a part of in the process industries. After conducting a market survey of available operator training simulation (OTS) products, Bayer chose Hyprotech's HYSYS.OTS+, based on the steady state and dynamic simulator, HYSYS.Plant+.

Commenting on the success of the project, David Schaich, the responsible project manager at Bayer, stated: "Learning by doing in a safe and realistic environment and under reproducible conditions is the most efficient way to train and prepare the operators for the new plant. The HYSYS OTS+ system integrated the native PCS 7 controls and operator graphics with a rigorous HYSYS model of the process, and provided a highly interactive and realistic training experience for the operators. The operator trainees developed a better feeling for the dynamics of the process and its controllability and learned how to respond effectively to both normal and abnormal operating conditions."

Justin Zinke, vice president of Technical Services for Hyprotech, added: "We are very pleased to see Bayer AG realizing the benefits of Hyprotech's integrated solution enabling movement from steady state models to dynamic models to operator training within the HYSYS environment. This is additional proof that the lifecycle solution offered by Hyprotech's innovative HYSYS process modeling software is meeting a key need in the process industries."

In this joint effort between Bayer's Process Control Groups in Germany and the United States (Hyprotech's Project Services Organization) and Siemens, the structure of this first HYSYS-PCS 7 training simulator was specified, implemented and tested. A major milestone of the project was a prototype after just six months, in which, for a small section of the plant, the full functionality needed for an OTS was demonstrated. The DCS software and configuration was tested within the OTS environment using the rigorous HYSYS.Plant+ model as the virtual process, and it was possible to pre-tune the PCS 7 controllers. In addition, Bayer will be able to utilize the HYSYS steady state and dynamic models for other engineering and operational tasks after plant startup, as well as the OTS application itself.

About Bayer

Bayer (NYSE:BAY) is a diversified, international chemicals and health care group. Bayer offers its customers a wide range of products and services in areas ranging from pharmaceuticals and crop protection to plastics and specialty chemicals. Bayer is research-based and aims for technological leadership in its core activities. Bayer's goals are to steadily increase corporate value and generate a high value added for the benefit of their stockholders, their employees and the community in every country in which they operate. Bayer believes that their technical and commercial expertise involves a responsibility to work for the common good and contribute to sustainable development. Bayer: Success through Expertise with Responsibility. Go to: http://www.bayer.com.

About Hyprotech

Hyprotech is the leading supplier of modeling and simulation software and services to the continuous and batch processing industries, including air separation, chemical, gas processing, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, refining and upstream. By providing innovative simulation technology that covers the entire plant lifecycle, Hyprotech has enabled its clients to enhance profitability and improve operating performance. The company is dedicated to delivering the benefits of its signature "Process Lifecycle Innovation" approach to its clients, and has the largest installed user base of any simulation software provider, serving more than 17,000 users in over 80 countries, including the world's top 15 oil and gas companies. For more information or to attend a web seminar, go to http://www.hyprotech.com.

Note to Editors: All trademarks or registered trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners.