Concrete

Efficient grinding unit selection impacts profitability

Published

4 years ago

August 10, 2022

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ICR gets Vimal Jain, Director – Technical, HeidelbergCement India, to share his views about the innovations in technology of the grinding process and grinding aids as well as his understanding on how the entire process can be made more energy-efficient and cost-effective.

Explain the grinding process in cement manufacturing.
The grinding process is needed to create surface area for a good chemical reaction and reactivity to occur in cement manufacturing. The grinding process is mainly required for raw material, coal and clinker grinding in the cement manufacturing process.
The process of cement manufacturing involves grinding clinker granules along with blending materials or additives and gypsum to produce a fine powder called cement. Depending on the quality of clinker and type of cement, blending material/gypsum are added in controlled proportion to produce a quality product to meet the prescribed quality as per given codes.
Optimum fineness needs to be found for the type of raw materials, coal, and clinker to avoid over-grinding, which comes with ‘excess energy’ consumption and has a negative impact on quality and cost.
The quality of cement depends on its physical and chemical properties. Technology has advanced over the period and the grinding process can help in augmenting some properties of cement.

Tell us about the equipment used for grinding raw material and clinker.
The main equipment used for grinding raw materials and clinker are categorised based on their size reduction concept and mechanism as,
Ball Mill (BM):
Size reduction mechanism –

Impact: particle breakage by a single rigid force causing fracture.
Attrition or Abrasion: arising from particles scraping against one another or against a
rigid surface.
Ball mills are the most widely installed grinding equipment in the cement industry. It consists of a rotating cylinder filled with steel balls that tumble inside the mill, applying impact and friction forces to the clinker particles. For better grinding efficiency, the mill may be operated with one, two or three internal compartments separated by diaphragms that prevent the transfer of the balls between the compartments while allowing the flow of the ground material through the mill.
Roller Press (RP)
Size reduction mechanism – Compression: particle disintegration by two rigid forces.
The roller press has been extensively used as a pre-grinder as well as a stand-alone cement mill. It compresses the material in a gap between two counter-rotating grinding rollers lined with wear-resistant material. The output product contains fine and coarse particles with a large number of cracks and weak points that significantly reduce the energy requirement during the further stage of fine grinding.
Vertical Roller Mill (VRM)
Size reduction mechanism –
Compression
Shear or Chipping: produced by fluid or particle-particle interaction.
Attrition or Abrasion
In a vertical roller mill, two-four rollers turning on their axles press on a rotating grinding table mounted on the yoke of a gearbox. Pressure is exerted hydraulically. This mill also has a built-in high-efficiency separator above the rollers. The vertical roller mills offer high drying capacity, comparatively low energy consumption, and compactness.
Hybrid Grinding: a combination of Ball Mill with Roller press
Horo Mill (HM): it is similar to the vertical mill but the roller arrangement differs from VRM.
In the ball mill, RP and Combined grinding system separation take place outside the grinding mill, whereas in the VRM separation and grinding take place in one system.
The technologies involved in cement can be classified as per the following:
Intergrinding: With the intergrinding process, all components of the blended cement are ground together. In that way, the cement is homogenised during the grinding, and at the cement plant only one silo is needed. Because of interactions between the different cement components due to differences in grindability, the PSD of the blended cement and the different components is difficult to control due to differential grindability due to different hardness of materials. Equipment for the inter grindings are Ball mills, roll press/ Pre-grinder + Ball mill, Horo mill, and VRMs.
Separate grinding: The separate grinding process is grinding the various components separately, storing them, and mixing them according to the desired proportions. This process has several advantages: the PSD of each component and of the blended cement can be controlled according to the components’ hardness and required fineness, and appropriate grinding equipment can be used for each component. But in this case, several silos for storage are needed at the cement plant. Equipment for separate grinding is all the grinding equipment mentioned above, with the use of blenders required to blend the grounded material in the proportion needed for the specific cement product.
The advantage of separate grinding can be to produce a wide range of cements from one plant.
Grinding systems are either ‘open circuit’ or ‘closed circuit.’ In an open circuit system, the feed rate of the incoming clinker is adjusted to achieve the desired fineness of the product. In a closed circuit system, coarse particles are separated from the finer product and returned for further grinding.

