Fornnax Technology successfully participated as a bronze sponsor at the India Rubber Expo (IRE) 2026 in New Delhi, India.

The event offered Fornnax a premier platform to engage directly with tyre recyclers and waste management companies seeking advanced solutions for large-scale pre-processing challenges.

Live on-ground demonstration of the primary shredder
At the heart of Fornnax’s exhibit was a live, on-ground showcase of its flagship Primary Shredder, namely a robust, heavy-duty machine engineered to process a wide range of waste streams including end-of-life tyres (ELT), ferrous & non-ferrous metals, electronic waste (E-waste), and cable waste. The working demonstration allowed visitors and recycling professionals to closely examine its cutting technology, structural build quality, and operational capabilities, which are all designed to deliver consistent feedstock preparation for demanding downstream recycling processes.

Supporting the tyre industry’s shift
The Fornnax showcase arrived at a pivotal moment for the tyre recycling sector. Leading operators, including esteemed Fornnax clients GRP and Fishfa Rubbers, are actively diversifying their portfolios toward high-value output streams, specifically reclaimed rubber and recovered carbon black (rCB).
This strategic transformation demands pre-processing equipment capable of handling large volumes of end-of-life tyres with precision, operational stability, and the throughput consistency that commercial-scale rCB and reclaimed rubber production requires. In direct response, Fornnax has accelerated its innovation roadmap by upgrading cutting geometry, drive configurations, and machine architectures to meet these tighter specifications.
Commenting on the company’s participation at the expo, Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO of Fornnax Technology, said:
“At Fornnax, we engineer not just machines, but the backbone of a sustainable recycling infrastructure. Our Primary Shredder is purpose-built to deliver the high-capacity, consistent particle-size output required for the downstream production of recovered carbon black and reclaimed rubber at commercial scale. As our clients evolve their processing lines, we evolve with them by continuously refining our shredding technology to meet tighter material specifications, higher throughput demands, and stricter operational efficiencies. IRE 2026 was the perfect stage to reaffirm that Fornnax is not just a machine manufacturer but rather we are a long-term technology partner in the circular economy.”

Fornnax at the forefront of sustainable industrial progress
Fornnax’s participation at IRE 2026 reaffirms its position as a trailblazer in the industrial shredding and waste processing sector. With a growing global client base, a relentless focus on R&D and NPD, and a deep commitment to enabling the circular economy, Fornnax continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in waste-to-resource transformation across India and international markets.

(Communication by the management of the company)

Performance and material selection in industrial filtration

Filtration plays a critical role in improving air quality, particularly in industries such as steel, cement and mining. In these sectors, filter cost and service life are key performance indicators. Premature failure of filter bags leads to increased costs, production losses, and environmental concerns, while frequent replacement also raises labour and operational expenses. Therefore, durability and extended service life are central to the evaluation of filtration systems.
Baghouse filtration systems are among the most effective industrial separation technologies for capturing fine particulates. However, evaluating performance solely based on initial filtration efficiency is insufficient. Parameters such as pressure drop, cleanability, dimensional stability, and bag lifetime must be considered together to ensure long-term efficiency and reliability.
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibres are widely used in industrial filtration due to their high thermal stability, low shrinkage, resistance to many organic solvents, and strong hydrolysis resistance. These properties make PAN-based materials particularly suitable for demanding process environments such as cement plants, where acidic conditions are prevalent.

Operating conditions and material performance in cement plants
In the cement industry, hot gas filtration is characterised not only by high temperatures but also by dynamic conditions involving fluctuating humidity and chemical loading. These factors directly affect both filtration performance and material durability.
For this reason, homopolymer acrylic fibres have been developed to provide long-term mechanical and chemical stability under elevated temperatures and harsh operating environments.
The preference for homopolymer fibre-based filter bags in cement plants is driven by several factors, including stable performance within the medium temperature range of 120–140 °C, strong chemical resistance in acidic environments, and cost-effectiveness achieved through extended service life. These characteristics help reduce maintenance frequency while supporting operational continuity.
While homopolymer fibres are recognised in the literature for their chemical and thermal stability, the performance of filter media in cement applications extends beyond particulate capture. Materials must also withstand aggressive process gases, humidity fluctuations, and continuous mechanical stress. Therefore, material selection should not be limited to temperature resistance alone, but should also consider the ability to maintain mechanical, chemical, and dimensional integrity under real operating conditions.

