During the recent modernisation project at Union Andina de Cementos (Unacem)’s Atocongo cement works in Peru, Germany-based Schade Lagertechnik led the refurbishment and capacity increase of the plant’s bridge scraper – already the largest of its kind in South America. By Jürgen Meszaros and Helmut Lück, Schade Lagertechnik GmbH, Germany.

In 2012, Peruvian cement producers Cementos Lima and Cemento Andino joined forces and merged into a single entity to create Unacem, a stronger domestic market leader.

Prior to the merger, Schade Lagertechik had made initial contact in 2008 with Cementos Lima to refit the bridge scraper reclaimer at the cement producer’s Atocongo works (now operating under Unacem). Over the course of several stages, a number of potential upgrades were explored and considered for their practicality. In June 2011 an agreement was reached on the scope of the technical upgrades which were then carried out in September 2012.