Rizwan Sabjan, Head of Sales & Proposals, and Ramakrishna Nuti, Global Sales Manager -Automation Technologies, Fuller Technologies Cement India, discuss cement laboratory automation.

India’s cement industry is on a strong growth path, driven by infrastructure projects and urban housing demand, with the market expected to grow at over 10 per cent CAGR through 2030. Over the next five years, the sector will reshape the nation by powering mega-corridors, smart cities, and expanding urban centers, while adopting green cement and alternative fuels and waste-heat recovery systems to cut emissions.
The cement manufacturing sector faces mounting pressure from rising demand for high-quality cement products and increasingly stringent environmental regulations. To remain competitive, organisations must enhance productivity, ensure regulatory compliance, and reduce operational costs, all without compromising product quality. These challenges are further intensified by skills shortages, stricter safety requirements, and the need to manage more complex and demanding operating conditions.

The Challenges of Going Green
The cement manufacturing process has evolved significantly as the industry strives to improve cost efficiency and environmental performance. The growing use of alternative fuels and supplementary cementitious materials introduces variability that directly impacts product quality, requiring continuous monitoring and adjustment through precise, agile quality control systems. At the same time, increasing market demand for specialised products places greater emphasis on maintaining tight process control across all stages of production.
To fully capitalise on these opportunities, quality control systems must respond rapidly and effectively to changing conditions. Their ability to deliver timely, accurate insights is critical, often determining whether a plant can maintain competitiveness or risks losing market share.

Automated Laboratory Solutions
Fortunately, the capability of quality control systems has grown immensely in recent years. Where previously plants relied on the skills of their laboratory team, today automated laboratory solutions can achieve optimum consistency in representative sampling, better solid sample preparation and accurate analysis through fast, automated systems. As one can see below there has been tremendous growth in QCX/RoboLabs® in recent years.
Fuller has been a pioneer in this field. With our Lab Automation Solution, cement plants can say goodbye to inconsistencies in quality and excess operational costs, such as a daily variation in power and fuel consumption. They are no longer held back by the skills shortage, or unable to take on the challenge of greener production for fear of undermining quality.
QCX/RoboLab® is a quantum leap in quality control for the cement industry, delivering consistency throughout quality control operations.
The QCX/RoboLab® laboratory concept, which utilises an industrial robot for sample handling allows for very flexible laboratory layouts and a high sample throughput.
Lab Automation speeds up every aspect of quality control operations, from sampling / sample collection to accurate pellet preparation for analysis, and especially when it comes to taking control actions to achieve a desired target with QCX/BlendExpert™ (Raw Mix Control). Plus, by eliminating the potential for manual errors, precision is significantly increased. And the laboratory becomes a much safer environment, with fewer operators and a far reduced risk to health and safety. The advanced, user-friendly software can be tailored to your specific cement production needs, including special fuels, and supports continuous 24/7 operations.

Benefits of QCX® Lab Automation System
Enhance quality control
Achieve consistent, reliable results through automated sampling, preparation, and analysis—eliminating human errors and variability.
Reduce fuel and energy consumption Improve raw material consistency to optimise preheater and kiln performance, leading to lower fuel usage and energy costs.
Ensure a safe and healthy work environment
Minimise exposure to hazardous tasks by automating processes and maintaining clean, dust-free laboratory and sample preparation areas.
Strengthen competitive advantage
Deliver superior product quality by leveraging best-in-class technology and advanced process control systems.
Extend equipment lifespan
Stabilise operations to reduce mechanical stress and wear, increasing the durability and reliability of plant machinery.
Simplify compliance and management
Meet quality standards with ease while supporting continuous improvement through automated reporting and data-driven insights.

