Concrete

Success Story: Achieving industrial excellence with superior lubrication

Published

4 years ago

December 13, 2022

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Focusing on the holistic vision to enhance overall operations.

As a fast-developing economy, India is currently witnessing enhanced demand across sectors including commercial and industrial construction, housing, core infrastructure, etc. Along with rising consumer demand, there is a parallel growth in demand for industrial raw materials. Here, India is doing well to capacitate its industries towards fulfilling evolving market demand and as the second-largest producer of cement in the world, the Indian cement industry’s production capacity is expected to reach 550 MMT by 2025. As the cement industry grows, businesses here are drawing their attention on adopting methods that can aid energy-efficiency in operations while ensuring productivity and profitability. The cement industry encounters a common problem in bearing and industrial gearbox failures due to inadequate lubrication. Most cement plant applications, therefore, require adequate and superior-quality lubrication to increase reliability as well as to improve the total cost of ownership through high-performance and high-pressure lubricants.
Addressing this challenge with a holistic vision to enhance overall operations, MobilTM is providing exceptional performance gear and bearing oils which have been designed to provide outstanding results in equipment protection, oil life, and problem-free operations – aiding increased productivity
and efficiency.

Providing solutions through premium lubrication
Recently, Mobil became associated with one of India’s largest cement manufacturing companies based out of Tamil Nadu that covers operations across five integrated cement units and has 6 grinding units spread across several states. Operations at the company require the use of a variety of in-house processes and machinery, demanding specialised and advanced quality hydraulic fluids and gear oils for smooth functioning. They approached Mobil with challenges in short oil drain intervals (ODIs), hindered productivity, and increased maintenance cost from existing lubricant usage. They sought Mobil’s assistance in developing condition-based monitoring for their crucial applications, and to enhance technical knowledge of their equipment to help overcome troubleshooting activities.
After a careful review of the situation, Mobil recommended the use of MobilgearTM 600 XP 320, a part of the MobilgearTM 600 XP Series. The premium gear oils under this series provide high performance, have outstanding tolerance to extreme pressure, and come with superior load-carrying properties. Mobil advised the usage of these advanced gear oils for the organisation’s raw miller roller lubrication, kiln main drive gear box, and cement mil VRM gearbox. The advanced gear oils are equipped for evolving needs of high technology gear boxes and have enabled the cement firm to increase its ODI by 4.5-times in raw mill roller lubrication, 2.25-times in kiln main drive gearbox, and 2.5-times in its cement mill VRM gearbox. Mobil also recommended the MobilgearTM 600 XP 220 which helped them to increase the ODI by 2.5-times in their coal mill main drive gearbox, resulting in net savings of INR 1,14,750.
To boost the ODI for their cement mill roller hydraulics, the cement manufacturers adopted the Mobil DTETM 24 Ultra high-performance anti-wear hydraulic oil with extended oil life capabilities. This helped them increase ODI by 4-times. These product upgrades along with a thorough root cause analysis to resolve the chromium alert issue in their roller lubrication application and the sodium alert issue in the main drive gearbox that hindered their productivity made them document a total savings of INR 3,031,400 in the year 2021.

Advanced technology to cater to evolving needs
To improve reliability and productivity of the organisation’s critical equipment and ensure profitability at the same time, the company also utilised the Mobil ServSM suite of services. They deployed the Mobil ServSM Lubricant Analysis (MSLA) program for receiving regular updates and reports on operations to aid them in planning periodic maintenance and reducing machine downtime. The company faced difficulty in monitoring equipment remotely for real-time oil conditioning and reducing man-machine interaction – an imperative in today’s era of digitalisation. To tackle this issue, Mobil assisted with its advanced IIOT sensors which provides customised solutions and in-depth analysis to the cement company.
Mobil also organised technical lube training every year to enhance knowledge on specific applications, products and their maintenance, which enabled them to handle troubleshooting efficiently. Additionally, MSLA helped the cement giant to continuously track lubricant and equipment trends. This helped enforce proactive maintenance for important applications, which resulted in longer ODIs and, thus, improved productivity and profitability.
Mobil also utilised the Planned Engineering Service (PES) process to provide the best possible solutions. These solutions have enabled them to improve performance through a planned “best practice” approach to lubrication maintenance. PES is a robust and consistent methodology that enables Mobil to deliver services that add value. It has four steps – mutual planning, objective execution, benefit documentation, and annual business review. Moving ahead, the PES process will continue to unleash productivity of equipment and help the organisation achieve maximum potential of its assets.
Overall, a combination of superior product solutions along with servicing that guarantees productivity and profitability has enabled the cement firm to unlock greater levels of performance.

For more details, please visit mobil.co.in/business
(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.)

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India’s Cement Sector Cuts Energy Use, but Worker Safety Worsens

iFOREST finds efficiency gains alongside water and safety concerns

Published

1 day ago

November 2, 2026

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India’s cement sector has improved its energy and carbon efficiency, but rising groundwater use in water-stressed regions and deteriorating worker safety remain significant concerns, according to a report by the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology (iFOREST). The findings also highlighted weak policy implementation and gaps in sustainability reporting.