What are the key functionalities that are looked at while installing a grinding unit in your plant?
The key factors, which shall be carefully considered, include:

Product quality requirement: market requirement
Machine sizing and layout: investment cost
Raw materials quality and characteristics: input materials
Mechanical design: maintenance cost and reliability
Latest design innovations including high grinding efficiency, energy saving and environmental protection, good quality of finished products, etc., performance improvement
On-demand changes: project-specific requirement
Product diversification: commercial reasons
Capex vs Opex economics: budget
Spare part and service availability: after-sales service

What is the contribution of grinding units in making cement-making processes efficient and productive?
The grinding unit plays an important role in making the operation efficient. Approximately 60 per cent of the cement power is absorbed in the grinding circuit, and to be competitive in the market, power cost plays an important role.
It is also observed that particle size distribution is better in the BM compared to other mills considering the product quality requirement.
The following grinding units are involved in cement making process:

Raw material grinding: to improve raw meal burning behavior, clinker quality, and kiln output, including thermal energy requirement
Coal grinding: better combustion of fuels, improves the flame property, and avoids CO2 generation, including improved burning process
Cement grinding: cement hydration, strength development, and water demand

How do grinding units contribute to the profitability of the cement-making process?
The grinding unit contributes to profitability in the following ways:
The electrical energy price is a major contributor to the cost of production. Therefore, producing cement with less energy is becoming a key element of profitability: as the grinding process consumes about 60 per cent of the total plant electrical energy demand and about 20 per cent of cement production variable cost. So efficient grinding unit selection impacts profitability of cement manufacturing. Optimum fineness needs to be found to avoid over grinding and consuming excess energy Final product PSD (particle size distribution) improves quality and profitability. Where two types of cement have identical surface areas, the cement with the narrower PSD will have a higher compressive strength.
Maximum use of low-cost blending materials, technology and layout such that the repairs and maintenance and manpower costs are lower, etc.

What are the materials and equipment that aid in the process of cement grinding?
Grinding Aid (GA): In the grinding process, agglomeration takes place, due to this grinding efficiency is reduced and the output and quality of product effects. The GA is a very efficient way to avoid the agglomeration mechanism and improve the over-grinding efficiency. Therefore, GA helps to increase the grinding mill output and reduces
the electrical energy consumption, resulting in improving profitability.
Performance Enhancers/Quality Improvers: Due to the quality of raw materials and variation in the burning process, desired clinker phase formation does not take place, which impacts the cement performance, workability, and durability. Therefore, in addition to a grinding aid, additional chemicals are used to improve the cement performance and properties, such as setting time and strength development
Functional Additives: The additive imparts a specific property, such as air entrainment in masonry cement or chromium (VI) reduction.
Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM): Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) are added to cement mixtures for various reasons, including improving durability, decreasing permeability, aiding in pumpability, mitigating alkali reactivity, and improving the overall hardened properties of concrete. This also helps to reduce the carbon dioxide footprint in cement manufacturing. The use of SCMs also reduces the dependency on natural resources and enhances the circular economy.
Equipment: Raw materials storage, dosing station, raw material transport conveyors/elevators, weigh feeders, air separators, baghouse, product transport and storage silos are the key equipment of the grinding units.
Air Separator is one of the vital equipment for grinding systems that plays a significant role in maintaining product quality and increasing the grinding system productivity.
QC Lab: It’s a must for sampling and testing so that consistent quality material is produced and supplied to customers.

How do you ensure standards in the process?
During manufacturing, quality control parameters are established with reference to the national standards, and accordingly, the sampling and testing plan of the company is maintained.
There are very well descriptive quality control and assurance plans at various stages of the manufacturing/operations.
At each of our plants, we have state-of-the-art laboratories to produce quality cement much above the spec from the BIS. We have a very low standard deviation in the finished product that indicates the consistency in the cement. We are certified with applicable ISO standards to ensure that the product supplied is safe, environmentally compliant, and quality consistent.

