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“Getting it Done” – Integrating Innovation with Technology

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D D Wanjale, Managing Director, Gebr. Pfeiffer India, lists out innovations in Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs) and its resultant impact on producing more sustainable cement.

Gebr. Pfeiffer looks back on 158 years of company history and is well established as a pioneer in grinding solutions via vertical roller mills used in the cement and minerals industry. Till date, more than 175 VRMs have been sold in the Indian market, including Ultratech Cement (45 VRMs) and Shree Cement (35 VRMs). The cement mill type MVR 6000 C-6 alone was ordered more than 20 times, which is the highest number of mills in this category.
During the ’80s, vertical roller mills from Gebr. Pfeiffer were sold directly to the Indian cement industry by our German headquarters. With a further increase in end user demand in the ’90s, Gebr. Pfeiffer Germany decided in the year 2000 to incorporate its largest subsidiary. Gebr. Pfeiffer was founded in India to serve its esteemed customers to be available locally following the principle of ‘Think Global Act Local’. The rest is history. The company’s success in India in the new millennium is mainly due to the commitment of the experienced Pfeiffer specialists in India, who focus even more on the individual challenges and demands of our valued Indian customers. Our colleagues in India know the market and the conditions and offer innovative solutions with global support from our in-house experts and support the customers from the early project phase, leading to smooth commissioning and extending comprehensive services.
In the area of raw material grinding, the opinion was sometimes held, especially in the Indian market, that roller presses would be more economical. Gebr. Pfeiffer has addressed this issue by redesigning of gas flows and other innovations to optimise the fan power and mill Δp Comparisons with MVR mill of the latest design to demonstrate that this is not the case anymore. Joint effort with the Shree Cement team and the operating data received on the new MVR vertical roller mill of the latest design at Shree Cement’s Chhattisgarh plant has established that the power consumption of the MVR mills is reduced even further, resulting in energy savings for the cement industry. Now that it has been established that the specific energy consumption for a Pfeiffer raw mill can be considered equal to roller presses. The many advantages of MVR mills kicks in – single mill solution for higher capacity, such as lower CAPEX for civil and layout requirement, lower OPEX and downtimes due to the higher availability with the advantage of compact design of the grinding plant. As per customer feedback, Pfeiffer MVR mills are operator friendly, commissioned very fast, and put to commercial operations in the fastest way possible vis-a-vis all technologies in grinding. All this together naturally has a very positive effect on the cement manufacturer’s CAPEX and OPEX.
Gebr Pfeiffer VRMs have minimum vibration during operations due to their special profile of grinding elements. Low vibration means stable operation, low water consumption, lower heat, low fatigue and that leads to continuous production at optimum cost. Gebr. Pfeiffer also sets the benchmark in this field, especially in the challenging field of cement grinding, because the unique roller suspension and other design features make MVR cement mills extremely smooth-running, with vibrations in the range of 0.5 mm/s, often even below. Pfeiffer’s MVR mills are also characterised by the highest power density on the market, which means they perform better; others must provide larger grinding track diameters to achieve the same grinding result. This is a huge advantage over competing mills, because a high power density reduces the footprint of the grinding plant, but also the operating costs, because compact mills offer lower pressure drops (Δp) and require less energy for the main plant fan. The MVR mill is currently the most modern vertical mill in the market, and it is constantly being further developed to ensure that Pfeiffer continues to make its contribution on the way to greener cement.

