Connect with us

Concrete

Mechanised working saves shutdown time and manpower

Published

on

Shares

Pradeep Kumar Chouhan, General Manager – Quality Control & Environment, Udaipur Cement Works Limited, gives a detailed account of different types of refractories used in a cement plant, the current improvements in automation and the eco-friendly innovations required.

What are the key materials used in building a refractory lining to the kiln in your organisation?
For kiln lining, UCWL uses alumina magnesium bricks for burning zones i.e., 7 to 27 metres. The kiln length at UCWL is 66 metres. (0 metre is considered at kiln outlet and 66 metre is at kiln inlet) 40 per cent to 70 per cent alumina bricks for the transition and pre-transition zone.

What are the key properties of a refractory that support the cement making process?
For bricks, chemical properties are mainly a percentage of Al2O3, Fe2O3 and silica is more important, the percentage of Al2O3 normally varies with application area temperature. Fe2O3 percentage is kept as minimum as possible to avoid self-damages. Silica percentage is monitored to check whether the refractory is having any other foreign material in it.
Bulk Density: The bulk density (BD) is the amount of refractory material within a volume (kg/m3). An increase in bulk density of a given refractory increases its volume stability, heat capacity and resistance to slag penetration.
Cold Crushing Strength: The Cold Crushing Strength (CCS) represents the ability of a product to resist failure under compressive load at room temperature. It has an indirect relevance to refractory performance, and is used as one of the indicators of abrasion resistance. The higher the CCS of a material is the greater should be the resistance to abrasion. Refractories with high CCS are also expected to have higher resistance to slag attack. The determination of cold crushing strength (CCS) is also highly important in case of refractory insulating bricks where bricks must be porous as well as strong.
Apparent Porosity: The apparent porosity or open porosity (oPo) is the volume of the open pores, into which a liquid can penetrate, as a percentage of the total volume of the refractory. This property is important when the refractory is in contact with molten charge and slag. A low apparent porosity prevents molten material from penetrating into the refractory and therefore enhance it resistance to corrosion
Permanent Linear Change: Permanent Linear Change (PLC) is a crucial parameter for the design of refractory lining.it is a factor used to judge the suitability of refractories in ranges of temperature limits. Refractory materials can undergo mineral formation, phase transformation or shrinkage when heated. These processes may result in either volume expansion or reduction. Upon cooling to room temperature, the material will possibly be larger or smaller than the original dimensions. PLC is the property of shaped refractory to retain their original size after undergoing through a given temperature-time treatment and subsequent cooling down to room temperature.

Explain the types of refractories that you have in your manufacturing unit. What are their respective purposes?
Udaipur Cement Works limited (UCWL) has the following type of refractory for insulation in the kiln, pre-heater, calciner and the cooler area.

Tell us more about the porosity and permeability of the refractory.
The apparent porosity or open porosity (oPo) is the volume of the open pores, into which a liquid can penetrate, as a percentage of the total volume of the refractory. This property is important when the refractory is in contact with molten charge.
A low apparent porosity prevents molten material from penetrating into the refractory, it makes a material-to-material bond and develops a good and stable coating on refractory / bricks, which enhances its life and its resistance to corrosion.
The permeability of refractories is a governing factor in the deterioration of linings by liquids and gases. The permeability of any refractory material is defined as the volume of the gas or air, which passes through a cubic centimetre of material under a pressure of 10 mmWG per seconds.

What is the maximum temperature that a refractory can withhold? How does its strength differ from ambient temperature to high temperature?
The temperature range in which the softening of refractory products occurs is not identical with the melting range of the pure raw material; Refractoriness Under Load (RUL) is a measure of the deformation behaviour of refractory subjected to a constant load and increasing temperature. The RUL has importance to check the suitability of refractory products for high-temperature applications; it gives an indication of the temperature at which the bricks will collapse.
For cement plant application, refractories can hold a temperature of 1450°C.
Refractory materials that keep their chemical and physical strength at temperatures above 500°C are of high importance for metallurgical and other industrial processes. They consist of alumina, magnesia, silica, lime, and other metal oxides. As these materials are dedicated for high temperature, the production is carried out at temperatures of more than 1000°C, making the process highly energy consuming.