India, the world’s second-largest cement producer, uses about 2.54 gigajoules of energy per tonne (GJ/t), below the global average of 2.88 GJ/t. However, renewable sources accounted for only 5.1 per cent of the sector’s energy mix, indicating continued dependence on conventional sources.

The report assessed 18 cement companies against 107 Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting indicators for FY24 and FY25. The companies covered 87 per cent of India’s cement production. Carbon emissions intensity declined from 0.58 to 0.57 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne, but total emissions increased 4 per cent to 224.3 mn t, equivalent to about 6 to 7 per cent of India’s overall emissions.

Overall water withdrawal declined 9.5 per cent during the study period, while withdrawals in water-stressed areas, mainly in Rajasthan, increased by more than 20 per cent. Groundwater’s share of withdrawals in these areas rose from 27 per cent to 38 per cent, raising concerns about the sector’s impact on vulnerable water resources.

The sector employs about 228,000 people, including 63 per cent contractual workers, 3.1 per cent women and 0.07 per cent persons with disabilities. Women in key managerial roles earned 26.8 per cent less than men, while median pay for women workers fell 11.1 per cent in FY25 as men’s pay increased. Worker injuries rose 36.5 per cent to 359, and fatalities increased from 17 to 22, with workers accounting for more than 90 per cent of deaths.

iFOREST recommended cement-specific reporting guidance, standardised metrics, mandatory production disclosure and third-party verification. It also called for environmental, social and governance policies to be integrated into business strategies and implemented more effectively on the ground.

Concrete

Ambuja Cements Expects Volume Growth to Outpace Industry in H2

Ambuja Cements sees stronger trade and institutional demand in H2 FY27.

Published

1 day ago

November 2, 2026

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Ambuja Cements expects its sales volumes to grow faster than the cement industry during the second half of fiscal year 2027, as it seeks a recovery in institutional demand after a weak first half. The Gautam Adani-owned company is aiming to rebuild volumes while protecting profitability.

The company reported a 90 per cent year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit attributable to owners of the parent to Rs. 1.93 bn for the quarter ended 30 September, from Rs. 17.74 bn a year earlier. The previous year’s profit included a reversal of income-tax provisions worth Rs. 16.97 bn. Revenue from operations rose marginally to Rs. 91.66 bn from Rs. 91.3 bn.

Trade volumes increased 8.6 per cent year-on-year in the September quarter, but weaker institutional sales left overall volumes broadly unchanged. Ambuja Cements expects both trade and institutional sales to turn positive in the third and fourth quarters. Trade sales are made through dealers and distributors, while institutional or business-to-business sales involve bulk supplies to infrastructure developers, government projects and real estate companies.

The company had earlier reduced institutional sales that did not generate adequate returns. It now plans to rebuild the business selectively, while continuing to prioritise trade sales and higher-value products. Trade accounted for 74 per cent of sales in the quarter, up six percentage points from a year earlier, while premium products increased to 37 per cent of trade sales from 35 per cent. Blended cement’s share rose to 82 per cent from 77 per cent.

Ambuja Cements commissioned 4.6 mn t of capacity during the quarter. Another 3.2 mn t at Bathinda in Punjab and Jodhpur has stabilised, with the facilities expected to ramp up in the second half. A further 2.4 mn t facility at Varkala in Bihar is scheduled for commissioning during the period. Higher fuel and logistics costs remain a challenge, while the company has realised a cement price increase of about Rs. 10 per bag in October and is targeting operating costs of Rs. 4,250 per t for the full year.

Concrete

JK Lakshmi Cement Begins Rs 110 Billion Assam Plant Project

The 2.5 MTPA integrated cement plant is expected to be completed by FY2029.

Published

3 days ago

October 31, 2026

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JK Lakshmi Cement has recently laid the foundation stone for Project Kamakshi, its first integrated cement manufacturing facility in Assam, marking its entry into Northeast India. The groundbreaking ceremony was held at Umrangso village in Dima Hasao district in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The project involves an investment of Rs 110 billion, including the mining lease, and will have an annual cement production capacity of 2.5 million tonnes, supported by a 1 million tonne clinkerisation unit. Scheduled for completion by FY2029, the facility is expected to generate employment for over 2,000 people while catering primarily to the growing Northeast market.

The integrated plant will feature dedicated railway sidings to facilitate efficient transportation of raw materials and finished cement, strengthening supply chain reliability and regional distribution.

Vinita Singhania, Chairperson and Managing Director, JK Lakshmi Cement, said, “”Project Kamakshi is the start of a long-term relationship with Assam and the wider North East. This is a region that is building fast, and it deserves quality cement made close to home. With this plant, we want to bring scale, jobs, and dependable supply to the region. At JK Lakshmi Cement, we believe that building a stronger India goes beyond infrastructure. It is also about growing together with the communities we serve.””

The investment aligns with the company’s strategy to expand into high-growth markets beyond its established presence in Northern, Western and Eastern India. The project is also expected to support regional economic development and infrastructure growth.

JK Lakshmi Cement aims to pursue its expansion plans while working towards its long-term target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2047.