Cracking the Code

Anti-Aging Solutions For Cement Plants And Tackling New Challenges Due To Refuse Derived Fuel. Edited by Mark S. Kuhar Fulfilling a large order may mean that a cement plant needs to keep running at full capacity over extended periods. This creates risk as major cracks and wear can develop in equipment.  Vladimir Filipov, key customer manager at repair specialist Remoterm,…

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The Raw Truth

New Raw Mill Increases Productivity And Efficiency At CalPortland’s Mojave Plant. Edited by Mark S. Kuhar At CalPortland Co.’s Mojave plant, kiln production was being limited by the raw mill, which couldn’t cope with the increasing demand of a hot market. The company made the decision to invest in a new mill, and settled on an OK raw mill 48-4…

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Time for AI?

Artificial Intelligence Is Changing The World, And The Cement Industry Is No Exception. Should We Be Worried, Or Is It The Time To Embrace The Revolution?  By Jonathan Rowland We need to talk about how good AI is getting. So read a headline from the New York Times in August 2022. Since then, public interest in artificial intelligence (AI) has…

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Mitchell Milestone

Nestled In Limestone-Rich Indiana, A New Flagship Plant Leaves No Doubt That Heidelberg Materials North America Is All In On Negating Carbon Dioxide Emissions. By Don Marsh On a scale of new clinker capacity – and environmental metrics tuned to carbon-minded market and regulator sentiments – no North American and few cement plants globally will match Heidelberg Materials’ rebuilt Mitchell,…

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Perfecting the Process

World’s Largest Calcined Clay Kiln Requires Precise Metering And Blending. By Ernesto Duran Argos Rio Claro, Colombia, owned and operated by its parent company Cementos Argos, wanted to achieve a higher clinker substitution rate for its portland cement, by blending alternative cementitious materials. This substitution is helping to advance the company’s sustainability drive to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050…

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Smart Kiln Maintenance

Refractory Maintenance Is Unavoidable, But An Experienced Crew With The Right Equipment Can Minimize Scheduled Downtime And Virtually Eliminate Installation Mistakes That Could Lead To Emergency Maintenance. By Heather Harding Time is money. No place is this adage more appropriate than the manufacturing industry. When even one piece of the system is down, whether for routine maintenance or an unexpected…

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Silo Inspections Can Save Lives

Though It’s Important To Inspect Silos Frequently, In-House Silo Inspections Carry Too Many Limitations And Safety Concerns To Warrant Skipping A Professional Assessment. By Dennis Blauser In the summer of 2022, a grain silo in Iowa had a catastrophic failure. Two workers were unloading grain into a holding shed onsite at the time of the silo failure. Though one worker…

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3 Key Allowances in Ceramic Refractory Anchoring Design

To Accommodate Expansion Movement Within Anchoring Systems, Vital Allowances Must Be Incorporated. Edited by Mark S. Kuhar Research shows that more than 40% of monolithic refractory failures are the result of improper anchor design and installation. Failures commonly attributed to the refractory component are instead often caused by shortcomings in the actual anchoring system. Like any material, refractories will expand…

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Striving for Net Zero

Heidelberg Materials’ Edmonton, Canada, Plant Works To Implement CCUS Technology. By Kristin Dispenza The concept of carbon capture has been around for decades. While it has been implemented more widely in other sectors, such as coal-fired power generation, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) has not historically been applied to a cement kiln.  There are significant differences and complexities between…

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Here Comes the 2023 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference 

• The Conference will take place at the Dallas-Hilton Anatole, April 23-27. • To register, go to www.cementconference.org. The 2023 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference will feature 750 attendees, 400 companies, 15 training modules and 30 sponsors. Brian Shul will be the keynote speaker. He is a Vietnam-era attack pilot and retired major in the United States Air Force. Shul completed a…

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