Tell us about the installation and operating process of refractories in the kiln.
Installation of a refractory in a kiln requires specific skill. Brick installation is normally without any bonding material. Most of the cement plants use civil masons for refractory bricks installation, whereas brick installation in kilns is quite different from the normal civil masonry.
Installation of bricks is normally a combination of two types of bricks. Based on kiln diameter per ring numbers of bricks are worked out and accordingly it is laid line by line. Nowadays brick lining machines are available, which work very fast and less moan power is required. Lining with machines also eliminated the requirement of heavy jacking and rotation of the kiln.
For castable laying, the gunning castable has become more popular instead of the old conventional method by putting shuttering etc. Castable are also available as chemical bonded castable, which reduces the requirement of ICE cooling while mixing.

What are the standards set for refractories in a cement kiln?
For cement kilns, normally following standards are used but it is observed that use of different and various kinds of refractory as per the suitability of raw meal, temperature profile and plant design.

What is the role of technology and automation in refractories for cement kilns?
Automation and technology have helped the cement kiln refractory a lot. The shell scanner monitors real time shell radiation and gives a full picture of kiln coating and bricks health, throughout the
kiln length.
Shell scanner helps the kiln operation for the condition of hot zones, coating level, over coating zones, development of ring formation, if any. Timely corrective action can be taken which enhances the life of refractory and avoids heating of mechanical parts. For the application part, the de-braking machine, brick laying machine and castable gunning techniques are good examples of use of technology in refractory work. Mechanised working saves shutdown time and manpower, ultimately increasing the productivity of the cement kilns.

What tests are employed to check the refractory for defects and at what intervals are these tests done?
With advanced technology, most of the refractories are supplied to cement plants with good quality and assured guarantees of refractory life. However, CCS, apparent porosity, RUL and thermal conductivity is normally tested at the plant. Suppliers also provide us with test certificates for the same.

What are the major challenges your organisation comes across with the refractory kiln?
Most often, there is no premature failure of refractory at UCWL. The UCWL limestone contains very high grain size of calcite and quartz, it affects the development of stable coating and ultimately due to abrasive nature it affects the bricks’ life. However, at the refractory application part is found that skilled manpower with good workmanship is not available. Since the growth of cement industry is very fast and maximum industries are increasing their capacity, the availability of skilled manpower for application work will be a big challenge in near future.

What innovations in the refractory sector do you expect to see in the near future that will help better it?
Refractory suppliers are doing much research and continuously improving their products and are also providing tailor-made products. Precast modular lining at kiln inlet and precast tip casting are popular in the current times due to its long life and good thermal insulation properties.
Since the cement industry is consuming maximum hazardous waste in cement kilns, as hazardous material contains toxic element like chloride, metal parts like Zn, Mn, Pb etc. Refractory bricks of kiln are likely to be affected more, not in the kiln but also in lower cyclone and pre-calciner, so there will be a requirement to address the problems causes to refractory due to the hazardous materials. Refractory manufacturers should work upon developing eco-friendly refractories.

Kanika Mathur

Concrete

Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape

Published

on

By

Shares



Milind Khangan, Marketing Head, Vertex Market Research, sheds light on Adani’s rapid cement consolidation under its ‘One Business, One Company’ strategy while positioning it to rival UltraTech, and thus, shaping a potential duopoly in India’s booming cement market.

India is the second-largest cement-producing country in the world, following China. This expansion is being driven by tremendous public investment in the housing and infrastructure sectors. The industry is accelerating, with a boost from schemes such as PM Gati Shakti, Bharatmala, and the Vande Bharat corridors. An upsurge in affordable housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) further supports this expansion. In May 2025, local cement production increased about 9 per cent from last year to about 40 million metric tonnes for the month. The combined cement capacity in India was recorded at 670 million metric tonnes in the 2025 fiscal year, according to the Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA). For the financial year 2026, this is set to grow by another 9 per cent.
In spite of the growing demand, the Indian cement industry is highly competitive. UltraTech Cement (Aditya Birla Group) is still the market leader with domestic installed capacity of more than 186 MTPA as on 2025. It is targeted to achieve 200 MTPA. Adani Cement recently became a major player and is now India’s second-largest cement company. It did this through aggressive consolidation, operational synergies, and scale efficiencies. Indian players in the cement industry are increasingly valuing operational efficiency and sustainability. Some of the strategies with high impact are alternative fuels and materials (AFR) adoption, green cement expansion, and digital technology investments to offset changing regulatory pressure and increasing energy prices.

