Technology

Innovation at work

Published

8 years ago

January 31, 2018

admin

Innovation is driving advancement of technologies and growth of the cement packaging segment globally. India must be able to take part and reap benefits from them.
While innovation is changing the way every work is done in every field of activity, cement packaging cannot be too different. Though there is hardly any change in the material consumed for manufacturing cement packaging, the new technologies and processes are making them high on productivity, safer, quicker to fill, load and re-load, leak-proof and amenable to automation, when compared to yester years when it was dangerous, hazardous and labour-intensive.
Bags are a common way of distribution in the industry, accounting for about 60 per cent of the product shipped to consumers/users. This also holds true for other developing countries, according to industry sources, which put the figure at 45 per cent on an average. Bulk packaging though is yet to catch up on a large scale in India, it is being patronised by some major cement manufacturers and bulk consumers.
Though there are several manufacturers of cement packaging bags in the country, most of the highly advanced automated machinery and systems are being imported from countries like Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the US, Taiwan, etc.
Innovation has been the key for sustained growth of global players like Windm?ller & H?lscher during the recent years, particularly when it has introduced hot air to seal the moisture-proof sacks that used to be closed with adhesives earlier, thereby reducing production costs and technical process limitations. Another global player, FLSmidth offers complete automation solutions by integrating various product types with that of fully automated packing plants, automating even loading and unloading activities.
Packing plants have not only become part of cement production lines, but also grinding stations or cement terminals. A single packing line produces up to 15 to 50 million bags per year based on the material used and the process adopted. That way, packing plants have evolved into complex, fully automated operations, driven by innovation in the recent years.Options
There are three options for cements sacks: Paper, woven and film. "Paper sacks are a comparatively cost-effective form of packaging made from a renewable source," says spokesperson of Windm?ller & H?lscher, which claims to be the market leader in the field of paper sack systems, with over 90 per cent share globally.
Woven polypropylene (PP)/plastic sacks are very lightweight and tear-resistant, which is particularly useful if the sacks are to be used in tougher environments. So, many Indian companies have embraced the option till the regulatory intervention, citing higher loss of cement in wrong handling. But they face a challenge – necessary deaeration of product.
A natural side effect of packing cementitious material into a polypropylene bag is trapped air. In order to make PP packaging a viable option for cement, this air needed to be managed back out of the process to achieve a uniform and stable
pack, which is a crucial ingredient for efficient palletisation. Achieving this, while maintaining the intended waterproof credentials of polypropylene and maintaining process speed is no mean task. However, this has been enabled by the latest technologies.
Film valve sacks, on the other hand, provide excellent moisture protection, and advertising on them is more effective as they hold print well, a factor which is key, particularly in the field of premium packaging.
"Valve sacks have the important benefit of being able to be filled on nozzle packers, which ensure a high filling output. Valve sack concepts are available in all three major materials (paper, pp-woven, PE-film). Important factors regarding filling speed and automated handling are deaeration performance and form stability," says W&H.
Packaging in cement production has to fulfil multiple needs like moisture protection, extended shelf-life, clean appearance and good handling, says W&H, while explaining the prerequisites for a cement bag. "Better stackability, pilfer-resistance, anti-counterfeit solution and better aesthetics are some of the reasons why the hot air sealed woven sacks have been preferred in the Indian market," added the W&H spokesperson. Besides, less flying of packaged product also helps cement users save cost. These benefits also help cement companies create a better brand image in the market-domestic or export.Store appearance
Look and feel of packaging, which was till recently confined to consumer goods packaging, is becoming an important parameter while selecting the medium of packaging even for the cement industry. Their importance is gaining prominence when it comes to product placement and communication to the end-customer, particularly about the sustainability angle of the product and/or its special strengths and features. As such, sacks need to present all marketing messages in an attractive way.
"Currently additional packaging features like carrying handle or easy opening feel an increasing market demand as those features present an added value regarding sack handling for the end-user," says W&H.
W&H is also seeing acceptance in India of high-end Biaxially-Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) laminated hot air sealed block bottom bags, which are much more expensive than the conventional sewn bags, and are amenable for printing very high quality photographic images. New automatic range
Automation is catching up with packaging processes of cement industry, of late. The technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate automatically as it is described is being opted for by the industry for taking advantage of its well-known attributes – increased productivity, more efficient use of materials, better product quality, improved safety and reduced factory lead times. The packaging automation has extended to loading of closed top and open top trucks or containers by now.
"In India, hot air sealed block bottom bags are the most used for high automation production. The benefit for bag producers is lower manpower requirement for producing as these bags are produced with high speeds and advance automation," says the W&H spokesperson.
AD PROTEX valve bags produced on CONVERTEX platform by W&H ideally combine minimum raw material usage, adhesive-free sack production and unequalled functionality of their box-shaped design. As a result, they are made in a particularly economical way, but can also be filled and palletized similarly as the conventional pasted valve bags. "Our new production line for cement valve packaging ensures the production of paper sacks which fulfil the requirements for automated high speed filling," the company said.
Packaging for dry powdered materials like cement has changed little in the last 40 years leaving the end user to cope with the problems associated with the industry standard paper valve sack. As a result problems such as dust, spillage and a relatively high wastage return rate caused by the ingress of water brought about by poor storage conditions have largely remained unchallenged.
However, domestic packaging manufacturer, Arodo has introduced it brand of vacuum bagging system that produces fully deaerated plastic packs that don’t feature perforations of any kind, addressing the concerns of cement manufacturers and their customers. It is projected as a waterproof and tamper-proof cement pack.
"The absence of perforations allows each individual pack to be stored or placed in the most arduous of weather conditions without risk of spoiling the product through water ingress," says Vikas Marwaha, Director, Arodo India Pvt Ltd. These packs have been placed outside and completely underwater for weeks before retrieving and using the product as if it had been freshly packed, Marwaha claims.
Windm?ller & H?lscher has developed CONVERTEX, which heat seals woven PP cross bottom bags and thus eliminates the need of glue for this type of bags. "During the last 10 years the output of the bottomer was more than doubled: from 60 bags per minute to 140 in the last model. This speed represents the technological leadership in this type of equipment," W&H said, stating that today, CONVERTEX forms the backbone of its extensive portfolio of the woven PP business.
High-quality PP tapes with tenacity up to 7 g/den and indexed micro-perforation provide the technological tools to be able to produce e.g. cement bags with a weight of 65 grams instead of the current global market standard of 80 grams. Drop tests with the LS Bags are done – with the result that LS bags easily excel conventional bags, W&H claims.
The AD proFilm MP sack, launched in 2015, is unusual in the sense that it uses hot air to seal the sacks. This means that it does not require adhesives, which can be the source of significant production costs and technical process limitations. It is manufactured on the AD PLASTIC 2 valve bottomer.
When the company was developing the new AD proFilm MP film valve sack, it chose to focus on two key factors: high moisture protection (MP = moisture-proof), and extending the product’s shelf life. It achieved these through the use of its innovative Breathing Chamber Technology – a ventilation chamber along the longitudinal seam of the sack. "This technology means that effective ventilation and high moisture protection are no longer mutually exclusive", explains Uwe K?hn, Head of Processing Products at W&H.
In a presentation made on June 21, 2017, Francesco Ferrandico, President-FLSmidth Ventomatic Cement Packaging said that the company’s automation systems range extends beyond filling of sacks to loading into trucks – open or closed. "FLSmidth Ventomatic provides the key product types and integrates them for fully automated packing plants," Ferrandico said while explaining about different packaging processes that include electronic rotary and inline packers; empty bag applicators; palletizing systems; loaders for closed trucks/containers; and loaders for open top trucks.
FLSmidth claims that its loaders for closed trucks/containers were the first full automatic pallet loading system in the market. Truck/container loaders significantly increase safety level and productivity and they do not use forklifts and relevant operators, it said. Its electronic rotary and inline packer’s equipment for filling bulk cement from silos into bags have an output from 60 tons/h up to 250 tons/h.
Depending on level of automation, packing plants consist of 2 – 8 packing lines, and at full automation, reduces required manpower per shift from 12 to 2 when going from complete manual to automation packing, but with the same output, FLSmidth added.Cementing growth
W&H has seen a huge growth in consumption of hot air sealed woven sacks in Indian market with several plants running already and more on order. It has also seen a trend in the market of use of high-end Biaxially-Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) laminated hot air sealed Block Bottom bags. "These bags are much more expensive than the conventional sewn bags, but are finding good acceptance in the Indian market. These bags can be printed with very high quality photographic images," W&H spokesperson said. We also expect increase in consumption of multiwall paper bags in the Indian market. The reasons are very interesting, innovations like high strength paper and water soluble paper done by paper industries.
As packaging industry’s growth is tied to the Indian economy and demand for cement and cement products, growth in these two elements are of critical importance for sustainability and growth of packaging industry in the country. Though the current trends in cement demand do not augur well for the packaging industry, the Union Budget released recently have some good news to bask under.
During the first eight months of FY2018 (2017-18), cement production witnessed a marginal growth of 0.6 per cent at 190.0 million MT compared to 188.8 million MT during the same period the previous year, leading rating agency ICRA said, citing various factors like weak real-estate activity, sand shortage and issues related to implementation of GST as reasons. Based on the current trend, it projected that cement demand is likely to report a modest demand growth of around 2 percent in FY2018.
In a pre-budget (January 31, 2018) analysis, Sabyasachi Majumdar, Senior Vice President & Group Head, ICRA Ratings, said "Going forward, the demand growth is likely to be driven by a pick-up in the housing segment – primarily affordable and rural housing, and infrastructure segment – primarily road and irrigation projects. However, new project announcements from the private sector continue to remain weak and revival of public-private partnership is crucial to improve the pace of infrastructure development."
"ICRA expects the capacity overhang and moderate demand growth to continue to keep the industry’s capacity utilisation level between 60-65 per cent over the medium term," Majumdar added.
However, the Union Budget 2018-19 released on February 1, 2018, has some good news for the cement industry. The move to boost the capital outlay of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (housing scheme) -Urban (PMAY-U) five-fold to Rs 31,500 crore, will aid some recovery in the otherwise muted urban-housing demand, which accounts for 30 per cent of cement demand, said leading rating firm, CRISIL in a post-budget report. Besides, increase in outlays for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and Railways by 11 per and 22 per cent respectively are expected to impact cement demand positively.
However, CRISIL had added a word of caution, when it said, "Healthy budget outlay for cement-intensive infrastructure segments like roadways, irrigation and railways should cement growth (infrastructure share estimated at 20 per cent). However, achievement of budgeted outlay to be key monitorable as some shortfall was observed in the previous fiscal."
There is a marginal negative stroke for the sector from the budget in the form of social welfare surcharge of 10 per cent on customs duty, which replaces the earlier 3 per cent education cess on custom duty of all imports. This will particularly affect the advanced packaging equipment imports.Looking ahead
Innovations are driving advancement of technologies and growth of the cement packaging segment globally over the recent years. India being one of the major producers of cement has to make inroads into the top echelons of the sector by increasing spending on research and development and entering into joint ventures with major global manufacturers to lower our import dependency in the long run.
Major cement manufacturers like UltraTech Cement, ACC, India Cement and Ambuja have to take the lead in this initiative. This is an imperative when all the major manufacturers have to take advantage of latest technologies and improve their global competitiveness. Full automation may come in handy in this regard by boosting productivity and quality. Reduction of manpower may not be as important for India as it is for many other countries. Labour being cheaper in the country, the companies have to weigh the social impact of full automation in comparison with social benefit of utilising the cheap manpower, if other parameters like quality and productivity are not affected.
Adoption of advanced technologies also means guarding against health hazards for employees and stakeholders, which will lead to attraction and retention of talent, a critical resource for success of any business. It will also lead to optimisation of costs and leads to higher competitiveness, which are essential for the prosperity of companies and the country.– BS SRINIVASALU REDDY
Factors to be considered for best packaging
The factors one should consider while searching for the best packaging production are:

