Maintenance plays an important part in keeping cement plant operations running smoothly but can be severely impacted by inappropriate lubrication practices. Therefore, a suitable lubrication management programme is key to lowering maintenance expenditure and, ultimately, production costs. By Burak Kasımoğlu, SKF Türk San Ve Tic Ltd Şti, Turkey.
Maintaining high operational performance levels is one of the primary tasks of the maintenance department in cement plants. Under tough competitive conditions, manufacturing costs stand out as the key parameter that determines the market price of a product. In an environment where raw material, labour and energy costs are at similar levels for all companies operating in the same industrial sector, it is safe to assume that the operation and manufacturing costs are the main focus for maintaining competitiveness and profitability.
For cement plants trying to lower their manufacturing costs, decreasing maintenance expenditure as much as possible is a key goal. However, such measures also bring with them the risk of impairing plant operation. Critical activities, such as the acquisition and storage of replacement parts or fulfilment of machine maintenance and overhaul works on schedule, are crucial but occasionally neglected.
