Cement News tagged under: Tech Forum
Risk management29 May 2018, Published under Cement NewsIn this month’s Technical Forum, Dr Michael Clark examines how companies approach risk and the various management techniques that can be used to control it. Cement companies must guard against complacency with regard to risk management During the last 18 months the moderator has been witness to some very adverse outcomes for cement companies around the world. Occasionally, the outcomes arose from unpredictable equipment failures or other factors beyond management control, while... |
Cemtech Dubai 2018 Technical Workshops07 February 2018, Published under Cement NewsAs Technical Forum readers are delving into the February 2018 issue of International Cement Review, the annual Cemtech Middle East and Africa conference in Dubai, UAE, will be fast approaching. As is tradition, the industry’s premier event includes technical workshops led by Dr Michael Clark. Participants in the Cemtech Technical Workshops will learn about fuels for firing a cement kiln and grinding technologies Dr Clark’s technical workshops have become an established part of t... |
Cement plant cost profiles24 January 2018, Published under Cement NewsDr Clark has spent most of the last month developing manufacturing cost profiles for cement factories in different geographies of the world. Such profiles help cement producers and traders alike in finding the right location to produce or source cement. Cost profiling across geographies can help cement plant investors help to find the most profitable location to operate a plant There are a number of reasons why profiling the cost of cement factories in different geographies o... |
Pozzolana is the key20 November 2017, Published under Cement NewsEast Africa is enjoying strong cement demand, driven by economic growth and a buoyant construction sector. But, given the high capital cost of establishing a cement plant there, how does a new player gain entry to the market? The answer may lie in pozzolana. Volcanoes hold the clue to making East African cement markets easier to enter The moderator is currently engaged as ‘owner’s representative’ for the establishment of a cement factory in east Africa. Economic growth is accele... |
Aspirating the kiln16 October 2017, Published under Cement NewsLast month’s Technical Forum concluded with the following closing comments: “A sufficient supply of oxygen to the kiln is critical. Any limitations on the drawing of oxygen into the kiln or exhausting the gases from the kiln are also a common cause of such problems.” Therefore, this month’s Technical Forum considers the need for aspiration to help increase oxygen supply to the kiln and improve burning conditions. Drawing sufficient oxygen into the kiln is critical to maintaining an ox... |
Benchmarking revisited14 August 2017, Published under Cement NewsRecent years have seen growth in the take-up of benchmarking services provided by Whitehopleman. Some cement plants have participated every year since the service was launched 19 years ago. Benchmarking reports have become part of the cement producers’ annual reporting and provide an opportunity to learn from the best. Whitehopleman uses a five-star approach to benchmarking UK-based Whitehopleman has recently been retained to undertake country-wide cement factory performance ben... |
The blending menu10 July 2017, Published under Cement NewsBlended cement is the focus of this month’s Technical Forum, namely the complexities of understanding its classification and labelling under the European EN 197 system. The moderator also takes a look at the reasons for the high level of blending activities in inland South Africa and why tensions in the domestic market have led to consolidation with cement producers acquiring cement blenders or setting up their own operations. The inland market of South Africa is one where the product... |
Capex vs opex19 June 2017, Published under Cement NewsIn the last year the moderator has been reviewing numerous existing cement facilities and proposals for new cement plants or production lines. In this process, compromises have to be made between the conflicting objectives of minimising the capital expenditure (capex) to establish a cement factory while minimising the operating expenditure (opex) when running the cement factory. The need for the fastest-possible return on investment can lead to cement producers focussing excessivel... |
Vertical roller mill optimisation05 April 2017, Published under Cement NewsOne of the new topics covered in the Technical Workshop at the Cemtech conference and exhibition in Dubai was the optimisation of vertical roller mills (VRMs). Here Dr Clark considers the grinding action of the VRM and the importance of dam ring adjustment and gas flow through the mill. B y Dr Michael Clark, UK. Vertical roller mills provide state-of-the-art grinding for a range of materials in the cement industry Vertical roller mills (VRMs) have become the equipment of... |
Impact of alternative fuels27 March 2017, Published under Cement NewsIt is widely acknowledged that burning alternative fuels in cement kilns has some adverse effect on the kiln’s productivity and thermal energy efficiency. But how much effect? Dr Clark explores via benchmarking. Figure 1: kiln meantime between stops (MTBS) Case studies and the technology around the burning of alternative fuels (AFs) in cement kilns are recurrent topics in International Cement Review and at Cemtech conferences. They have also often been the topic of the... |