Sack geometry
Sack converting
Sack design
Appearance
Stack design

Each aspect can be more or less important depending on the region and market the customer is looking for. Furthermore, different applications, availability of the respective materials, or even regional differences, sometimes with historical root causes may influence the decision. The supplier must be able to provide machines for the production of each sack type and after installation service.
Windm?ller & H?lscherCritical success factors in India
The following are the critical success factors (CSFs) that determine the future of a company or business, particularly for a player in the packaging equipment industry in India:

Technology
Price
Delivery
Performance standards
Cost of equipment, and
Low running cost
Possible upgrades to the product and
Aftersales/installation service
Compiled from different sources

Growth through productivity: FLSmidth CARICATECHTM automatic truck loader

Innovative development for loading all type of bags on all kind of trucks
Bag layers are picked up by a fork with a special roller way (no vacuum system required) while maintaining the traditional loading from the top Addresses trend of productivity improvements through automation in developing markets
CARICATECHTM replaces existing loading equipment without major process changes or rebuilds – targeting upgrades of existing packing lines

Concrete

Redefining Efficiency with Digitalisation

Published

2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

admin

Professor Procyon Mukherjee discusses how as the cement industry accelerates its shift towards digitalisation, data-driven technologies are becoming the mainstay of sustainability and control across the value chain.