EVOLVING NEEDS
We have limited resources on our Earth. There is only one planet. We are all required to act responsibly without endangering the environment for future generations. Cement is the core industry for catering to customer demand of housing and infrastructure, which means clinker has to be produced continuously to cater to the per capita consumption of large economies like India. The best thing cement manufacturers can do is to reduce the clinker factor and produce greener cement, because producing less clinker offers the greatest potential for CO2 savings in cement production.
Producers are therefore striving to increase the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) while still maintaining high cement quality. Depending on the source of supply and the market needs, the addition of SCMs such as fly ash, slag or calcined clay for example results in different blended cements, some of which must be ground finer to achieve the desired cement properties. Here, too, the MVR mill plays out its advantages, because its enormous running smoothness allows products down to the ultra-fine range to be produced without any problems. MVR mills already produce blended cements with only 30 per cent clinker content or, elsewhere, CEM I with finenesses of more than 6000 cm²/g (Blaine). Another plus is the fact that VRMs can generally change from one product to the next within a few minutes, this is due to the short material dwell time within the mill, this looks quite different with other grinding systems, such as the roller presses and ball mills.
Pfeiffer has taken up the cause of sustainability through technology, which is the reason for the innovative strength of the company, resulting in numerous improvements again and again, thus saving resources and energy even more. In the case of grinding plants, however, greener cement does not only have to do with design and process improvements, since the degree of digitisation of the plant also has an influence that should not be underestimated.

DIGITISATION AND AUTOMATION
New processes are coming along every day to integrate innovations. When people talk about Industry 4.0 digitisation, Internet of Things (IoT) or artificial intelligence (AI), this is not a future scenario, because due to the many possibilities, this has long found its way also into the cement industry. Gebr. Pfeiffer recognised the potential and importance of digitisation early on and formed a powerful team consisting of process and programming specialists who have jointly developed their own software and continue to expand it, because who understands the grinding process better than the vertical roller mill manufacturer itself.
The company’s portfolio of digital products includes practical and future-proof automation solutions as well as a Conditions Monitoring Systems (CMS) that go far beyond pure monitoring of the gearbox or data acquisition as well as data storage and artificial intelligence.
The digital product GPlink, for example, collects and saves sensor data. If the customer grants Pfeiffer access to this data, then this leads to optimised operation because it enables most effective remote support. The service engineer can quickly get an overview via the operation data and provide targeted assistance. The digital product GPpro builds on GPlink and offers several modules, including a CMS system, data analysis tools and reports. Another GPpro module is dynamic water injection to save water. To stabilise the grinding bed in VRMs, a little water is often sprayed in before the grinding rollers. The mentioned module helps to keep the amount of water needed as low as possible, because the system reads data and automatically adds only as much water as is necessary.
Of course, the exciting topic of AI must not be missing when it comes to digital modules. Even the most experienced plant operator, with an eye for optimised plant operation, is not capable of doing what AI makes possible. By using AI, any number of mutually influencing parameters can be calculated through to find the ideal operating setting. And this know-how is retained even if the person in the control room changes. When the feed material is changed, the optimum parameter settings can be loaded or recalculated. Initial extensive tests with AI on operating plants have been very promising, and there is enormous potential for improvement here.
In response to changing requirements, all digital products from Gebr. Pfeiffer are constantly being further developed. The modular design offers, for example, functions in the areas of preventive maintenance, protection of the mill, reduction of water consumption, increased performance, reduction of energy consumption and more. GPlink and GPpro are not only available for new machines, because they can of course also be retrofitted to existing MPS or MVR mills.

CEMENT COLLABORATIONS
Vertical roller mills with the highest power density are of course the mills with the highest level of development. Gebr. Pfeiffer’s pioneering leadership is also reflected here, as its mills are more compact and perform better compared to the past and even today compared to the competition. Capacities that were once achieved in a specific mill size can be realised in a smaller mill now, which improve the carbon footprint and are accompanied by
improved efficiency and cost reduction, benefiting cement producers.
Consumption of clinker will decrease, and consumption of SCMs will increase in the coming years to meet growing demand without further impacting the environment. As a reliable partner to its customers, Pfeiffer subscribes to this philosophy and does not rest on the fact that its MVR mill currently performs best compared to the competition.
The topics of efficiency, sustainability and digitisation are closely linked. These topics will continue to be the driving force in the further development of Pfeiffer products and processes. Economy and sustainability are not mutually exclusive; both must be in focus to continue to accompany the Indian cement industry on its journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
D D Wanjale, Managing Director, Gebr. Pfeiffer India, has been with the company for the past nine years and comes with vast experience in the cement industry.

Concrete

Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape

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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.

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Concrete

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

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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.

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Driving Measurable Gains

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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.

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