Cement consumption is growing at a rapid pace, thanks to the increased construction activities in the infrastructure and housing sectors. To fulfill the demand, it is essential to increase the cement production. For this, it is the need of the hour to use hi-tech machinery with added features such as reliability, energy efficiency, low-cost production and minimal maintenance, combined with good services. It is here, Humboldt Wedag India Pvt Ltd (HWI) fills the space. KHD Humboldt Wedag International AG, the parent company, has been serving the cement industry for more than a century. HWI has tailor-designed many cement plants for quick achievement of production capacity. Read on to know more about the products and services it offers.
KHD Humboldt Wedag International AG, a leading global cement plant and equipment supplier, started business way back in 1856. The company entered Indian market in 1983 in collaboration with Cimmco Birla Ltd. In 1990s, the economic liberalisation gave an opportunity for the cement manufacturers to rapidly increase the production of cement. KHD Humboldt Wedag International, by the end of 2000, established a dedicated cement division, Humboldt Wedag India Pvt Ltd, to directly cater to the requirements of the customers in the Indian sub-continent and the other Asian countries. Since then, HWI, now a wholly owned subsidiary of KHD Humboldt Wedag International AG, has grown rapidly. The company is an ISO 9001:2008 company with SOx implemented procedures. The group has also implemented the SAP systems in project management.
Staying competitive
HWI has always been in the forefront of innovation. To keep the competitive edge, the company has invested good amount in R&D activities both in its own laboratory facilities as well as in partnerships. It has designed and constructed cement plants to meet the specific local requirements that characterises a plant and therefore, the plant manufacturer. To its credit, goes the first operative 10,000-tpd clinker plant, which it built for Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. Technology is innovatively adapted in cement plants engineered, by the company to operate with diverse fuels and difficult raw materials, and plants are tailor-designed to suit the required conditions. The company has proactively grown to meet the fast changing business environment, for eg, introduction and huge progress in the client’s acceptance for the roller press technology for all different applications – raw grinding as well as clinker and slag grinding.
Products and services
For the past several years, HWI has been providing the Indian cement industry with world-class plants and machinery along with quality services. The company could sustain its position because of the various services they offer to the industry. The services offered by the company include:
- Raw material evaluation
- Basic and process engineering
- Plant design (including layout arrangements, general arrangements and detailed engineering
- Manufacture and supply of machinery for cement plants
- Process automation and instrumentation
- Erection supervision and commissioning
- Post-commissioning services
- Troubleshooting
- Operation and maintenance services
- Training
The company is well ahead of its competitors in offering innovative technologies for the cement industry. Some of these technologies offered are:
- Low pressure drop 5/6-stage pre-heater with best heat transfer efficiency
- Comflex? Roller Press and Ball Mill systems for raw material cement and slag grinding applications
- 3/2-tier rotary kilns
- V-Separator, LC and SKS Separator in raw material, slag and cement grinding
- Technologically advanced Pyrofloor? and Pyrostep? cooler for maximum heat recuperation
- Pyrostream? and PyroJet? burners for coal and multi-fuel applications
Future is bright
"Our guiding motto is to support our clients’ business with state-of-the-art technology in production, operation and maintenance, respecting the specific needs of sustainability and profitability," says Martin Gierse, President and Executive Director, Humboldt Wedag India Pvt Ltd. Cement industry is booming due to the increasing investment in infrastructure, construction and government-sponsored schemes for rural and urban development.
As Gierse observes, "The future market will require more services over and above the pure capex projects. We see further an increasing demand for our Humboldt Wedag automation packages as well, which will help to contribute to an operation with high utilisation and good product quality." Certainly, with demand for cement, demand for technology will increase. HWI being a leading supplier of competitive and environmentally friendly technologies is well-placed to cater to the demand for technologies and services for the booming cement industry.
Martin Gierse, President and Executive Director, Humboldt Wedag India Pvt Ltd
What is the market share and sales turnover of HWI in India?
The market share of product range from Humboldt Wedag India on the Indian sub-continent is around 35-40 per cent, which translates into a sales turnover of around Rs 600 crore.
What is the USP of the machinery you offer?
Our USP of the products follows the major needs of the cement manufacturers, which are:
- Highest reliability and lifetime
- Lowest energy consumption Low-cost production with fuel flexibility and minimum maintenance
- Best operations with regards to product quality
- Best adapted delivery times
- Fast commissioning which gives the clients return on capital as soon as possible.
Tell us more about your collaborations/tie-ups in the Indian market?
KHD is world-wide supplier of roller press technology for the mining industry through a partnership with WEIR Minerals. The Indian mining industry has yet to discover the advantages of energy saving products for grinding. We want to repeat the success of the roller press technology in the cement as well in the minerals industry and are convinced to have the right product and partnership with us. For the EPC business in India, there is currently a partnership with MBE in place, which
at the moment seems more appropriate for the Indian environment.
With a large numbers of cement projects coming up, what is your perception of the future business?
KHD follows in its growth assessment the judgment of the CMA. It will, despite some short-term fluctuations, sustain an 8 per cent average level for the years to come, if not more. Customers will further look for high-efficient technology at the best balance of cost and performance. KHD Humboldt Wedag will serve the market with the best of the technology and the appropriate sourcing strategy.