The cement industry, long perceived as traditional and resistant to change, is undergoing a profound transformation driven by digital technologies. As global infrastructure demand grows alongside increasing pressure to decarbonise and improve productivity, cement manufacturers are adopting data-centric tools to enhance performance across the value chain. Nowhere is this shift more impactful than in grinding, which is the energy-intensive final stage of cement production, and in the materials that make grinding more efficient: grinding media and grinding aids.

The imperative for digitalisation
Cement production accounts for roughly 7 per cent to 8 per cent of global CO2 emissions, largely due to the energy intensity of clinker production and grinding processes. Digital solutions, such as AI-driven process controls and digital twins, are helping plants improve stability, cut fuel use and reduce emissions while maintaining consistent product quality. In one deployment alongside ABB’s process controls at a Heidelberg plant in Czechia, AI tools cut fuel use by 4 per cent and emissions by 2 per cent, while also improving operational stability.
Digitalisation in cement manufacturing encompasses a suite of technologies, broadly termed as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), AI and machine learning, predictive analytics, cloud-based platforms, advanced process control and digital twins, each playing a role in optimising various stages of production from quarrying to despatch.

Grinding: The crucible of efficiency and cost
Of all the stages in cement production, grinding is among the most energy-intensive, historically consuming large amounts of electricity and representing a significant portion of plant operating costs. As a result, optimising grinding operations has become central to digital transformation strategies.
Modern digital systems are transforming grinding mills from mechanical workhorses into intelligent, interconnected assets. Sensors throughout the mill measure parameters such as mill load, vibration, mill speed, particle size distribution, and power consumption. This real-time data, fed into machine learning and advanced process control (APC) systems, can dynamically adjust operating conditions to maintain optimal throughput and energy usage.
For example, advanced grinding systems now predict inefficient conditions, such as impending mill overload, by continuously analysing acoustic and vibration signatures. The system can then proactively adjust clinker feed rates and grinding media distribution to sustain optimal conditions, reducing energy consumption and improving consistency.

Digital twins: Seeing grinding in the virtual world
One of the most transformative digital tools applied in cement grinding is the digital twin, which a real-time virtual replica of physical equipment and processes. By integrating sensor data and
process models, digital twins enable engineers to simulate process variations and run ‘what-if’
scenarios without disrupting actual production. These simulations support decisions on variables such as grinding media charge, mill speed and classifier settings, allowing optimisation of energy use and product fineness.
Digital twins have been used to optimise kilns and grinding circuits in plants worldwide, reducing unplanned downtime and allowing predictive maintenance to extend the life of expensive grinding assets.

Grinding media and grinding aids in a digital era
While digital technologies improve control and prediction, materials science innovations in grinding media and grinding aids have become equally crucial for achieving performance gains.
Grinding media, which comprise the balls or cylinders inside mills, directly influence the efficiency of clinker comminution. Traditionally composed of high-chrome cast iron or forged steel, grinding media account for nearly a quarter of global grinding media consumption by application, with efficiency improvements translating directly to lower energy intensity.
Recent advancements include ceramic and hybrid media that combine hardness and toughness to reduce wear and energy losses. For example, manufacturers such as Sanxin New Materials in China and Tosoh Corporation in Japan have developed sub-nano and zirconia media with exceptional wear resistance. Other innovations include smart media embedded with sensors to monitor wear, temperature, and impact forces in real time, enabling predictive maintenance and optimal media replacement scheduling. These digitally-enabled media solutions can increase grinding efficiency by as much as 15 per cent.
Complementing grinding media are grinding aids, which are chemical additives that improve mill throughput and reduce energy consumption by altering the surface properties of particles, trapping air, and preventing re-agglomeration. Technology leaders like SIKA AG and GCP Applied Technologies have invested in tailored grinding aids compatible with AI-driven dosing platforms that automatically adjust additive concentrations based on real-time mill conditions. Trials in South America reported throughput improvements nearing 19 per cent when integrating such digital assistive dosing with process control systems.
The integration of grinding media data and digital dosing of grinding aids moves the mill closer to a self-optimising system, where AI not only predicts media wear or energy losses but prescribes optimal interventions through automated dosing and operational adjustments.

