Cement News tagged under: manufacturing technology
Lighting up the mighty Xuan Thanh15 January 2018, Published under Cement NewsVietnam’s first mega plant and 12,500tpd kiln line was commissioned by Xuan Thanh Cement JSC at Ha Nam on 9 October 2017. The line is a bold statement and an apt symbol of the tremendous development achieved by Vietnam, one of Asia’s most dynamic emerging markets, over the course three decades of almost uninterrupted economic growth. ICR reports on the new production line and the Xuan Thanh’s ambitions to construct a further three 12,500tpd lines by 2020. Xuan Thanh cement plant, buil... |
Not simply calcining10 January 2018, Published under Cement NewsWhile the primary purpose of the calciner in a cement plant is to aid decomposition of calcite from the preheated raw meal, the need to lower CO 2 emissions and the introduction of alternative fuels has broadened the range of requirements that modern-day calciners need to address. By Dr Heiko Schürmann and Norbert Streit, KHD-Humboldt Wedag GmbH, Germany. Figure 1: the main purpose of the calciner is to decompose calcite from the preheated raw meal, which is the most energy-intens... |
Setting a new benchmark21 December 2017, Published under Cement NewsAs ever-higher efficiencies are demanded of grinding equipment, cement plants require a new benchmark for grinding component performance. Addressing wear through regular maintenance and repair is one strategy with the sustainable supply of grinding parts and management of mill wear as key factors in keeping mills running. By Dr Dorival G Tecco, Loesche GmbH, Germany. Figure 1: typical wear profiles. The arrows indicate the areas of maximum wear. Deeper wear profiles may lead to a loss... |
Finding the missing link13 December 2017, Published under Cement NewsIn 2015 Çimsa Çimento’s Mersin plant, Turkey, suffered an increasing number of cyclone blockages, causing severe interruptions to the facility’s grey cement Line 1. After unsuccessful attempts to find the reason for the blockages, a kiln inlet process gas measurement system from sick was installed to provide the missing link between the sulphur content in the kiln process gases and unwanted production downtime. By Felix Bartknecht, SICK AG, Germany, and Sezin Arıkan, Çimsa Çimento Mersin, T... |
Crystal clusters in clinker13 December 2017, Published under Cement NewsWith increasing use of alternative fuels, short homogenisation times in precalciner kiln systems and the requirement for high alite cement, the presence of crystal clusters is not expected to be a thing of the past. While the impact of crystal clusters in clinker on quality is not always clear, some effects can be seen. Figure 1: brown and lighter blue belite crystals surrounding liquid phase Cement clinker for general-purpose Portland cement is composed essentially of four... |
West African grinding goals11 December 2017, Published under Cement NewsThe construction of three Cim Metal cement grinding plants in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire is expected to significantly improve cement supply to this area of west Africa. A key part in the building and commissioning of these game-changing facilities was played by German-Swiss grinding specialist Intercem. By Intercem Engineering, Germany. Cimfaso's Ouagadougo plant in Burkino Faso was Cim Metal's first step in improving cement supply in the west African country Wit... |
Roller press celebrates 40 years07 December 2017, Published under Cement NewsSince its invention 40 years ago, the roller press has continuously improved and expanded its use in the cement and mineral-processing industries. KHD tracks the changes since the technology’s introduction and celebrates the advances that have benefitted cement producers during this time. By Dr Stefan Seemann, KHD Humboldt Wedag GmbH, Germany. Figure 1: the first roller press with a roller diameter of 1m and width of ±60cm Some four decades ago, the concept of a revolutionary... |
Smart maintenance planning04 December 2017, Published under Cement NewsWhat if your machinery could tell you when it needs attention? The latest-generation rotor weighfeeders Pfister® DRW do just that. To ensure optimum runtime of the weighfeeders as well as perfect dosing, FLSmidth Pfister has developed several mechanisms to predict wear effects and decrease them where wear is unavoidable. By FLSmidth Pfister, Germany. Figure 1: low, medium or high wear: the maintenance personnel can determine the system’s state at a glance with the customer interfac... |
Reduced costs, enhanced safety22 November 2017, Published under Cement NewsSustained economic success cannot be based on efficiency alone. Health and safety also have to be prioritised in bulk storage systems. The fully-automated polysius® storage system installed by thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions at Afyon Cimento’s plant in Turkey not only enhances the logistical efficiency of such operations, it also reduces health and safety risks for the operating personnel. By thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, Germany. Figure 1: first fully-automated longitudinal... |
Raw material microscopy30 October 2017, Published under Cement NewsMicroscopical methods are key tools in the assessment of potential raw materials to be used in the production of high-quality cement. This month ICR considers the use of optical microscopy in the determination of the mineral composition of the rocks under investigation. Figure 1: kiln feed viewed in plain-polarised light Assessment of potential raw materials involves many lines of enquiry. The chemical composition, geological variation, accessibility and consistency are essentia... |