Impact of dimensional stability on filtration performance
Dimensional stability is a critical performance parameter in practical applications. Changes such as shrinkage, elongation, or deformation during service can negatively impact filtration efficiency. These changes may increase friction between the bag and cage, cause stress concentration at seams, and lead to sealing issues at the bag opening.
Acryterna homopolymer fibre has been specifically engineered to minimise these risks through its ‘no dimensional change’ characteristic. This stability ensures predictable bag behaviour, balanced load distribution, and more efficient maintenance planning.

Conclusion
The performance of materials used in hot gas filtration in the cement industry should be evaluated from both polymer chemistry and field performance perspectives. PAN-based structures offer a balanced combination of mechanical strength, thermal stability and chemical resistance, while known degradation mechanisms under hydrolysis highlight the importance of proper material selection. In this context, homopolymer acrylic fibres stand out as a reliable and sustainable solution for demanding filtration conditions.

(Communication by the management of the company)

India’s cement sector is in the midst of a structural growth phase. Performance of every production asset carries greater commercial consequence than before.

Total installed capacity of cement reached approximately 690 million tonnes per year by early 2026, with production touching 453 million tonnes in 2025 — a 6.3% year-on-year increase. According to CRISIL Ratings, Indian cement producers are expected to invest nearly ?1.2 lakh crore in capacity expansion between 2026 and 2028, with 160–170 million tonnes of new grinding capacity forecast to come online. Demand is projected to rise from 445 MMT in 2024 to 670 MMT by 2030, underpinned by government infrastructure programmes, affordable housing schemes and rapid urbanisation.
Among the most critical assets of a cement plant is the refractory lining of the rotary kiln. In the burning zone, where temperatures regularly exceed 1,450°C, the right choice of brick can mean longer campaigns, reduced maintenance cycles, and more consistent output.

Rotary kiln: A demanding environment
The rotary kiln is the core thermal unit in cement clinker production. Raw meal enters at one end at a few hundred degrees Celsius and is progressively heated to around 1,450°C at the burning zone, where clinker nodules form. The steel kiln shell must be continuously protected from this extreme environment, which is the job of the refractory lining.
Refractory bricks serve multiple simultaneous functions: insulating the shell from heat, resisting chemical erosion from clinker melt, alkali vapours, sulphur compounds and chlorine, and withstanding the mechanical stresses of a continuously
rotating system.

CALDE® MAG bricks: Engineered for critical zones
Calderys’ CALDE® MAG bricks range comprises a family of magnesia-spinel bricks engineered specifically for the transition and burning zones of cement and lime rotary kilns.
The bricks are made from a blend of high-purity magnesia (MgO) and active spinel, a crystalline compound formed from magnesia and alumina, which offers thermochemical stability, mechanical toughness, and controlled coating behaviour. The range features low thermal conductivity and controlled expansion.

Why brick quality matters commercially
The economic argument for high-quality refractory bricks is often underweighted when procurement decisions are driven by initial unit cost. For a cement plant operating at the scale typical of India’s major producers, an unplanned kiln outage carries significant costs: lost production, fuel to bring the kiln back to temperature, relining labour, and potential mechanical damage to the shell.
Many plants increasingly use alternative fuels and locally sourced raw materials, which can alter the alkali-sulphur balance within the kiln atmosphere and accelerate lining corrosion. Magnesia-spinel bricks of the hercynite type address this directly, with reduced alumina content limiting the formation of low-melting calcium aluminates that would otherwise compromise brick integrity.

Local manufacturing as a strategic advantage
A brick ordered from an overseas supplier may meet technical specifications on paper, but a six-to-eight-week lead time following an unplanned outage becomes part of the total cost of failure. Local manufacture provides shorter lead times, ready inventory of fast-moving grades, and faster emergency response.
Bricks manufactured and tested in India, against data from Indian kiln operations, can be more precisely calibrated to local raw material chemistry, fuel types, and operating practices. Looking ahead, Calderys is expanding its Indian footprint through the CAPES facility in Odisha — a new plant housing multiple production lines for both monolithic refractories and shaped bricks, strategically located within one of India’s most active industrial belts.

Sources: IBEF Cement Industry Report; Mordor Intelligence India Cement Market; CRISIL/S&P Global, November 2025; CemNet, November 2025; calderys.com

(Communication by the management of the company)