Building Adani Cement brand
Vertex Market Research explains that the Adani Group is executing a comprehensive reorganisation and consolidation of its cement business under the ‘One Business, One Company’ strategy. The plan is to integrate its diversified holdings into one consolidated corporate entity named Adani Cement. The focus is on operating integration, governance streamlining, and cost reduction in its expanding cement business.
Integration roadmap and key milestones:

  • September 2022: The consolidation process started with the $6.4 billion buyout of Holcim’s majority stakes in Ambuja Cements and ACC, with Ambuja becoming the focal point of the consolidation.
  • December 2023: Bought Sanghi Industries to strengthen the firm’s presence in western India.
  • August 2024: Added Penna Cement to the portfolio, improving penetration of the southern market of India.
  • April 2025: Further holding addition in Orient Cement to 46.66 per cent by purchasing the same from CK Birla Group, becoming the promoter with control.
  • Ambuja Cements amalgamated with Adani Cement: This was sanctioned by the NCLT on 18th July 2025 with effect from April 1, 2024. This amalgamation brings in limestone reserves and fresh assets into Ambuja.
  • Subject to Sanghi and Penna merger with Ambuja: Board approvals in December 2024 with the aim to finish between September to December 2025.
  • Ambuja-ACC future integration: The latter is being contemplated as the final step towards consolidation.
  • Orient Cement: It would serve as a principal manufacturing facility following the merger.

Scale, capacity expansion and market position
In financial year-2025, Adani Cement, including Ambuja, surpassed 100 MTPA. This makes it one of the world’s top ten cement companies. Along with ACC’s operations, it is now firmly placed as India’s second-largest cement company. In FY25, the Adani group’s sales volume per annum clocked 65 million metric tonnes. Adani Group claims that it now supplies close to 30 per cent of the cement consumed in India’s homes and infrastructure as of June 2025.
The organisation is pursuing aggressive brownfield expansion:

  • By FY 2026: Reach 118 MTPA
  • By FY 2028: Target 140 MTPA

These goals will be driven by commissioning new clinker and grinding units at key sites, with civil and mechanical works underway.
As of 2024, Adani Cement had its market share pegged at around 14 to 15 per cent, with an ambition to scale this up to 20 per cent by FY?2028, emerging as a potent competitor to UltraTech’s 192?MTPA capacity (186 domestic and overseas).

Strategic advantages and competitive benefits
The consolidation simplifies decision-making by reducing legal entities, centralising oversight, and removing redundant functions. This drives compliance efficiency and transparent reporting. Using procurement power for raw materials and energy lowers costs per ton. Integrated logistics with Adani Ports and freight infrastructure has resulted in an estimated 6 per cent savings in logistics. The group aims for additional savings of INR 500 to 550 per tonne by FY 2028 by integrating green energy, using alternative fuel resources, and improving sourcing methods.

Market coverage and brand consistency
Brand integration under one strategy will provide uniform product quality and easier distribution networks. Integration with Orient Cement’s dealer base, 60 per cent of which already distributes Ambuja/ACC products, enhances outreach and responsiveness.
By having captive limestone reserves at Lakhpat (approximately 275 million tonnes) and proposed new manufacturing facilities in Raigad, Maharashtra, Adani Cement derives cost advantage, raw material security, and long-term operational robustness.

Strategic implications and risks
Consolidation at Adani Cement makes it not just a capacity leader but also an operationally agile competitor with the ability to reap digital and sustainability benefits. Its vertically integrated platform enables cost leadership, market responsiveness, and scalability.

Challenges potentially include:

  • Integration challenges across systems, corporate cultures, and plant operations
  • Regulatory sanctions for pending mergers and new capacity additions
  • Environmental clearances in environmentally sensitive areas and debt management with input price volatility

When materialised, this revolution would create a formidable Adani–UltraTech duopoly, redefining Indian cement on the basis of scale, innovation, and sustainability. India’s leading four cement players such as Adani (ACC and Ambuja), Dalmia Cement, Shree Cement, and UltraTech are expected to dominate the cement market.

Conclusion
Adani’s aggressive consolidation under the ‘One Business, One Company’ strategy signals a decisive shift in the Indian cement industry, positioning the group as a formidable challenger to UltraTech and setting the stage for a potential duopoly that could dominate the sector for years to come. By unifying operations, leveraging economies of scale, and securing vertical integration—from raw material reserves to distribution networks—Adani Cement is building both capacity and resilience, with clear advantages in cost efficiency, market reach, and sustainability. While integration complexities, regulatory hurdles, and environmental approvals remain key challenges, the scale and strategic alignment of this consolidation promise to redefine competition, pricing dynamics, and operational benchmarks in one of the world’s fastest-growing cement markets.

About the author:
Milind Khangan is the Marketing Head at Vertex Market Research and comes with over five years of experience in market research, lead generation and team management.