Productivity Quality Savings Safety
Fast and accurate results with consistency in operational behavior 24/7/365 Uniformity in quality control with sound chemistry that doesn’t compromise on safety Reduced number of unplanned stoppages with precise chemistry recipe  2 × 350 TPH

Cement manufacturing runs on rotating equipment, and every one of those assets is connected to the same bottom line. The plants seeing the biggest gains today are the ones that stopped treating lubrication as a line-item cost and started treating it as a plant-wide reliability strategy.

For India’s cement plants, the economics of operations come down to two variables: energy consumption and equipment uptime. Both are directly influenced by lubrication – not just at a single point in the plant, but across multiple critical systems running simultaneously, every day. Most lubrication conversations in cement manufacturing begin and end with the gearbox. That focus is understandable – gearboxes are among the most demanding and most expensive assets to maintain. But limiting the lubrication conversation to one asset type means leaving real savings on the table. The plants that are reducing total cost of ownership most effectively are those looking at lubrication strategy across the whole plant, not just the most visible application.

The Gearbox
Conventional mineral-based gear oils under high-load, high-temperature conditions can shear, lose viscosity, and force early change-outs – with oil changes at every 2,000 hours adding up in labour, downtime, and lost production over the life of the asset. Mobil SHC™ 600 Series synthetic lubricants are engineered for exactly these conditions. They can reduce energy consumption in gearboxes and circulating systems by up to 3.6 per cent*, extend oil life by up to six times versus conventional oil, and are approved by Siemens AG for use in Flender gearboxes. In one documented instance at a cement plant in Tamil Nadu, switching to Mobil SHC™ 632 delivered a 1 per cent increase in energy efficiency, a 3°C reduction in gearbox temperature, an oil drain interval extended by four times, and annual savings of INR 4,76,772**.
That result alone makes the case for better fluid selection. But it is only part of the story.

The Compressor: Where the Bigger Opportunity Often Sits
Compressors are as operationally critical as gearboxes in a cement plant – and typically receive far less lubrication attention. Running continuously under high load cycles, with lubricant exposed to sustained heat and oxidation, compressors on conventional oils often degrade faster than their scheduled drain intervals suggest. The result is increased maintenance frequency, elevated running temperatures, and higher total lubricant consumption than necessary.
Mobil Rarus SHC™ 1020 Series is formulated for exactly this environment. Recognised by more than 20 global compressor builders, it delivers up to 8,000 hours of oil life – significantly reducing change-out frequency and the associated downtime, labour, and disposal costs that conventional compressor oils generate.
The results from Indian cement plant operations are documented. In one instance, a cement sector facility operating 23 screw compressors reduced lubricant consumption from 10-12 litres per compressor to 5-7 litres, achieving annual savings of approximately INR 4,96,000**. In another, a cement manufacturer extended oil drain intervals by two times, lowered running temperature by approximately 10°C, and achieved annual savings of INR 4,86,747**.
The pattern across both operations is consistent: extended drain intervals, lower consumption, and measurable cost reduction – driven by a single product decision.

One Strategy Across the Plant
Gearboxes and compressors are only two examples. The same principle extends across a cement plant’s rotating equipment, mixer roll bearings, roll neck bearings, plastic calenders, and centrifuge applications all place similar demands on lubrication. Mobil SHC™ 600 Series spans seven viscosity grades, from ISO VG 32 to ISO VG 1000, giving plants the flexibility to match the right grade to the right application across this range of equipment, rather than defaulting to a single product for every use case.

The Bigger Picture
Energy and downtime are two of the largest controllable costs in cement plant operations, and lubrication is one of the few decisions that influences both directly. As demonstrated across the gearbox and compressor examples above, the right lubricant, matched to the right application and supported by field engineering services, can measurably reduce energy consumption, extend oil drain intervals, and lower maintenance costs.
For cement plants evaluating lubrication as part of a broader efficiency strategy, these results offer a starting point rather than an endpoint. Mobil SHC™ 600 Series and Mobil Rarus SHC™ 1020 Series are both engineered for the demanding conditions cement plants operate under daily, and the field results documented here reflect what that engineering can deliver in practice.
Fill with Mobil™. Fill with Confidence.

