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Amit Deokule, Director of Sales and Marketing, Nord, shares insights on the importance of drives and motors in the cement industry and the benefits they offer for plant maintenance and productivity.

Tell us about the role of drives in cement plant machinery.
Cement manufacturing is a continuous process. Considering the market demand the plant must be in operation 24×7. These plants are located in remote areas, hence, getting spares in breakdown conditions is one more challenge for the cement industry. So, in this situation drives play a pivotal role. With use of reliable drives like Nord, which are designed for heavy duty application the uptime of cement plant machinery is high and ultimately the plant’s overall efficiency increases.
Secondly, as Nord offers products with our patented design of ‘Unicase,’ the cost of spares, oil refilling cost and downtime of machines decreases drastically. Hence, selecting good products is important for maintenance of cement machinery.

Tell us about the portfolio of drives and motors that you offer to the cement industry.
Nord is a German multinational and has been present in this market for the last 50+ years. We keep on adding products in our basket as per the market demand. We have designed and developed energy efficient products, which will require various applications of material handling in the cement industry. Today, we can offer from 0.12kW to 200kW motor with various combinations of helical,helical worm, helical bevel gearboxes with a torque range of up to 100kNm and also the heavy-duty gearbox range with torque range up to 300KNm. Considering the demand in the heavy industry, there are some new products already in the development stage.

As machinery in cement plants is advancing with time, how do you accommodate the change in drives for the betterment of functionality in cement plants?
Being a German company, we believe in offering efficient and futuristic technology to customers. Globally, we have stopped offering IE1 and IE2 class motors and offer more energy efficient IE3 and IE4 motors and soon IE5 efficiency motors will be available in a complete product range. As the world is adapting to Industry 4.0, hence, we have made our products suitable for new edge technology and we can get all kinds of data like temperature, speed, vibration, bearing life etc., from our product, process through our drives and store on the cloud for periodic analysis sitting at remote locations. This will be useful for the maintenance team to keep their machinery operative and avert breakdowns with proper and accurate feedback in advance.

How can drives by your organisation help cement manufacturers achieve better productivity and energy efficiency?
NORD products are designed for longer productive and efficient life spans. From the design stage we follow the highest standards of manufacturing geared motors. Gears are designed as per DIN3990 standard, gear housing is made with GG 20 or GGG40 material with best class of FEM standards. We offer our gear housing with our patented ‘UNICASE’ design, which leads to less joints and less sealing surfaces, meansing a virtually leak-proof design. Secondly, UNICASE design increases the shock taking ability of gear boxes, hence, no fear of breakdown. We offer high efficiency motors (IE3 and IE4 Class) with advanced VFD support that helps to consume optimum power in operation. With all these features, cement manufacturers can achieve best efficiency in their production process.

Which machinery of the cement plant is the most challenging and how do you overcome the challenge?
In a cement plant, there are five crucial cement manufacturing machines, namely, cement rotary kiln, shaft kiln, cement vertical mill, cement ball mill and cement roller press. Earlier with a limited product range, we were not able to cater our products for mill applications, but with new product additions in our MAXXDRIVE series we can offer solutions in all midsize cement mills and very soon we will offer a complete product basket for even large size cement plants.

How often do you service and audit your installations at the cement plant?
Nord products are designed for a longer productive and efficient life. Our products are suitable for 24 hours of high shock loads in a harsh atmosphere. They are a reliable drive for any industry. Because of the best design standards, world class manufacturing processes, our products consume optimum oil and energy. With this feature we proudly say Nord offers a fit and forget product. For over the last 10 years, our service spares business has been negligible. That means once you select Nord products with the correct procedure, servicing is not needed regularly and no regular operational audits are required for the gear box.

Tell us about the upcoming innovations from your organisation that would be beneficial for cement plants?
At Nord, with scientific market research we keep on adding the products. Considering cement plants, we add products in our MAXXDRIVE product range. Soon we will offer the Maxxdrive from 5kNm to 40o kNm, with all options like extended housing, J mounting, customised base plate bigger product range in IE4 and IE5 motors.

Concrete

Cement Prices To Hold Steady Amid Monsoon Slump

Centrum report says demand weakness will limit hikes

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Centrum, a financial services firm, has reported that cement prices are likely to remain largely unchanged in July as weak demand during the monsoon season constrains pricing power. The report noted that construction activity remained subdued in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 owing to labour shortages and slower execution of government projects. While June showed some volume recovery driven by delayed monsoons and quarter end sales, dealers are cautious about sustaining any price increases.