Continue Reading

Concrete

Precision in Motion: A Deep Dive into PowerBuild’s Core Gear Series

Published

on

By

Shares



PowerBuild’s flagship Series M, C, F, and K geared motors deliver robust, efficient, and versatile power transmission solutions for industries worldwide.

Products – M, C, F, K: At the heart of every high-performance industrial system lies the need for robust, reliable, and efficient power transmission. PowerBuild answers this need with its flagship geared motor series: M, C, F, and K. Each series is meticulously engineered to serve specific operational demands while maintaining the universal promise of durability, efficiency, and performance.
Series M – Helical Inline Geared Motors: Compact and powerful, the Series M delivers exceptional drive solutions for a broad range of applications. With power handling up to 160kW and torque capacity reaching 20,000 Nm, it is the trusted solution for industries requiring quiet operation, high efficiency, and space-saving design. Series M is available with multiple mounting and motor options, making it a versatile choice for manufacturers and OEMs globally.
Series C – Right Angled Heli-Worm Geared Motors: Combining the benefits of helical and worm gearing, the Series C is designed for right-angled power transmission. With gear ratios of up to 16,000:1 and torque capacities of up to 10,000 Nm, this series is optimal for applications demanding precision in compact spaces. Industries looking for a smooth, low-noise operation with maximum torque efficiency rely on Series C for dependable performance.
Series F – Parallel Shaft Mounted Geared Motors: Built for endurance in the most demanding environments, Series F is widely adopted in steel plants, hoists, cranes, and heavy-duty conveyors. Offering torque up to 10,000 Nm and high gear ratios up to 20,000:1, this product features an integral torque arm and diverse output configurations to meet industry-specific challenges head-on.
Series K – Right Angle Helical Bevel Geared Motors: For industries seeking high efficiency and torque-heavy performance, Series K is the answer. This right-angled geared motor series delivers torque up to 50,000 Nm, making it a preferred choice in core infrastructure sectors such as cement, power, mining, and material handling. Its flexibility in mounting and broad motor options offer engineers’ freedom in design and reliability in execution.
Together, these four series reflect PowerBuild’s commitment to excellence in mechanical power transmission. From compact inline designs to robust right-angle drives, each geared motor is a result of decades of engineering innovation, customer-focused design, and field-tested reliability. Whether the requirement is speed control, torque multiplication, or space efficiency, Radicon’s Series M, C, F, and K stand as trusted powerhouses for global industries.

Continue Reading

Concrete

Driving Measurable Gains

Published

on

By

Shares



Klüber Lubrication India’s Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N upgrades synthetic gear oil for energy efficiency.

Klüber Lubrication India has introduced a strategic upgrade for the tyre manufacturing industry by retrofitting its high-performance synthetic gear oil, Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N, into Barrel Cold Feed Extruder gearboxes. This smart substitution, requiring no hardware changes, delivered energy savings of 4-6 per cent, as validated by an internationally recognised energy audit firm under IPMVP – Option B protocols, aligned with
ISO 50015 standards.

Beyond energy efficiency, the retrofit significantly improved operational parameters:

  • Lower thermal stress on equipment
  • Extended lubricant drain intervals
  • Reduction in CO2 emissions and operational costs

These benefits position Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N as a powerful enabler of sustainability goals in line with India’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) guidelines and global Net Zero commitments.

Verified sustainability, zero compromise
This retrofit case illustrates that meaningful environmental impact doesn’t always require capital-intensive overhauls. Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N demonstrated high performance in demanding operating environments, offering:

  • Enhanced component protection
  • Extended oil life under high loads
  • Stable performance across fluctuating temperatures

By enabling quick wins in efficiency and sustainability without disrupting operations, Klüber reinforces its role as a trusted partner in India’s evolving industrial landscape.

Klüber wins EcoVadis Gold again
Further affirming its global leadership in responsible business practices, Klüber Lubrication has been awarded the EcoVadis Gold certification for the fourth consecutive year in 2025. This recognition places it in the top three per cent
of over 150,000 companies worldwide evaluated for environmental, ethical and sustainable procurement practices.
Klüber’s ongoing investments in R&D and product innovation reflect its commitment to providing data-backed, application-specific lubrication solutions that exceed industry expectations and support long-term sustainability goals.

A trusted industrial ally
Backed by 90+ years of tribology expertise and a global support network, Klüber Lubrication is helping customers transition toward a greener tomorrow. With Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N, tyre manufacturers can take measurable, low-risk steps to boost energy efficiency and regulatory alignment—proving that even the smallest change can spark a significant transformation.

Continue Reading

Trending News