How often is the same monitored?
Cement manufacturing is a continuous process and monitoring is done in 24×7 mode to ensure cement quality.
The quality control starts from the mine to the cement packing, and there are well-defined testing protocols at a sampling frequency. Plants are equipped with various material feeding and transportation systems to maintain the quality and process.

What challenges do you face in the process of cement grinding?
Availability and economics of outsourced materials are major challenges these days. The key challenges are as follows:

Availability of reliable and economical energy sources, power generation is becoming expensive due to increasing fuel prices and quality of fuel.
Right quality and Quantity of SCMs (Supplementary Cementitious Materials) are needed to achieve cement quality and also to mitigate the challenges of CO2 reduction in the cement-making process
Production of multiple cement types needs more storage facilities and impacts mill performance and product quality
SCMs with high moisture content demand drying arrangements resulting in a need for more capital as well as operational expenses.
Skilled manpower for operation and maintenance.

What are the innovations you would like to see in the technology of the grinding process and grinding aids?
Innovations play an important role in the cement industry. The quality of the product can be enhanced by adopting the right technology and the optimum key performance indicators for producing a quality product at a competitive price. We would like to see further innovation for:

Energy efficient equipment and drives to lower the power consumption
Separate grinding of cement to improve product quality and lower power consumption to reduce CO2 emission.
New hybrid formulations in grinding aid to improve product quality, specific energy consumption and reduce clinker ratio in cement.
Innovation for cement production by substituting max possible clinker incorporation by alternative / lower quality cementitious materials but maintaining the product quality.
New wear materials for enhancing the life of wear components to reduce the consumables cost per ton.

–Kanika Mathur

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ABB Drives Digital Transformation at TCI MAX Cement Plant in J&K

Published

12 minutes ago

November 12, 2026

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ABB deploys advanced process control at TCI MAX’s Srinagar cement plant to improve clinker quality, energy efficiency and sustainable manufacturing.

Kashmir

ABB has deployed its advanced process control technology at TCI MAX Cement’s Srinagar facility in Jammu and Kashmir, marking the region’s first reported implementation of advanced process control (APC) in cement manufacturing and strengthening efforts towards more efficient, digitally enabled production.

Announced on 5 November 2026, the deployment of ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer at the facility, operated by Trumboo Industries Pvt. Ltd., aims to improve process stability, clinker quality, energy efficiency and overall plant productivity. The implementation forms part of TCI MAX’s strategy to modernise its manufacturing operations through automation and digital technologies.

Following the integration of ABB’s advanced process control solution and supporting IT infrastructure, TCI MAX has reported improvements in operational productivity, product quality and sustainability-related performance indicators. The technology focuses on optimising the cement pyro process, a critical stage of production involving high-temperature processing and clinker formation.

Waseem Ahmed Trumboo, Director, Trumboo Industries Pvt. Ltd., said: “Introducing advanced process control at TCI MAX is an important step in how we are evolving our operations. Our focus is on improving the stability and efficiency of our processes while maintaining consistent clinker quality. We have been encouraged by the performance of the solution during commissioning and by the support from the ABB team, and we look forward to realizing its full potential.”

ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer combines advanced process control, model predictive control (MPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) to continuously monitor and optimise manufacturing operations. By analysing process conditions, predicting operational behaviour and automatically adjusting key parameters, the system enables more consistent production while reducing process variability.

In cement manufacturing, maintaining stable pyro-processing conditions is essential for achieving uniform clinker quality and optimising thermal energy consumption. Fluctuations in operating parameters can affect fuel efficiency, production output and product consistency.

The deployment is designed to address these challenges through real-time process optimisation, helping operators maintain more stable kiln operations while improving the utilisation of fuel, electricity and raw materials.

