Concrete

What does efficiency look like at cement plantâ€™s loading bay?

Published

5 years ago

March 5, 2021

admin

The expansion of Indian cement industry over the last two decades has been remarkable and the prospects for demand and growth are exceptional. While the industry is focusing on modernisation and sustainability; one area that needs a bit more focus is the packing, loading and dispatch operations. Many plants still operate a semi or even wholly manual packing and loading process and the use of non-laminated HDPE bags is widespread.

Of course, it doesn?? have to be this way. The technology exists to totally modernise the packing, loading and dispatch process. It is already being used in factories around the world. Automation is giving cement plants an opportunity to eliminate bottlenecks in the loading bay. Increase the throughput in the packing plant and, in short, get more high-quality product out to customers. That is the potential of an efficient cement dispatch unit.

FLSmidth has been operating in India for a very long time. We know the market very well and we have had a lot of success here, but we??e also faced some challenges. The biggest of these is the lack of uniformity among empty bag manufacturers and the variation in truck dimensions. Automated truck loaders are typically designed to work within the scope of the dimensions provided by manufacturers, but they rely on those dimensions staying within the established range.

We are big believers in building solutions ??not products. Providing great technology is not enough. It has to work for you, now. So having talked with our Indian cement plant customers, we set about developing a more flexible automatic truck loading equipment.

Indian trucks are a thing of beauty ??not homogeny. Lengths range from 6 to 14 m. Internal widths vary from 2 to 2.5 m. Some have high fixed lateral sides that cannot be removed. All of this poses an interesting challenge to automated truck loading. Add to that the fact that customers wish to keep the same straight bag loading pattern used with manual loading to avoid extra unloading costs. And then the difficulties that come with the (currently extensive) use of HDPE non-laminated bags, which do not typically work so well with automated loading machines as the more internationally used paper and WPP glued valve bags.

Increasing efficiency in packaging and loading operations

In practice, an efficient dispatch operation comprises:

A degree of automation that allows you to significantly optimise human intervention and create a safer and more productive working conditions.
Optimisation of every piece of equipment in terms of output, weighing accuracy and reliability, reducing both the downtime required for maintenance and the number of spare parts needed.
Reduced dust emissions and a cleaner working environment and bag quality.
Optimum bag handling to ensure product is protected.
Ability to satisfy market demand, both in terms of quantity and the preferred means of delivery ??i.e. truck or rail ??with flexibility built in.
Best possible configuration of the loading plant and packing area for the utmost safety, productivity and flexibility.

Intelligent bag loading technology

Using the traditional top bag-loading principle, the CARICATECH??forms the bag layer above the truck and then transfers the layer onto the truck platform. What differentiates the CARICATECH??is that bag layers are formed on a special roller bed and then picked up and positioned on the truck by forks. With the CARICATECH SB model, the loading pattern is adjusted to the truck dimensions automatically to match with manual loading pattern.

Setting loading parameters is easy and intuitive. It is possible to make changes to the loading parameters in real time. But the biggest benefit is the diversity of automatic loading capabilities. It?? possible to handle different bag sizes, pattern configurations (interlocked or not, Fig 1), and loading modes (flat and/or pyramidal loading) with a different number of bags per layer, layer by layer, completely automatically.

The CARICATECH??model for loading interlocked or straight bag layers has already been implemented, where loading bay space is limited and therefore needs to be highly efficient to avoid a bottleneck. This design version can handle up to 3300 bags per hour and is flexible enough to cope with a range of bag types and truck dimensions in use. The loading operation is now completely automated and is controlled remotely with cameras and monitors to supervise, avoiding the need to put an operator in a high-risk condition.

This technology has the ability to revolutionise truck loading in India, enabling higher capacities and faster loading operations than ever before. Moreover, the CARICATECH??is future-proof and will be equally efficient ??in fact, more efficient ??if the market moves away from HDPE non-laminated bags.

For more details:

Ashish Kumar Srivastava

Email: Ashishkumar.Srivastava@Flsmidth.com

Vikesh Singh

Email: Vikesh.Singh@flsmidth.com

Satyender Sehgal

Email: Satyender.sehgal@flsmidth.com

Concrete

Steel: Shielded or Strengthened?

CW explores the impact of pro-steel policies on construction and infrastructure and identifies gaps that need to be addressed.

Published

20 hours ago

January 31, 2026

admin

Going forward, domestic steel mills are targeting capacity expansion
of nearly 40 per cent through till FY31, adding 80-85 mt, translating
into an investment pipeline of $ 45-50 billion. So, Jhunjhunwala points
out that continuing the safeguard duty will be vital to prevent a surge
in imports and protect domestic prices from external shocks. While in
FY26, the industry operating profit per tonne is expected to hold at
around $ 108, similar to last year, the industry’s earnings must
meaningfully improve from hereon to sustain large-scale investments.
Else, domestic mills could experience a significant spike in industry
leverage levels over the medium term, increasing their vulnerability to
external macroeconomic shocks.(~$ 60/tonne) over the past one month,
compressing the import parity discount to ~$ 23-25/tonne from previous
highs of ~$ 70-90/tonne, adds Jhunjhunwala. With this, he says, “the
industry can expect high resistance to further steel price increases.”

