24 March 2021
IKN to equip new line at Qizilqumsement cement plant 24 March 2021
Uzbekistan: Germany-based IKN has secured a contract for process integration and equipment design for a new kiln line at Qizilqumsement’s Qizilqumsement cement plant. The supplier’s remit includes the pyroprocessing line, preheater, kiln and cooler including ID fan, kiln drive and burners. It plans to use a six-stage preheater, the region’s first. Commissioning is scheduled for 2022.
Iskitimcement launches new special CEM-I special Portland cement for road construction 24 March 2021
Russia: SibCem subsidiary Iskitimcement has added an eighth cement to its product line. The company has launched production of a CEM-I special Portland cement for use in roads and airstrips. It says that the product produces concrete with increased resistance to aggressive media, frost and water resistance and strength, lower heat generation during hardening and longer service life than concrete produced with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC).
Managing Director Vladimir Skakun said, “Considering that the strategy for the development of the building materials industry until 2030 provides for an increase in the share of cement-concrete roads in the total volume of new roads in the country to 50%, we are preparing to increase the demand for road cements.” He added, “The development of a new type of product is another step in matching consumers’ changing needs.”
Portland Cement Association supports Mine Safety and Health Administration’s Covid-19 guidance 24 March 2021
US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has welcomed expanded, comprehensive Covid-19 safety guidance from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The association said that the guidance is a valuable and flexible resource for cement facilities facing the shifting effects of the Covid-19 threat. Plants have successfully relied on the advice of the MSHA, Centers for Disease Control and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
PCA government affairs senior vice president Sean O’Neill said, “Protecting our workforce during the Covid-19 emergency has been job number one for US cement manufacturers. The men and women of the cement industry, from our quarries to our cement plants and shipping operations, are designated as Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers. PCA and its member companies are committed to protecting miners and their families while continuing to provide critical building materials needed to maintain and improve our nation’s vital infrastructure.”
ScrapeTec launches PrimeTracker belt tracker 24 March 2021
US: ScrapeTec has announced the launch of PrimeTracker, a belt tracker designed to tackle misalignment. The supplier says that the tracker differs from other products of its kind in using free rotation, thereby avoiding abrasion and damage from sliding over the belt surface. The tracker is able to swing and tilt while remaining in full contact with the belt.
Sales and distribution head Thorsten Koth said, “For optimum performance of a conveyor system, it is critical that the belt always runs straight on the conveyor, without sideways movement. Our new PrimeTracker belt tracker has been designed to automatically guide a conveyor belt back into the correct straight-line position, to prevent costly downtime and component replacement.” He added, “An advantage of the ScrapeTec PrimeTracker is that it is operates in the idling position at all times, unless there is sideways movement of the belt. This system corrects misalignment immediately, by guiding the belt back into the correct position, with no damage or abrasion to the belt or tracker.”
Germany: Flender and Schaeffler have launched the Schaeffler Modular Adaptable Returnable Transport (SMART) Box, a packaging system for bearings. Flender says that the reusable box reduces waste by replacing disposable packaging.
Chief executive officer Andreas Evertz said, “Over the past few years, Flender has systematically minimised its own CO2 emissions and was able to reduce them by 83% between 2015 and 2020. We want to be completely CO2-neutral by 2030. In addition, close cooperation with customers and suppliers is another important step towards achieving complete climate neutrality. It is therefore important for us to also focus on potential savings in the supply chain. We are pleased to have a partner in Schaeffler who is also thinking in this direction. With the introduction of SMART Box for one type of gearbox, we are already reducing the use of wood as one-way packaging material by more than 100t/yr.”