For more information, visit www.mobil.in/business

*Energy efficiency relates solely to the performance of Mobil SHC 600 when compared to conventional (mineral) reference oils of the same viscosity grade in circulating and gear applications. The technology used allows up to 3.6 per cent efficiency compared to the reference when tested in a worm gearbox under controlled conditions. Efficiency improvements will vary based on operating conditions and application.
**This Proof of Performance is based on the experience of individual customers. Actual results may vary depending on the type of equipment used, its maintenance, operating conditions, environmental factors, and the lubricants previously used, among other variables. Exxon Mobil Corporation has numerous affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso, and Mobil. For convenience and simplicity, those terms, and references to “corporation,” “company,” “ExxonMobil,” “EM,” and other similar terms are used for convenience and may refer to one or more specific affiliates or affiliate groups.
For more information, visit www.mobil.in/business

Girish Kumar, Group Manufacturing Director, Riyadh Cement, backs the case for speedy integration of low-carbon clinker chemistry, AI-driven digitalisation and alternative fuel systems.

In this interview, Girish Kumar, Group Manufacturing Director, Riyadh Cement, covers the full breadth of the challenges that cement companies are facing with regards to innovation. He points out that sustainability and industrial competitiveness are not competing priorities but the same objective pursued through better science, smarter data and more disciplined execution.

How is innovation helping the industry improve efficiency while reducing environmental impact?
Producing one tonne of cement generates approximately 0.6 to 0.9 tonnes of CO2 making cement responsible for around 8 per cent of global CO2 emissions, one of the largest shares of any single industrial process. The industry is responding on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Hydrogen co-firing is now being introduced in cement kilns and separate calciners alongside conventional fuels, directly reducing CO2 per tonne of clinker. In India, plants are integrating coastal wind turbines, solar PV systems, and waste heat recovery (WHR) systems to reduce grid dependency. Electric calciners are approaching commercial availability. In European plants, carbon capture systems are already deployed, with captured CO2 converted into methanol for reuse as fuel. Alternative fuels from municipal solid waste and agricultural biomass further curtail fossil fuel dependency.
These innovations demonstrate conclusively that sustainability and industrial competitiveness are not in conflict. They reinforce each other.

What role does R&D play in driving innovation strategy in the cement industry?
R&D is the bridge between ambition and commercial reality. Its role extends well beyond laboratory testing. It must validate new materials, optimise formulations, assess long term durability, support product certification and confirm that innovations can be produced consistently at industrial scale.
Implementation of ISO 56002:2019 Innovation Management System guidance provides a structured framework for translating stakeholder insights into practical solutions. The XRD total solution systems now allow plants to predict compressive strength days in advance, resolve ring formation and snowmen problems, and diagnose preheater clogging rapidly. The outcome is reduced downtime, consistent quality and faster time-to-market for sustainable formulations.

What are the most significant innovations currently transforming cement manufacturing and product development?
The industry is undergoing a fundamental transition from isolated efficiency projects to an integrated low-carbon manufacturing model. Several converging innovations are driving this shift simultaneously.
First is the low carbon belite rich clinker. By replacing a portion of traditional alite (C3S) with reactive belite (C2S), and incorporating industrial by-products such as fly ash and slag, clinker can be produced at lower kiln temperatures of 1,250-1,350°C. Optimised chemistry with a lower lime saturation factor (70-85) and silica modulus (1.5-2.5) promotes belite formation, improving hydration kinetics, enhancing sulphate resistance, reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 25 per cent, and cutting energy consumption to around 650-720 kcal/kg clinker.
Second are the alkali-activated materials (AAMs) and geopolymers that use fly ash and slag activated with alkaline solutions, bypassing high-temperature clinker production entirely. They offer excellent chemical resistance, high temperature stability and draw on industrial waste streams. The strongest results come when all these innovations are implemented as one coherent operating model not as separate research initiatives.