Domestic HRC prices have increased by ~Rs 5,000/tonne
“Aggressive
capacity additions (~15 mt commissioned in FY25, with 5 mt more by
FY26) have created a supply overhang, temporarily outpacing demand
growth of ~11-12 mt,” he says…

To read the full article Click Here

Concrete

JK Cement Commissions 3 MTPA Buxar Plant, Crosses 31 MTPA

Company becomes India’s fifth-largest grey cement producer

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

admin

JK Cement has commissioned its new 3 MTPA grey cement plant in Buxar, Bihar, taking the company’s total installed capacity to 31.26 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and moving it past the 30 MTPA milestone. With this addition, JK Cement now ranks among the top five grey cement manufacturers in India, strengthening its national presence.

Commenting on the development, Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Managing Director, JK Cement, said, “Crossing 31 MTPA is a significant turning point in JK Cement’s expansion and demonstrates the scale, resilience, and aspirations of our company. In addition to making a significant contribution to Bihar’s development vision, the commissioning of our Buxar plant represents a strategic step towards expanding our national footprint. We are committed to developing top-notch manufacturing capabilities that boost India’s infrastructure development and generate long-term benefits for local communities.”

Spread across 100 acres, the Buxar plant is located on the Patna–Buxar highway, enabling efficient distribution across Bihar and neighbouring regions. While JK Cement entered the Bihar market last year through supplies from its Prayagraj plant, the new facility will allow local manufacturing and deliveries within 24 hours across the state.

Mr Madhavkrishna Singhania, Joint Managing Director & CEO, JK Cement, said, “JK Cement is now among India’s top five producers of grey cement after the Buxar plant commissioning. Our capacity to serve Bihar locally, more effectively, and on a larger scale is strengthened by this facility. Although we had already entered the Bihar market last year using Prayagraj supplies, local manufacturing now enables us to be nearer to our clients and significantly raise service standards throughout the state. Buxar places us at the center of this chance to promote sustainable growth for both the company and the region in Bihar, a high-growth market with strong infrastructure momentum.”

The project has involved an investment of Rs 5 billion. Commercial production began on 29 January 2026, following construction commencement in March 2025. The company said the plant is expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment and support ancillary industrial development in the region.

Concrete

JK Cement Crosses 31 MTPA Capacity with Commissioning of Buxar Plant in Bihar

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

admin

JK Cement has commissioned a 3 MTPA Grey Cement plant in Buxar, Bihar, taking its total capacity to 31.26 MTPA and placing it among India’s top five grey cement producers. The ₹500 crore investment strengthens the company’s national footprint while supporting Bihar’s infrastructure growth and local economic development.

JK Cement Ltd., one of India’s leading cement manufacturers, has announced the commissioning of its new state-of-the-art Grey Cement plant in Buxar, Bihar, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth trajectory. With the commissioning of this facility, JK Cement’s total production capacity has increased to 31.26 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), enabling the company to cross the 30 MTPA threshold.

This expansion positions JK Cement among the top five Grey Cement manufacturers in India, strengthening its national footprint and reinforcing its long-term growth strategy.

Commenting on the strategic achievement, Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Managing Director, JK Cement, said, “Crossing 31 MTPA is a significant turning point in JK Cement’s expansion and demonstrates the scale, resilience, and aspirations of our company. In addition to making a significant contribution to Bihar’s development vision, the commissioning of our Buxar plant represents a strategic step towards expanding our national footprint. We are committed to developing top-notch manufacturing capabilities that boost India’s infrastructure development and generate long-term benefits for local communities.”

The Buxar plant has a capacity of 3 MTPA and is spread across 100 acres. Strategically located on the Patna–Buxar highway, the facility enables faster and more efficient distribution across Bihar and adjoining regions. While JK Cement entered the Bihar market last year through supplies from its Prayagraj plant, the Buxar facility will now allow the company to serve the state locally, with deliveries possible within 24 hours across Bihar.

Sharing his views on the expansion, Madhavkrishna Singhania, Joint Managing Director & CEO, JK Cement, said, “JK Cement is now among India’s top five producers of grey cement after the Buxar plant commissioning. Our capacity to serve Bihar locally, more effectively, and on a larger scale is strengthened by this facility. Although we had already entered the Bihar market last year using Prayagraj supplies, local manufacturing now enables us to be nearer to our clients and significantly raise service standards throughout the state. Buxar places us at the center of this chance to promote sustainable growth for both the company and the region in Bihar, a high-growth market with strong infrastructure momentum.”

The new facility represents a strategic step in supporting Bihar’s development vision by ensuring faster access to superior quality cement for infrastructure, housing, and commercial projects. JK Cement has invested approximately ₹500 crore in the project. Construction began in March 2025, and commercial production commenced on January 29, 2026.

In addition to strengthening JK Cement’s regional presence, the Buxar plant is expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment opportunities and attract ancillary industries, thereby contributing to the local economy and the broader industrial ecosystem.