Concrete

Cement companies are investing in new age technologies

Published

3 years ago

April 21, 2022

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Arvind Kakru, Director Sales, Rockwell Automation, talks about the difference digitisation can make in the cement manufacturing and distribution processes, its long term impact and its contribution to the sustainability efforts of the industry as a whole.

How important is digital transformation in cement plants? How can it impact the business positively?

The cement plant of the future will have to focus on lower operating costs and higher asset values, which would mean higher energy efficiency, yield and throughput. The big levers for the cement plants would be carbon emission, yield and energy throughput, process utilisations, automations, and more.

The objective or the ultimate gains that people are looking at are demand driven production, streamline quality and compliance, data and knowledge driven efficiency, risk management and secure operation of the plant.

Tell us about the technology supporting the ‘Connected Cement Plant’.

You look at multiple levels in a particular program, one of the things is the devices operating on the shop floor or the manufacturing site. They have to be intelligent otherwise how will you get the data? So, we have to ensure that all of the data on the field level are intelligent devices, as in they have control over the process, they have sensors in place and have software connectivity which throws off the data on the larger enterprise level.

Data plays a huge role in bringing operational and productivity efficiency by connecting assets, people and information. How does your organisation make that happen through digital automation?

We start with smart devices, smart machines at some place, which enables the data to be thrown up at the enterprise level. Then the process automation and the package power overall which results in overall operation efficiency and modern technologies here improve the performance of process, equipment and people. A smart device we have a smart device and manufacturing overall connecting all the individual cells in a particular manufacturing environment and then taking it to larger manufacturing. Then looking at third party integration, market visibility which is from mining to market right where our consumers are and connected workforce.

What kind of innovative technological solutions for the cement plants can be expected in the future from your organisation?

We have been looking at some of the solutions already with some of the other industries where we have taken a lead. Cement did not used to be organised before and now that we see a lot of things coming in from the market point of view, regulatory point of view, sustainability point of view, helping people or cement manufacturers or the decision makers who focus aggressively on some of these things.

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Cement companies are investing in new age technologies

Concrete

SAIL Supplies 45,000 Tonne of Steel for Mahakumbh Mela 2025

SAIL had previously provided steel for the Mahakumbh Mela in 2013.

Published

3 days ago

January 10, 2025

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Steel Authority of India (SAIL), a Maharatna and India’s largest steel-making public sector company, has supplied around 45,000 tonne of steel for the upcoming Mahakumbh Mela 2025, which is set to take place in Prayagraj. This total supply includes chequered plates, hot strip mill plates, mild steel plates, angles, and joists. SAIL had previously provided steel for the Mahakumbh Mela in 2013, demonstrating its on-going commitment to supporting this significant public event.

The steel supplied by SAIL will be integral to the construction of various temporary structures required for the smooth and successful execution of Mahakumbh Mela 2025. These structures include pontoon bridges, passageways, temporary steel bridges, substations, and flyovers. The key customers for this steel supply include the Public Works Department (PWD), Uttar Pradesh State Bridges Corporation, the Electricity Board, and their suppliers.

SAIL expressed its pride in contributing steel to such a large-scale event, which also stands as a symbol of the nation’s rich cultural heritage. The company reaffirmed its commitment to supporting national projects that strengthen the country’s infrastructure and promote its cultural and social welfare.

Concrete

Tata Steel Reports 8% Rise in India Sales for Q3 FY25

Sales in automotive and special products segment rose 3% to 2.3 mt.

Published

3 days ago

January 10, 2025

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Tata Steel reported an 8% increase in sales in India for the December 2024 quarter, reaching 5.29 million tonnes (mt), compared to 4.88 mt in the same period last year. The growth was attributed to fresh capacity additions and higher export volumes.
Internationally, sales in the Netherlands grew to 1.53 mt from 1.30 mt, while sales in the UK declined to 0.56 mt from 0.64 mt due to operational changes. In Thailand, sales rose to 0.28 mt from 0.25 mt.
Production in India increased by 6% to 5.68 mt, supported by new capacity at the Kalinganagar facility, which added 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in September. The new blast furnace is currently producing 8,000 tonnes daily and is being ramped up to full capacity. In the Netherlands, production rose to 1.76 mt from 1.19 mt, while UK production ceased as the company transitions to an electric arc furnace for cleaner steelmaking. The UK Government has approved duty-free slab imports for Tata Steel from various countries, including India. Production in Thailand was marginally lower at 0.26 mt compared to 0.27 mt.
Tata Steel also commissioned a Continuous Annealing Line in December, part of the 2.2 MTPA Cold Rolling Mill (CRM) complex at Kalinganagar, with approvals from major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Sales in the automotive and special products segment rose 3% to 2.3 mt. The Tata Tiscon brand, focused on the real estate sector, saw a 20% year-on-year increase in sales, while Tata Steelium, catering to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), reported a 7% rise.
The company’s e-commerce platform for individual home builders, Tata Steel Aashiyana, posted a 37% growth in revenues, reaching Rs 21.54 billion.
Additionally, Tata Steel Netherlands’ liquid steel production included 0.12 mt from the UK operations, according to the company.
(Business Line)

Concrete

Brijendra Pratap Singh Takes Charge as NALCO CMD

Previously, Singh was director-in-charge of Burnpur and Durgapur Steel Plant.

Published

3 days ago

January 10, 2025

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Brijendra Pratap Singh took charge as the chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) at its corporate office here. Prior to joining NALCO, Singh was director-in-charge of Burnpur and Durgapur Steel Plant and a member on the board of SAIL, a statement by NALCO said.

With over 35 years of experience in the mines and steel sectors, Singh’s strategic vision and deep industry expertise have been instrumental in advancing SAIL’s modernisation goals, driving the growth and sustainability of India’s steel sector in alignment with the National Steel Policy, the statement added.