Kapil Agarwal, Senior Vice President and Local Division Manager, Process Industries Division, ABB India, said: “Cement producers are increasingly looking to adopt digital technologies to achieve greater consistency and efficiency while addressing their sustainability priorities. ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer brings advanced process control and deep cement process expertise together to help operators make their processes more stable and efficient. We are pleased to support TCI MAX as it takes this important step in its digital transformation.”

The technology also supports sustainability objectives by optimising fuel consumption, improving electrical energy efficiency and minimising process waste. More stable operations can contribute to lower energy intensity and reduced emissions associated with cement production.

For TCI MAX, the investment represents a move towards data-driven manufacturing, where automated control systems complement operator expertise to improve production performance and operational reliability.

The implementation is particularly significant for Jammu and Kashmir’s cement industry, as it introduces advanced process optimisation technology to a regional manufacturing facility. Its deployment could demonstrate the potential for wider adoption of digital automation across cement plants seeking to modernise their operations.

The project builds on ABB’s experience in delivering advanced process control solutions to cement manufacturers worldwide. Through the integration of industrial automation, predictive technologies and process engineering expertise, the company supports manufacturers in improving resource efficiency and maintaining consistent production quality.

As cement producers face increasing pressure to manage energy costs, improve productivity and reduce their environmental footprint, technologies such as AI-enabled process control and predictive optimisation are becoming important components of plant modernisation strategies.

ABB’s Expert Optimizer provides a platform for addressing these priorities by enabling automated adjustments based on changing process conditions, reducing reliance on manual intervention and supporting more efficient plant operation.

ABB, a global technology company specialising in electrification and automation, has more than 140 years of industrial experience and approximately 110,000 employees worldwide. Its Automation business employs around 26,000 people and provides technologies and services across process, hybrid and maritime industries.

The TCI MAX deployment reinforces ABB’s growing role in the digital transformation of cement manufacturing in India, where improving process efficiency and reducing energy consumption remain critical to the industry’s long-term sustainability.

With the advanced process control system now implemented at its Srinagar facility, TCI MAX aims to build on the initial operational improvements and further optimise production efficiency, clinker consistency and environmental performance.

Concrete

Ramco Cements’ Hard Worker Wins Eight Awards at ‘Love of Advertising Awards 2026’

Published

56 minutes ago

November 12, 2026

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Ramco Cements’ Hard Worker brand wins eight awards for excellence in advertising, packaging and brand identity at the Love of Advertising Awards 2026.

Hyderabad

The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand, Hard Worker, has secured eight awards at the Love of Advertising Awards 2026, recognising its creative excellence across television, digital advertising, packaging design and brand identity.

Organised by the Advertising Club of Trivandrum, the awards were presented at a ceremony held at The Leela Raviz, Kovalam, on 24 October 2026. The recognition highlights Hard Worker’s integrated marketing strategy and its efforts to establish a distinctive presence in India’s competitive construction chemicals market.

The eight awards span multiple creative categories, reflecting the brand’s approach to combining product-focused communication with engaging storytelling, humour and innovative design. Through its campaigns, Hard Worker has sought to simplify technical product benefits and make construction chemicals more accessible and relatable to consumers and construction professionals.

Built around the philosophy of “Hard-working products for hardworking people”, the brand focuses on communicating practical product advantages through memorable advertising narratives while maintaining a consistent identity across different marketing platforms.

Its campaigns for Ramco Hard Worker Eco Plaster and Tile Fix have been central to this approach. The Eco Plaster campaign highlights water conservation through the product’s self-curing properties, positioning it as a solution that supports more efficient construction practices. Meanwhile, Tile Fix promotes specialised tile-fixing solutions by presenting their practical benefits through relatable situations and creative storytelling.

Beyond advertising, Hard Worker has invested in distinctive packaging and brand identity development to improve product recognition and maintain consistency across customer touchpoints. This integrated approach has helped the brand differentiate itself in a category where marketing communication has traditionally focused on technical specifications and functional performance.