Global case studies in digital adoption
Several cement companies around the world exemplify digital transformation in practice.
Heidelberg Materials has deployed digital twin technologies across global plants, achieving up to 15 per cent increases in production efficiency and 20 per cent reductions in energy consumption by leveraging real-time analytics and predictive algorithms.
Holcim’s Siggenthal plant in Switzerland piloted AI controllers that autonomously adjusted kiln operations, boosting throughput while reducing specific energy consumption and emissions.
Cemex, through its AI and predictive maintenance initiatives, improved kiln availability and reduced maintenance costs by predicting failures before they occurred. Global efforts also include AI process optimisation initiatives to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.

Challenges and the road ahead
Despite these advances, digitalisation in cement grinding faces challenges. Legacy equipment may lack sensor readiness, requiring retrofits and edge-cloud connectivity upgrades. Data governance and integration across plants and systems remains a barrier for many mid-tier producers. Yet, digital transformation statistics show momentum: more than half of cement companies have implemented IoT sensors for equipment monitoring, and digital twin adoption is growing rapidly as part of broader Industry 4.0 strategies.
Furthermore, as digital systems mature, they increasingly support sustainability goals: reduced energy use, optimised media consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions. By embedding intelligence into grinding circuits and material inputs like grinding aids, cement manufacturers can strike a balance between efficiency and environmental stewardship.
Conclusion
Digitalisation is not merely an add-on to cement manufacturing. It is reshaping the competitive and sustainability landscape of an industry often perceived as inertia-bound. With grinding representing a nexus of energy intensity and cost, digital technologies from sensor networks and predictive analytics to digital twins offer new levers of control. When paired with innovations in grinding media and grinding aids, particularly those with embedded digital capabilities, plants can achieve unprecedented gains in efficiency, predictability and performance.
For global cement producers aiming to reduce costs and carbon footprints simultaneously, the future belongs to those who harness digital intelligence not just to monitor operations, but to optimise and evolve them continuously.

About the author:
Professor Procyon Mukherjee, ex-CPO Lafarge-Holcim India, ex-President Hindalco, ex-VP Supply Chain Novelis Europe, has been an industry leader in logistics, procurement, operations and supply chain management. His career spans 38 years starting from Philips, Alcan Inc (Indian Aluminum Company), Hindalco, Novelis and Holcim. He authored the book, ‘The Search for Value in Supply Chains’. He serves now as Visiting Professor in SP Jain Global, SIOM and as the Adjunct Professor at SBUP. He advises leading Global Firms including Consulting firms on SCM and Industrial Leadership and is a subject matter expert in aluminum and cement. An Alumnus of IIM Calcutta and Jadavpur University, he has completed the LH Senior Leadership Programme at IVEY Academy at Western University, Canada.

Concrete

Digital Pathways for Sustainable Manufacturing

Published

2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

admin

Dr Y Chandri Naidu, Chief Technology Officer, Nextcem Consulting highlights how digital technologies are enabling Indian cement plants to improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and transition toward sustainable, low-carbon manufacturing.

Cement manufacturing is inherently resource- and energy-intensive due to high-temperature clinkerisation and extensive material handling and grinding operations. In India, where cement demand continues to grow in line with infrastructure development, producers must balance capacity expansion with sustainability commitments. Energy costs constitute a major share of operating expenditure, while process-related carbon dioxide emissions from limestone calcination remain unavoidable.
Traditional optimisation approaches, which are largely dependent on operator experience, static control logic and offline laboratory analysis, have reached their practical limits. This is especially evident when higher levels of alternative fuel and raw materials (AFR) are introduced or when raw material variability increases.
Digital technologies provide a systematic pathway to manage this complexity by enabling
real-time monitoring, predictive optimisation and integrated decision-making across cement manufacturing operations.
Digital cement manufacturing is enabled through a layered architecture integrating operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT). At the base are plant instrumentation, analysers, and automation systems, which generate continuous process data. This data is contextualised and analysed using advanced analytics and AI platforms, enabling predictive and prescriptive insights for operators and management.