How are alternative materials and blended cements reshaping the market?
The concept of ‘From Waste to High-Strength Cement’ is now a commercial reality. Municipal waste, agricultural residues, old tyres, and biomass are being utilised in kilns to produce mineralised clinker. Combined with specialised grinding aids and strength enhancers, these inputs enable high grade cements EN 42.5R Grade that are both environmentally responsible and structurally superior.
Supplementary cementitious materials such as calcined clay, natural pozzolans, limestone, slag and fly ash increasingly replace virgin clinker, significantly reducing the clinker factor while maintaining required strength, durability and workability. This circular economy approach lowers costs, reduces environmental impact, and meets growing market demand.

In what ways is digitalisation improving production quality, consistency, and operational performance?
Digitalisation is linking plant data, laboratory data, maintenance data and energy data into a single operational view enabling faster decisions and more stable production. Under Industry 5.0 frameworks:
• AI-driven kiln optimisation and predictive maintenance reducing unplanned downtime and energy consumption
• IoT sensors providing real-time monitoring of temperatures, gas flows, and feed chemistry for immediate corrective action
• Digital twin technology simulating production scenarios to identify efficiency improvements
before implementation
• Automated quality control systems continuously analysing raw meal composition and clinker mineralogy
• Advanced process control software
The result is improved throughput, reduced energy consumption and enhanced operational reliability.

How do customer requirements influence your innovation roadmap?
Customer requirements are the primary driver. Innovation must begin with the customer application, a low-carbon cement must perform correctly in concrete, work with local aggregates and admixtures, meet durability specifications, and remain commercially practical.
Customers are asking for more than cement supply: consistent quality, predictable performance, lower embodied carbon, technical support and reliable delivery. Specific performance insights include:
• High-belite cement (HBC) with belite content exceeding 54 wt per cent exhibits exceptional resistance to chloride migration, freeze/thaw scaling and sulphate attack.
• When formulated as self-compacting concrete (low w/c ratio), HBC achieves over 20 MPa within one day, enabling efficient formwork turnover
• Accelerated carbonation studies show that
HBC increases compressive strength during CO2 exposure aligning sustainability with long-term structural performance
The innovation roadmap should therefore be built around customer segments and use cases, not around internal R&D calendars.

What challenges do companies face when scaling and commercialising new cement technologies?
Moving from successful trials to stable industrial production is consistently underestimated. Key barriers include:
• Capital intensity: Retrofitting existing plants or building new facilities requires substantial investment before commercial return.
• Raw material variability: Alternative inputs may have inconsistent chemistry, supply-chain limitations or different grinding behaviour.
• Certification and regulation: Product approval processes vary significantly by market, slowing adoption of even proven technologies.
• Carbon capture economics: Early commercial near-zero cement plants using CCS carry production costs materially above conventional production – making policy support essential for scale-up.
Overcoming these barriers demands a combination of government policy, industry collaboration and sustained commercial commitment – not technical innovation alone.

Which emerging innovations do you believe will have the greatest impact on the industry in the coming decade?
Three areas will define the next decade:
• Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS): The most critical pathway to net zero for process emissions that cannot be eliminated through fuel switching or clinker reduction. Approaches include post-combustion capture and oxy-fuel combustion. High capital requirements remain, but CCUS is essential for deep decarbonisation.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital operations: Predictive maintenance, real-time process optimisation, advanced quality control, and autonomous kiln management will deliver
higher energy efficiency, lower variability and enhanced reliability.
• Advanced low-carbon clinker technologies and alternative energy: Belite-rich and calcium sulfo aluminate (CSAB) clinkers, electric calcination, renewable power integration, and hydrogen-based kiln firing will gradually replace fossil fuels.
The leading companies over the next decade will be those combining these technologies with strong data governance, product development capability and deep customer collaboration.

• Kanika Mathur