Conveyor belts often are subjected to exceptionally high stresses. Apart from countless bends in both longitudinal and transverse directions, the belts suffer from permanent material loading impact, from lack of maintenance, from worn, failing or wrongly adjusted conveyor parts and from foreign objects. A failure or massive damage of the conveyor belt often has dramatic consequences. Monitoring systems based on X-ray technology are well on the way to revolutionising the safety and the operating efficiency of conveyor belts. This article describes such a system, the CBGuard scanner from CBG.

Cement consumption in Egypt reached 53.9Mt in 2015, up by 5.1% compared to 2014. This is the highest increase in three years, with demand mainly driven by national projects, including roads, other infrastructure and housing. However, the cement industry needs to adapt its energy use to accommodate recent constrictions in fossil fuel availability and rising prices. It is increasingly looking to alternative fuels and increased energy efficiency.

Cement kilns are the critical part of a cement production plant. However, they can overheat, potentially causing serious damage to the kiln shell. In order to monitor this, thermal imaging cameras, such as those from FLIR Systems, can be used to measure temperatures on a 24/7 basis, making potentially dangerous hot-spots clearly visible.

During 2015 the Austrian cement manufacturer Schretter & Cie GmbH & Co KG modernised its grinding process. The former system with a high pressure grinding roll (HPGR) working in a pre-grinding mode was upgraded to a grinding circuit with an HPGR in semi-finish grinding mode. A compact 2-Stage Koesep air classifier, the latest development of Köppern, based in Germany, was installed. The new combined air classifier was implemented during ongoing operation with total plant downtime of just 40hr. One year after re-commissioning of the grinding system it can be noted that the modernisation improved production, stabilised the process and reduced energy consumption. This article reflects experiences made throughout the first year of operation and shows effects with regard to production and energy consumption.

Vertical roller mills (VRMs) are vital pieces of equipment in cement plants and are popular in new installations due to their high efficiency. However, technical issues with VRMs can be tricky to solve and may cause them to act as process bottlenecks. ASEC is well positioned through its experience in Africa to comment on the possible sources of problems with VRMs? What are the sources of vibrations and how can we improve VRM lifespans?