Digital optimisation of energy efficiency

Thermal energy optimisation
The kiln and calciner system accounts for approximately 60 per cent to 65 per cent of total energy consumption in an integrated cement plant. Digital optimisation focuses on reducing specific thermal energy consumption (STEC) while maintaining clinker quality and operational stability.
Advanced Process Control (APC) stabilises critical parameters such as burning zone temperature, oxygen concentration, kiln feed rate and calciner residence time. By minimising process variability, APC reduces the need for conservative over-firing. Artificial intelligence further enhances optimisation by learning nonlinear relationships between raw mix chemistry, AFR characteristics, flame dynamics and heat consumption.
Digital twins of kiln systems allow engineers to simulate operational scenarios such as increased AFR substitution, altered burner momentum or changes in raw mix burnability without operational risk. Indian cement plants adopting these solutions typically report STEC reductions in the range of 2 per cent to 5 per cent.
Electrical energy optimisation
Electrical energy consumption in cement plants is dominated by grinding systems, fans and material transport equipment. Machine learning–based optimisation continuously adjusts mill parameters such as separator speed, grinding pressure and feed rate to minimise specific power consumption while maintaining product fineness.
Predictive maintenance analytics identify inefficiencies caused by wear, fouling or imbalance in fans and motors. Plants implementing plant-wide electrical energy optimisation typically achieve
3 per cent to 7 per cent reduction in specific power consumption, contributing to both cost savings and indirect CO2 reduction.

Digital enablement of AFR
AFR challenges in the Indian context: Indian cement plants increasingly utilise biomass, refuse-derived fuel (RDF), plastic waste and industrial by-products. However, variability in calorific value, moisture, particle size, chlorine and sulphur content introduces combustion instability, build-up formation and emission risks.
Digital AFR management: Digital platforms integrate real-time AFR quality data from online analysers with historical kiln performance data. Machine learning models predict combustion behaviour, flame stability and emission trends for different AFR combinations. Based on these predictions, fuel feed distribution, primary and secondary air ratios, and burner momentum are dynamically adjusted to ensure stable kiln operation. Digitally enabled AFR management in cement plants will result in increased thermal substitution rates by 5-15 percentage points, reduced fossil fuel dependency, and improved kiln stability.

Digital resource and raw material optimisation
Raw mix control: Raw material variability directly affects kiln operation and clinker quality. AI-driven raw mix optimisation systems continuously adjust feed proportions to maintain target chemical parameters such as Lime Saturation Factor (LSF), Silica Modulus (SM), and Alumina Modulus (AM). This reduces corrective material usage and improves kiln thermal efficiency.
Clinker factor reduction: Reducing clinker factor through supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash, slag and calcined clay is a key decarbonisation lever. Digital models simulate blended cement performance, enabling optimisation of SCM proportions while maintaining strength and durability requirements.

Challenges and strategies for digital adoption
Key challenges in Indian cement plants include data quality limitations due to legacy instrumentation, resistance to algorithm-based decision-making, integration complexity across multiple OEM systems, and site-specific variability in raw materials and fuels.
Successful digital transformation requires strengthening the data foundation, prioritising high-impact use cases such as kiln APC and energy optimisation, adopting a human-in-the-loop approach, and deploying modular, scalable digital platforms with cybersecurity by design.

Future Outlook
Future digital cement plants will evolve toward autonomous optimisation, real-time carbon intensity tracking, and integration with emerging decarbonisation technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). Digital platforms will also support ESG reporting and regulatory compliance.
Digital pathways offer a practical and scalable solution for sustainable cement manufacturing in India. By optimising energy consumption, enabling higher AFR substitution and improving resource efficiency, digital technologies deliver measurable environmental and economic benefits. With appropriate data infrastructure, organisational alignment and phased implementation, digital transformation will remain central to the Indian cement industry’s low-carbon transition.

About the author:
Dr Y Chandri Naidu is a cement industry professional with 30+ years of experience in process optimisation, quality control and quality assistance, energy conservation and sustainable manufacturing, across leading organisations including NCB, Ramco, Prism, Ultratech, HIL, NCL and Vedanta. He is known for guiding teams, developing innovative plant solutions and promoting environmentally responsible cement production. He is also passionate about mentoring professionals and advancing durable, resource efficient technologies for future of construction materials.

Concrete

Turning Downtime into Actionable Intelligence

Published

2 weeks ago

February 19, 2026

admin

Stoppage Insights instantly identifies root causes and maps their full operational impact.

In cement, mining and minerals processing operations, every unplanned stoppage equals lost production and reduced profitability. Yet identifying what caused a stoppage remains frustratingly complex. A single motor failure can trigger cascading interlocks and alarm floods, burying the root cause under layers of secondary events. Operators and maintenance teams waste valuable time tracing event chains when they should be solving problems. Until now.
Our latest innovation to our ECS Process Control Solution(1) eliminates this complexity. Stoppage Insights, available with the combined updates to our ECS/ControlCenter™ (ECS) software and ACESYS programming library, transforms stoppage events into clear, actionable intelligence. The system automatically identifies the root cause of every stoppage – whether triggered by alarms, interlocks, or operator actions – and maps all affected equipment. Operators can click any stopped motor’s faceplate to view what caused the shutdown instantly. The Stoppage UI provides a complete record of all stoppages with drill-down capabilities, replacing manual investigation with immediate answers.

Understanding root cause in Stoppage Insights
In Stoppage Insights, ‘root cause’ refers to the first alarm, interlock, or operator action detected by the control system. While this may not reveal the underlying mechanical, electrical or process failure that a maintenance team may later discover, it provides an actionable starting point for rapid troubleshooting and response. And this is where Stoppage Insights steps ahead of traditional first-out alarm systems (ISA 18.2). In this older type of system, the first alarm is identified in a group. This is useful, but limited, as it doesn’t show the complete cascade of events, distinguish between operator-initiated and alarm-triggered stoppages, or map downstream impacts. In contrast, Stoppage Insights provides complete transparency:

Comprehensive capture: Records both regular operator stops and alarm-triggered shutdowns.
Complete impact visibility: Maps all affected equipment automatically.
Contextual clarity: Eliminates manual tracing through alarm floods, saving critical response time.

David Campain, Global Product Manager for Process Control Systems, says, “Stoppage Insights takes fault analysis to the next level. Operators and maintenance engineers no longer need to trace complex event chains. They see the root cause clearly and can respond quickly.”

Driving results
1.Driving results for operations teams
Stoppage Insights maximises clarity to minimise downtime, enabling operators to:
• Rapidly identify root causes to shorten recovery time.
• View initiating events and all affected units in one intuitive interface.
• Access complete records of both planned and unplanned stoppages

Driving results for maintenance and reliability teams
Stoppage Insights helps prioritise work based on evidence, not guesswork:
• Access structured stoppage data for reliability programmes.
• Replace manual logging with automated, exportable records for CMMS, ERP or MES.(2)
• Identify recurring issues and target preventive maintenance effectively.
A future-proof and cybersecure foundation
Our Stoppage Insights feature is built on the latest (version 9) update to our ACESYS advanced programming library. This industry-leading solution lies at the heart of the ECS process control system. Its structured approach enables fast engineering and consistent control logic across hardware platforms from Siemens, Schneider, Rockwell, and others.
In addition to powering Stoppage Insights, ACESYS v9 positions the ECS system for open, interoperable architectures and future-proof automation. The same structured data used by Stoppage Insights supports AI-driven process control, providing the foundation for machine learning models and advanced analytics.
The latest releases also respond to the growing risk of cyberattacks on industrial operational technology (OT) infrastructure, delivering robust cybersecurity. The latest ECS software update (version 9.2) is certified to IEC 62443-4-1 international cybersecurity standards, protecting your process operations and reducing system vulnerability.

What’s available now and what’s coming next?
The ECS/ControlCenter 9.2 and ACESYS 9 updates, featuring Stoppage Insights, are available now for:

Greenfield projects.
ECS system upgrades.
Brownfield replacement of competitor systems.
Stoppage Insights will also soon integrate with our ECS/UptimeGo downtime analysis software. Stoppage records, including root cause identification and affected equipment, will flow seamlessly into UptimeGo for advanced analytics, trending and long-term reliability reporting. This integration creates a complete ecosystem for managing and improving plant uptime.

(1) The ECS Process Control Solution for cement, mining and minerals processing combines proven control strategies with modern automation architecture to optimise plant performance, reduce downtime and support operational excellence.
(2) CMMS refers to computerised maintenance management systems; ERP, to enterprise resource planning; and MES to manufacturing execution systems.