The analysis suggested that seasonal slowdown related to monsoon will prolong demand and pricing challenges through the second quarter. Dealers saw most recent attempts at price hikes as protective measures rather than genuine shifts in market fundamentals. They signalled that pockets of demand in select regions could prompt isolated adjustments but that broad based increases were unlikely while construction activity remained weak. Market participants therefore expected a cautious stance on pricing.

The report highlighted that despite intermittent recovery in shipments during June, the underlying demand trajectory remained muted as monsoon hampered site level activity and logistics. Commercial builders and retail dealers both reported constrained order books and slower payment cycles, which in turn reduced room for margin expansion among manufacturers. Analysts noted that unless government project execution accelerates markedly, demand improvement would be gradual. Price setters were thus likely to focus on protecting market shares rather than pursuing aggressive increases.

Market watchers said the near term outlook would be shaped by monsoon progress and fiscal spending patterns, with any acceleration in public works offering the most tangible support. Traders expected that regional variations would persist and that trade flows between surplus and deficit centres would determine local price movements. The report concluded that stakeholders should prepare for a period of subdued pricing until demand signals strengthen.

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Concrete

Cement Prices Set To Stay Under Pressure In July

Monsoon and weak demand keep prices under strain

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A report by Centrum said cement prices are expected to remain largely flat in July as the monsoon and weak demand weigh on the sector. The report said demand during the first quarter of FY27 remained range-bound and below expectations, with dealers across markets pointing to subdued construction activity, labour shortages, elections, heatwaves and slower execution of government projects as key reasons. It noted that some recovery was witnessed in June due to delayed onset of the monsoon and quarter-end volume push.\n\nDealers across most markets do not expect any meaningful price increases in July, the report said, adding that attempts to raise prices in some markets are aimed at defending existing levels rather than achieving significant gains. The sharp correction following the rollback of April hikes has largely played out across most regions, limiting scope for further immediate increases. Seasonal slowdown in construction activity during the monsoon is expected to continue affecting demand and pricing in the coming months.\n\nCentrum indicated that pricing pressure is likely to persist through the second quarter of FY27 as monsoon-related softness continues. Dealers remain cautious about sustainability of any price rise attempts and do not rule out further weakness during the peak monsoon period. The combination of subdued demand and seasonal factors is likely to constrain the industry’s ability to raise prices in the near term. While June saw some improvement in volumes because of delayed rains and quarter-end sales efforts, the broader demand environment remains challenging.\n\nCement companies are therefore expected to focus on maintaining current price levels rather than pursuing aggressive increases as the sector navigates weak demand and seasonal headwinds. The report suggested that unless demand conditions improve significantly, limited scope will exist for meaningful price recovery. Market participants remain watchful for any shifts in execution of infrastructure projects or construction activity that could alter the outlook.

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Concrete

TARIL Secures Ultra Mega Transformer Order From PGCIL

Order for manufacturing transformers to be delivered in 30 months

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Transformers and Rectifiers (India) Limited has received Notifications of Awards from Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) for multiple contracts to manufacture transformers and undertake associated works. The company submitted the disclosure to BSE and the National Stock Exchange under Regulation 30 of the SEBI Listing Regulations. The submission cited security code 532928 and trading symbol TARIL, and the filings cite the award reference and confirm execution in accordance with the terms and conditions stipulated in the notifications.

The contracts are described as an Ultra Mega Order under the company classification, indicating a value at or above Rs 10 billion (bn) on conversion. The filing identifies the contracts as domestic orders and specifies a scheduled delivery period of 30 months. The scope covers manufacturing of transformers of various ratings together with all associated work. The order size places it in the highest project classification defined in the company’s disclosure.

The disclosure states that the promoter group and group companies have no interest in the awarding entity and that the contracts do not constitute related party transactions. The company noted that the awards will be executed in the normal course of business and not fall within related party transactions. The document reiterates that the company is committed to delivering high quality products and services and has established itself as a leading manufacturer of transformers in the country over time.

Chief Financial Officer Mehul Shah authorised the filing and requested the exchanges to take the information on record, with the company providing the requisite filing reference in its submission. The company indicated that the orders will be executed as per the notifications of awards and the applicable regulatory framework. The original filing is available on the stock exchange portal at the provided link.

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