Editor's Choice


Getting results with process optimisation and AI

October 2023 Editor's Choice IT in Manufacturing

Cement is one of the most energy-intensive industries, and a typical cement plant consumes around 100 kWh of energy for each ton of production. This is equivalent to over 6% of global energy consumption. More than 60% is used in the comminution units (crushers and mills) to reduce the particle size of the raw materials and clinker. In the early 1900s, the vertical roller mill (VRM) was introduced to the cement industry to reduce energy consumption.

Besides lowering power consumption, VRMs simplified the process since they could simultaneously implement the milling and drying processes. However, controlling VRM performance and understanding the relationships between the operational variables remained a problem. The conventional VRM controlling systems relied on the field staff to adjust the process parameters manually. This often led to an unstable system, increased power consumption, and reduced plant productivity.

Today, however, LOESCHE’S software solution systems can automatically assess a VRM’s process parameters and help optimise power consumption, improve maintenance, reduce environmental issues and make the process sustainable. Here are three case studies showing how Loesche’s MILLMASTER software has made a difference to cement operations.

Fully autonomous mill operation at EQIOM Ciment

MILLMASTER was implemented in an automation project at EQIOM Ciment’s VRM plant in Dunkerque, Northern France. EQIOM produces slag cement. Now the plant is operated completely unmanned over the weekend, and MILLMASTER runs the mill fully autonomously. “The MILLMASTER system is used daily and gives us the opportunity to concentrate on performance optimisation while the mill is running. It is also faster than an operator when it comes to protecting the equipment in case of important changes in mill behaviour. It would be hard to run for a long period without this expert system,” says EQIOM operations manager, Pierre Vonstein.

Increased production at Fabrika Cementa Lukavac

A key advantage of the MILLMASTER system is that it can be configured so that operators do not need to see the details. All that is needed is to trigger the on/off switch to start or stop the auto-pilot. An example is Fabrika Cementa Lukavac in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The MILLMASTER system was installed on a 65 tph ball mill, which usually reached a base line of 67 tph, as reported by process manager, Emir Cilimkovic. This resulted in a production increase greater than 10%. In addition, fluctuations in quality were reduced. There was also less wear of grinding media and mill liners because of the higher material level in the mill.

Increased production at Opterra Karsdorf, Germany

After the merger of Lafarge and Holcim, many plants had to terminate their expert systems. These had required a certain level of support by technology centres, with experts visiting on a regular basis to maintain successful day-to-day operation. Following this, suppliers were asked to quote on a system to equip these plants with “an alternative software system that offers the same performance as the previous systems, but with easier handling from the plant site, and without the necessity for regular maintenance from external resources”.

KIMA Echtzeitsysteme was awarded the contract to equip all ball mills at the plants that had been acquired by CRH in Germany. While there were a few concerns about this small, but well-established supplier, it was also known that the company had previously equipped over 30 Holcim plants in Eastern Europe with smart control systems such as MILLMASTER.

The former Lafarge plant in the small eastern German town of Karsdorf was equipped with the MILLMASTER expert system. In total, six cement mills, four of them centre discharge mills, received an individual software package and parameterisation to reach the challenging optimisation guarantee of a 5 to 8% increase in production, or alternatively a 4 to 6% reduction in specific energy demand. The onsite commissioning of MILLMASTER on the VRM took no longer than five days. The rest of the work was executed remotely.

All performance goals of the project at Karsdorf were reached. An important benefit was that the expert systems had total acceptance by the operators, as reported by the performance engineer on the plant, Tim Fröhlich.

Conclusion

The basic principles of AI today are similar to those from ten or 20 years ago; but today’s computers are much faster and have access to massive amounts of data. Loesche’s software solutions are proving themselves globally, and result in significant energy consumption savings, increased production, and more sustainable processing.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

STEMulator – a gift to the youth of the nation
Editor's Choice News
STEMulator is a groundbreaking virtual platform designed to ignite the spark of curiosity in young minds and stimulate their interest in STEM subjects.

Read more...
Innovate, accelerate, dominate
Festo South Africa Editor's Choice Pneumatics & Hydraulics
Festo’s latest innovations, revealed through the Ramp Up Campaign, offer a blueprint for performance excellence, using the anatomy of a race car as an analogy to simplify and powerfully communicate how their technologies address industry challenges.

Read more...
Case History 198: Cascade control overcomes valve problems.
Editor's Choice Flow Measurement & Control
There are many processes where it is undesirable for the load to suddenly change quickly, for example in the paper industry. Examples of level control have involved reasonably fast tuning. An example of a level loop tuned this way and responding to a step change in setpoint is given.

Read more...
Advanced telemetry solutions
Editor's Choice Industrial Wireless
Namibia is one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with an average annual rainfall below 250 mm. To address this challenge, the Namibia Water Corporation has employed one of southern Africa’s most powerful and well-proven telemetry solutions, designed and manufactured by SSE/Interlynx-SA.

Read more...
Navigating the future of intralogistics
LAPP Southern Africa Editor's Choice
In the rapidly evolving landscape of global markets, the demand for agility, efficiency and scalability in intralogistics has never been more critical. At LAPP Southern Africa, we stand at the forefront of this transformation, offering cutting-edge connection solutions tailored to the dynamic needs of intralogistics.

Read more...
Cutting-edge robotics and smart manufacturing solutions
Yaskawa Southern Africa Editor's Choice
Yaskawa Southern Africa made a compelling impact at this year’s Africa Automation and Technology Fair.

Read more...
A cure for measurement headaches in contract manufacturing
VEGA Controls SA Editor's Choice
A contract manufacturing organisation provides support to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the manufacturing of medications, formulations and substances. VEGA’s measurement solutions offer accuracy and reliability for monitoring levels and pressures during the manufacturing process.

Read more...
PC-based control for a food capsule and pod packaging machine
Beckhoff Automation Editor's Choice
For TME, a machine builder specialising in the packaging of powdered foods, Beckhoff’s PC-based control technology offers unlimited opportunities when it comes to performance and innovative capacity in terms of flexibility, scalability and openness.

Read more...
Simple and efficient level measurement in the mining, minerals and metals industries
Endress+Hauser South Africa Editor's Choice Level Measurement & Control
Measuring devices in the mining, minerals and metals industries face the challenge of varying material states and long distances in measurement height. Endress+Hauser’s answer to these challenges is the new Micropilot family.

Read more...
PC-based control for fertiliser
Beckhoff Automation Editor's Choice Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
On a farm in the USA, valuable ammonia is extracted from slurry and processed into ammonium sulphate. NSI Byosis has transformed this complex process into a flexible modular system. This modular approach requires an automation solution with flexible scalability in both hardware and software, which this Dutch company has found in PC-based control from Beckhoff.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved