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Engineering safer conveyors: Art meets science

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All new conveyor systems will inevitably succumb to the punishing bulk handling environment and begin the slow process of degradation. The system will eventually require more time and labor for maintenance, shorter spans between outages, longer periods of downtime, and an ever-increasing cost of operation. This period is also accompanied by an increased chance of injury or fatality as workers are progressively exposed to the equipment to perform cleaning, maintenance and to fabricate short-term fixes to long-term problems. A total system replacement is cost- prohibitive, but to remain compliant and/or meet ever-increasing production demands, upgrades and repairs are unavoidable.

When examining the safety of a system, improving efficiency and reducing risk can be achieved by utilizing a hierarchy of control methods for alleviating hazards. The consensus among safety professionals is that the most effective way to mitigate risks is to design the hazard out of the component or system. This usually requires a greater initial capital investment than short-term fixes, but yields more cost-effective and durable results.

Science: Hierarchy of control methods

Examining the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) accident database reveals the dangers of working around conveyors.[1] Studies have revealed that the highest prevalence of accidents is near locations where cleaning and maintenance activities most frequently take place: take-up pulley, tail pulley, and head pulley.

Designs should be forward-thinking, exceeding compliance standards and enhancing operators??ability to incorporate future upgrades cost-effectively and easily by taking a modular approach. Designing hazards out of the system means alleviating causes with the intent to bolster safety on a conveyor system, but the methods of protecting workers can vary greatly.

In many cases, it will be necessary to use more than one control method, by incorporating lower-ranked controls. However, these lower-ranking approaches are best considered as support measures, rather than solutions in and of themselves.

PPE includes respirators, safety goggles, blast shields, hard hats, hearing protectors, gloves, face shields, and footwear, providing a barrier between the wearer and the hazard. Downsides are that they can be worn improperly, may be uncomfortable to use through an entire shift, can be difficult to monitor and offer a false sense of security. But the bottom line is that they do not address the source of the problem.

Administrative controls (changes to the way people work) create a policy that articulates a commitment to safety, but written guidelines can be easily shelved and forgotten. These controls can be taken a step further by establishing ??ctive??procedures to minimise the risks. For example, supervisors can schedule shifts that limit exposure and require more training for personnel, but these positive steps still do not remove the exposure and causes of hazards.

Warning Signage is generally required by law, so this is less of a method than a compliance issue. It should be posted in plain sight, clearly understood and washed when dirty or replaced when faded. Like most lower-tier methods, signs do not remove the hazard and are easily ignored.

Installing systems such as engineering controls that allow remote monitoring and control of equipment??r guards such as gates and inspection doors that obstruct access??reatly reduce exposure, but again, do not remove the hazard.

Using the substitute method replaces something that produces a hazard with a piece of equipment or change in material that eliminates the hazard. For example, the manual clearing of a clogged hopper could be replaced by installing remotely triggered air cannons.

Examples of eliminate by design are longer, taller, and tightly sealed loading chutes to control dust and spillage or heavy-duty primary and secondary cleaners to minimize carryback. By using hazard identification and risk-assessment methods early in the design process, engineers can create the safest, most efficient system for space, budget, and application.

Economic analysis of prevention through design (PtD)

Another way of saying ??liminate by design??is PtD (Prevention through Design), the term used by The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). As a department of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the organisation spearheaded the PtD initiative.[3] In its report, the Institute points out that, while the underlying causes vary, studies of workplace accidents implicate ??ystem design??in 37 per cent of job-related fatalities.

Cost is most often the main inhibitor to PtD, which is why it?? best to implement safer designs in the planning and initial construction stages, rather than retrofitting the system later. The added engineering cost of PtD is often less than an additional 10 per cent of engineering but has enormous benefits in improved safety and increased productivity.

The cost of PtD initiatives after initial construction can be three to five times as much as when the improvement is incorporated in the design stage. The biggest cause of expensive retroactive improvements is cutting corners initially by seeking the lowest-bid contracts.

Low-bid process and lifecycle cost

Although the policy is generally not explicitly stated by companies, the low-bid process is usually an implied rule that is baked into a company?? culture. It encourages bidders to follow a belt conveyor design methodology that is based on getting the maximum load on the conveyor belt and the minimum compliance with regulations using the lowest price materials, components, and manufacturing processes available.

But when companies buy on price, the benefits are often short-lived, and costs increase over time, eventually resulting in losses. In contrast, when purchases are made based on lowest long-term cost (lifecycle cost), benefits usually continue to accrue and costs are lower, resulting in net savings over time.??sup>[4]

The Art: Design Hierarchy

Rather than meeting minimum compliance standards, the conveyor system should exceed all code, safety, and regulatory requirements using global best practices. By designing the system to minimize risk and the escape and accumulation of fugitive material, the workplace is made safer and the equipment is easier to maintain.

Life cycle costing should play into all component decisions. Buying on lifecycle cost and anticipating the future use of problem-solving components in the basic configuration of the conveyor provides improved safety and access, without increasing the structural steel requirements or significantly increasing the overall price. It also raises the possibility for easier system upgrades in the future.

Best practices: The ??a href=’https://indiancementreview.quintype.com/story/5985400b-6cad-4420-a931-43741b043db2’>Evolved Basic Conveyor??/strong>

Using the hierarchy of controls along with the design hierarchy, engineers will be able to construct an ??volved basic conveyor??that meets the needs of modern production and safety demands. Built competitively with a few modifications in critical areas, an evolved basic conveyor is a standard bulk material handling conveyor designed to allow easy retrofitting of new components that improve operation and safety, solving or preventing common maintenance problems.

Installing or providing maintenance-minded solutions in the loading zone can greatly improve safety and reduce man-hours and downtime. These components include slide-in/slide-out idlers, impact cradles and support cradles. On larger conveyors, maintenance aids such as overhead monorails or jib cranes assist in the movement and replacement of components. Also, designers should ensure adequate access to utilities??ypically electricity and/or compressed air??o facilitate maintenance and performance. Next-generation conveyor designs may even feature a specially-engineered idler capped with an independent power generator that uses the conveyor?? movement to generate power for a wide array of autonomous equipment.

Dust, spillage, and belt tracking are top concerns for many safety professionals. Field tests have shown that enlarged skirtboards and engineered settling zones promote dust settling, and reduce fugitive material. Curved loading and discharge chutes control the cargo transfer for centered placement and reduced turbulence. As the load is centered on the belt, guides ensure even travel through the takeup to promote consistent belt tracking.

Any transfer point is prone to buildup and clogging under the right conditions, be it ambient humidity, material wetness, volume or surface grade. Flow aids such as vibrators or air cannons on chutes can sustain the material movement, improve equipment life and reduced the safety hazards associated with manually clearing clogs.

Conclusion

Engineering safer conveyors is a long-term strategy. Although design absorbs less than 10 percent of the total budget of a project, additional upfront engineering and applying a life cycle-cost methodology to the selection and purchase of conveyor components proves beneficial.

By encouraging the use of the hierarchy of controls at the planning stage, along with the design hierarchy at the design stage, the system will likely meet the demands of modern production and safety regulations, with a longer operational life, fewer stoppages, and a lower cost of operation.

References

1. Conveyor Accident Database, OSHA, US Dept. of Labor. Washington, DC. 2018. https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/AccidentSearch.search?acc_keyword=%22Conveyor%20Belt%22&keyword_list=on

2. ??oundations for Conveyor Safety?? Ch. 31, pgs. 404-440. Martin Engineering. Worzalla Publishing Company, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. 2016. https://www.martin-eng.com/content/product/690/safety-book

3. Howard, John, M.D. ??revention through Design: Plan for the National Initiative?? National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Department Of Health And Human Services. Washington, DC. 2010. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2011-121/pdfs/2011-121.pdf

4. Swinderman, R. Todd. ??he Economics of Workplace Safety: Putting a price on material handling mishaps.??Coal Age. Vol. 123, No. 3, pg. 28-31. April, 2018. https://www.coalage.com/features/the-economics-of-workplace-safety/


Copyright: Martin Engineering
Safety improves as the type of hazard control moves higher up the hierarchy of methods.


Copyright: Martin Engineering
Incorporating effective hazard control techniques are easier and less costly in the early stages of a project. [2]


Copyright: Martin Engineering
Risk assessment applied to design helps create a safer conveyor system.


Copyright: Martin Engineering
The return on better design and quality is realized over the extended life and safety of the system.


Copyright: Martin Engineering
Rather than meeting minimum compliance standards, conveyor
systems should exceed code, safety and regulatory requirements.


Copyright: Martin Engineering
Components of an evolved basic conveyor facilitate operations, maintenance and safety.


Copyright: Martin Engineering

A properly configured conveyor minimizes emissions for improved safety and easier maintenance.

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Concrete

Our strategy is to establish reliable local partnerships

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18 hours ago

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February 19, 2026

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Jean-Jacques Bois, President, Nanolike, discusses how real-time data is reshaping cement delivery planning and fleet performance.

As cement producers look to extract efficiency gains beyond the plant gate, real-time visibility and data-driven logistics are becoming critical levers of competitiveness. In this interview with Jean-Jacques Bois, President, Nanolike, we discover how the company is helping cement brands optimise delivery planning by digitally connecting RMC silos, improving fleet utilisation and reducing overall logistics costs.

How does SiloConnect enable cement plants to optimise delivery planning and logistics in real time?
In simple terms, SiloConnect is a solution developed to help cement suppliers optimise their logistics by connecting RMC silos in real time, ensuring that the right cement is delivered at the right time and to the right location. The core objective is to provide real-time visibility of silo levels at RMC plants, allowing cement producers to better plan deliveries.
SiloConnect connects all the silos of RMC plants in real time and transmits this data remotely to the logistics teams of cement suppliers. With this information, they can decide when to dispatch trucks, how to prioritise customers, and how to optimise fleet utilisation. The biggest savings we see today are in logistics efficiency. Our customers are able to sell and ship more cement using the same fleet. This is achieved by increasing truck rotation, optimising delivery routes, and ultimately delivering the same volumes at a lower overall logistics cost.
Additionally, SiloConnect is designed as an open platform. It offers multiple connectors that allow data to be transmitted directly to third-party ERP systems. For example, it can integrate seamlessly with SAP or other major ERP platforms, enabling automatic order creation whenever replenishment is required.

How does your non-exclusive sensor design perform in the dusty, high-temperature, and harsh operating conditions typical of cement plants?
Harsh operating conditions such as high temperatures, heavy dust, extreme cold in some regions, and even heavy rainfall are all factored into the product design. These environmental challenges are considered from the very beginning of the development process.
Today, we have thousands of sensors operating reliably across a wide range of geographies, from northern Canada to Latin America, as well as in regions with heavy rainfall and extremely high temperatures, such as southern Europe. This extensive field experience demonstrates that, by design, the SiloConnect solution is highly robust and well-suited for demanding cement plant environments.

Have you initiated any pilot projects in India, and what outcomes do you expect from them?
We are at the very early stages of introducing SiloConnect in India. Recently, we installed our
first sensor at an RMC plant in collaboration with FDC Concrete, marking our initial entry into the Indian market.
In parallel, we are in discussions with a leading cement producer in India to potentially launch a pilot project within the next three months. The goal of these pilots is to demonstrate real-time visibility, logistics optimisation and measurable efficiency gains, paving the way for broader adoption across the industry.

What are your long-term plans and strategic approach for working with Indian cement manufacturers?
For India, our strategy is to establish strong and reliable local partnerships, which will allow us to scale the technology effectively. We believe that on-site service, local presence, and customer support are critical to delivering long-term value to cement producers.
Ideally, our plan is to establish an Indian entity within the next 24 months. This will enable us to serve customers more closely, provide faster support and contribute meaningfully to the digital transformation of logistics and supply chain management in the Indian cement industry.

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Concrete

Compliance and growth go hand in h and

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18 hours ago

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February 19, 2026

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Pankaj Kejriwal, Whole Time Director and COO, Star Cement, on driving efficiency today and designing sustainability for tomorrow.

In an era where the cement industry is under growing pressure to decarbonise while scaling capacity, Star Cement is charting a pragmatic yet forward-looking path. In this conversation, Pankaj Kejriwal, Whole Time Director and COO, Star Cement, shares how the company is leveraging waste heat recovery, alternative fuels, low-carbon products and clean energy innovations to balance operational efficiency with long-term sustainability.

How has your Lumshnong plant implemented the 24.8 MW Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS), and what impact has it had on thermal substitution and energy costs?
Earlier, the cost of coal in the Northeast was quite reasonable, but over the past few years, global price increases have also impacted the region. We implemented the WHRS project about five years ago, and it has resulted in significant savings by reducing our overall power costs.
That is why we first installed WHRS in our older kilns, and now it has also been incorporated into our new projects. Going forward, WHRS will be essential for any cement plant. We are also working on utilising the waste gases exiting the WHRS, which are still at around 100 degrees Celsius. To harness this residual heat, we are exploring systems based on the Organic Rankine Cycle, which will allow us to extract additional power from the same process.

With the launch of Star Smart Building Solutions and AAC blocks, how are you positioning yourself in the low-carbon construction materials segment?
We are actively working on low-carbon cement products and are currently evaluating LC3 cement. The introduction of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks provided us with an effective entry into the consumer-facing segment of the industry. Since we already share a strong dealer network across products, this segment fits well into our overall strategy.
This move is clearly supporting our transition towards products with lower carbon intensity and aligns with our broader sustainability roadmap.

With a diverse product portfolio, what are the key USPs that enable you to support India’s ongoing infrastructure projects across sectors?
Cement requirements vary depending on application. There is OPC, PPC and PSC cement, and each serves different infrastructure needs. We manufacture blended cements as well, which allows us to supply products according to specific project requirements.
For instance, hydroelectric projects, including those with NHPC, have their own technical norms, which we are able to meet. From individual home builders to road infrastructure, dam projects, and regions with heavy monsoon exposure, where weather-shield cement is required, we are equipped to serve all segments. Our ability to tailor cement solutions across diverse climatic and infrastructure conditions is a key strength.

How are you managing biomass usage, circularity, and waste reduction across
your operations?
The Northeast has been fortunate in terms of biomass availability, particularly bamboo. Earlier, much of this bamboo was supplied to paper plants, but many of those facilities have since shut down. As a result, large quantities of bamboo biomass are now available, which we utilise in our thermal power plants, achieving a Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) of nearly 60 per cent.
We have also started using bamboo as a fuel in our cement kilns, where the TSR is currently around 10 per cent to 12 per cent and is expected to increase further. From a circularity perspective, we extensively use fly ash, which allows us to reuse a major industrial waste product. Additionally, waste generated from HDPE bags is now being processed through our alternative fuel and raw material (AFR) systems. These initiatives collectively support our circular economy objectives.

As Star Cement expands, what are the key logistical and raw material challenges you face in scaling operations?
Fly ash availability in the Northeast is a constraint, as there are no major thermal power plants in the region. We currently source fly ash from Bihar and West Bengal, which adds significant logistics costs. However, supportive railway policies have helped us manage this challenge effectively.
Beyond the Northeast, we are also expanding into other regions, including the western region, to cater to northern markets. We have secured limestone mines through auctions and are now in the process of identifying and securing other critical raw material resources to support this expansion.

With increasing carbon regulations alongside capacity expansion, how do you balance compliance while sustaining growth?
Compliance and growth go hand in hand for us. On the product side, we are working on LC3 cement and other low-carbon formulations. Within our existing product portfolio, we are optimising operations by increasing the use of green fuels and improving energy efficiency to reduce our carbon footprint.
We are also optimising thermal energy consumption and reducing electrical power usage. Notably, we are the first cement company in the Northeast to deploy EV tippers at scale for limestone transportation from mines to plants. Additionally, we have installed belt conveyors for limestone transfer, which further reduces emissions. All these initiatives together help us achieve regulatory compliance while supporting expansion.

Looking ahead to 2030 and 2050, what are the key innovation and sustainability priorities for Star Cement?
Across the cement industry, carbon capture is emerging as a major focus area, and we are also planning to work actively in this space. In parallel, we see strong potential in green hydrogen and are investing in solar power plants to support this transition.
With the rapid adoption of solar energy, power costs have reduced dramatically – from 10–12 per unit to around2.5 per unit. This reduction will enable the production of green hydrogen at scale. Once available, green hydrogen can be used for electricity generation, to power EV fleets, and even as a fuel in cement kilns.
Burning green hydrogen produces only water and oxygen, eliminating carbon emissions from that part of the process. While process-related CO2 emissions from limestone calcination remain a challenge, carbon capture technologies will help address this. Ultimately, while becoming a carbon-negative industry is challenging, it is a goal we must continue to work towards.

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Concrete

Turning Downtime into Actionable Intelligence

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18 hours ago

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February 19, 2026

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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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

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