Cement News tagged under: manufacturing technology
Industry 4.0: press ‘Start’27 July 2018, Published under Cement NewsThe application of Industry 4.0 concepts and its suite of buzzwords such as ‘IoT’, ‘Digital Transformation’ and ‘Big Data’ presents challenges to a range of industries, including cement. What can cement producers expect and where do they start their journey into Industry 4.0? By Tom Dannemiller and Abhinandan Sheshadri, Sabia Inc, USA. Modern analytical and display tools enable users to quickly create and change reports As leading-edge companies in many industries expect to inve... |
Into the future19 July 2018, Published under Cement NewsThere is no way we can imagine the world without cement and concrete. From 30 years ago, when International Cement Review was first published, until today, cement production on the planet has quadrupled. Depending on regional developments this volume may more or less stabilise going forward or even exhibit further growth. In any case, the cement industry will continue to lower the CO 2 footprint of cement and concrete. By Dr Martin Schneider, VDZ, Germany. Figure 1: cements containin... |
Cement logistics: the end of the beginning18 July 2018, Published under Cement NewsIn 1988 Commodore still sold over one million units of its C64, nicknamed “The Model T of personal computers”, and commercial logistics software was in its infancy. We have come a long way and our industry is now starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) in its supply chains. INFORM takes you on a journey to the past, present and future of cement logistics. By Dirk Schlemper and Thomas Bergmans, INFORM GmbH, Germany. Figure 1: logistics planning tools in 1988 In 1988 the firs... |
Materials & quality: 30 years on10 July 2018, Published under Cement NewsThe development of new cement types and demands on fuels as well as changes in process requirements have led to key changes in cement production over the last three decades. New raw materials and alternative fuels have given rise to new cement standards. Alternative raw materials increasingly reduce the need for virgin materials The cement Industry in 2018 has been through a long period of soul searching and reorganisation which has involved multiple changes in ownership and adj... |
Benchmarking ready-mix logistics performance18 June 2018, Published under Cement NewsAlgorithms and computer hardware have revolutionised the performance of logistics planning tools in many regions around the world. However, market conditions and business modalities may vary from region to region, so the outcome of any optimisation effort may vary too. To better understand what factors contribute to a good transport optimisation result, Inform analyses the performance of an intelligent software planning tool in two European countries. By Thomas Bergmans and Dirk Schlemper, I... |
Cement by sea12 June 2018, Published under Cement NewsMoving cement by sea is a difficult business, often requiring dedicated vessels fitted with specialist equipment. Shipowners and operators also have to manage freight rate fluctuations, new environmental regulations and what happens when there are not enough ships to go round. By James Johnston, Braemar ACM Shipbroking, UK. Dedicated cement carriers have integrated loading and discharge systems to minimise dust pollution As a somewhat specialised cargo, cement does not get ... |
Injecting new life in NOx control30 May 2018, Published under Cement NewsThe aqueous ammonia (NH 3 ) injection system for nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emission reductions at a cement plant in Florida, USA, provided limited ability for flow downturn and material usage efficiency. A new injection system, provided by Lechler, considerably lowered the use of NH 3 in its NO x reduction system. By Stewart McKenzie and Aly Gilbertsen, Lechler Inc, USA, and Daniel Ball, Argos Cement, USA. A new NH 3 injection system with the latest nozzle design by Lechler improved ... |
Alternative fuels and clinker crystal characteristics30 April 2018, Published under Cement NewsArthur Harrisson examines the effect of alternative fuel use on the characteristics of crystals present in clinker. Figure 1: difference in alite quantity measured by microscopy and the Bogue calculation when burning increasing quantities of PSP Some four years ago an article was published in International Cement Review about the microscopic effects due to the use of alternative fuels (AFs). 1 In the intervening years the author has examined some 200 clinker sampl... |
Automation: moving up a gear18 April 2018, Published under Cement NewsThe last decade has seen an unprecedented build-up of Russia’s cement capacity. Over 35Mta of capacity has been added with total output potential now standing at 105Mta. However, as demand fell to 55Mta in 2017, competition has increased and to gain the edge, BaselCement’s Serebryanskiy Cement automated its logistics to improve delivery times. By BaselCement, Russia. BaselCement’s 1.8Mta Serebryanskiy Cement plant supplies cement to Russia’s key Moscow market Located in the Ryaz... |
The evolution of the Fuller-Kinyon® Pump18 April 2018, Published under Cement NewsThe Fuller-Kinyon® Pump is celebrating its centenary this year. On this occasion, ICR interviews FLSmidth to discover more about the history of the pump. ICR: What is the Fuller-Kinyon® Pump? The Fuller-Kinyon Pump acts as a line charger. Dry pulverised, free-flowing materials are mixed with air in the pump discharge housing, assuming a flowing, liquid-like condition. In this fluidised condition, the pulverised materials can move through a pipeline as a relatively dense column, and at l... |