The rise in alternative fuel (AF) utilisation in cement manufacturing challenges the lifetime of dip tubes in the lowest cyclone stages of the preheater. A new generation of the HASLE Ceramic Vortex Finder, made from precast and pre-fired ceramic elements, has been installed in a German cement plant. The solution has tripled the lifespan in the lowest-stage cyclone, achieving a full campaign, and has surpassed 3.5 years in the second-lowest stage. By Lars Andersen, HASLE Refractories, Denmark