A V Dharmakrishnan, CEO, Ramco Cements, said, “Winning eight awards at the Love of Advertising Awards is a proud moment for Ramco Cements and the Hard Worker team. We believe that building a strong brand requires not only quality products but also the ability to communicate their value in a compelling and differentiated manner. Hard Worker’s journey reflects our commitment to combining product performance with innovative marketing to create meaningful connections with our customers and strengthen our presence in the construction chemicals market.”

The recognition comes as building materials manufacturers increasingly focus on brand differentiation, product awareness and customer engagement to strengthen their position in the construction chemicals segment.

By using humour and storytelling to explain product applications and benefits, Hard Worker aims to bridge the communication gap between technical construction solutions and the practical requirements of contractors, applicators and end-users.

Balaji K. Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements, said, “Hard Worker was conceived to bring a fresh perspective to the construction chemicals category, where product communication has traditionally been functional and technical. Our endeavour has been to break through the clutter with distinctive ideas, humour and storytelling, while keeping the product proposition at the heart of every campaign. The recognition across TV and digital advertising, packaging design and brand identity design demonstrates our integrated approach to building the brand. These eight awards are an encouraging recognition of the creative thinking and collaborative effort behind Hard Worker’s marketing initiatives.”

The awards add to Hard Worker’s growing portfolio of creative recognitions and reinforce Ramco Cements’ emphasis on integrating product innovation with strategic marketing.

The brand’s communication initiatives also reflect a wider shift in the construction materials industry, where manufacturers are increasingly adopting consumer-focused marketing strategies to improve product understanding and strengthen relationships with construction professionals.

With its portfolio of construction chemicals, Hard Worker aims to address evolving requirements for durability, application efficiency and construction quality. Its marketing efforts seek to complement these product attributes by building stronger awareness and encouraging the adoption of specialised construction solutions.

Ramco Cements, one of India’s established cement manufacturers, operates across cement and allied building solutions. Through Hard Worker, the company is expanding its presence in the construction chemicals segment with products designed to enhance performance, quality and durability in modern construction applications.

The latest recognition strengthens Hard Worker’s brand visibility and underscores the growing importance of creative communication in promoting technical building materials. Ramco Cements intends to continue combining product development with distinctive marketing initiatives to support the brand’s growth in India’s construction chemicals market.

Concrete

Shree Cement Expands Bangur Concrete Network with Patna Plant

New facility takes the company’s national RMC network to 36 plants

Published

3 days ago

November 9, 2026

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Shree Cement has inaugurated a 60 m³/hour ready-mix concrete plant in Patna, Bihar, under its Bangur Concrete brand. The facility takes the company’s ready-mix concrete (RMC) network to 36 plants across India and strengthens its presence in eastern markets.

The plant was inaugurated by Neeraj Akhoury, managing director of Shree Cement, in the presence of senior company officials and other guests. It has been established to serve demand for ready-mix concrete in Patna and neighbouring areas, where infrastructure development, urban expansion and real estate activity are supporting construction growth.

The facility is designed to supply construction projects across Patna and surrounding markets. Its installed capacity of 60 m³/hour will enable Bangur Concrete to serve customers across the region while improving distribution and supply capabilities in eastern India.

The expansion is intended to improve customer service, strengthen the company’s market presence and support development activity in Bihar. The plant incorporates modern batching technology, material handling systems and quality control processes aimed at maintaining consistency in production and improving operational efficiency.

With the addition of the Patna facility, Bangur Concrete now operates 36 RMC plants across India. The business is expanding its footprint in key construction markets to improve customer access to ready-mix concrete, which is increasingly used in infrastructure, commercial and residential projects because it supports controlled production, consistent quality and more efficient material management at construction sites.

The facility will also follow environmentally responsible operating practices, in line with Shree Cement’s focus on sustainable construction solutions. The latest addition adds capacity to the company’s RMC operations and supports its efforts to serve regional construction markets as development activity continues across Bihar.