Economy & Market

Oil and grease barrels should be kept indoors

Published

2 years ago

June 14, 2024

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In this insightful interview, KB Mathur, Founder and Director, Global Technical Services, emphasises the importance of maintaining clean lubricants and leveraging advanced technologies for optimal plant operations and cost efficiency.

How is the Total Lubrication Management system relevant for the Indian cement industry?
Lubricating oil in a machine is like blood in the human body. Cement industry in India or anywhere in the world operates in dust conditions and their mines operate under heavier dust conditions. Keeping lubricants (oil and grease) clean as possible is the prime requirement for the machine’s operations and maintenance. This is our fundamental approach for providing services of ‘Total Lubrication Management’ to the cement industry.
Hence, a major factor for keeping lubricants in good condition and clean starts from storage, handling and dispensing of lubricants in a cement plant.
Our company, Global Technical Services (GTS) is working at several sites to ensure clean lubricating oil and grease are fed to machines. This is a primary requirement of machine life, reliability and continuous production.
We have developed special containers with colour coding to feed clean and uncontaminated oils to various machines in plants and mines. We call these containers ‘Dust Free Containers’ and they are colour coded for various families of lubricating oils – such as hydraulic oils, gear oils, etc.
We work according to our standard operating procedures (SOP) and the main activity is to keep the oil / grease clean, so that we achieve improved reliability in the plant operation and improved mechanical maintenance. This is of great importance and shall lead to productivity and improved profitability to our customers operating cement plants and mines.

How does automation and technology come handy in setting up the lubrication process at a cement plant?
Cement plants operate under very stringent conditions as they are process plants – working continuously for months or years. A dedicated team of lubrication technicians is required to keep and adopt good lubrication practices and lubricants in clean condition. Periodical testing of lubricants is required to ensure lubricating oils are in good condition. This is done at an oil testing laboratory.
When a used oil sample is sent to an oil testing laboratory, the test report is normally received after 7 to 10 days. However, in case the test report is not received within 48 hours – the mechanical damage can set into the machines, hence GTS has a site oil testing laboratory at all sites where GTS is working and implements Total Lubrication Management. The site oil testing laboratory provides the test report within 36 hours and corrective maintenance action can be taken. This is a vital need of Lubrication Management Services at cement plants and mines.
To keep oil clean, fifth generation oil filtration systems are required. The new technology for oil filtration for removing water/moisture, besides contamination, is adopted by GTS in the filtration machine. Used oil is filtered and produced oil free of moisture and cleanliness can be measured by ISOVG 4406 Spec., which needs hydraulic oil to be cleaned to NASS 6-7 values, the need for hydraulic oil cleanliness.
With the arrival of Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), the oil analysis can lead to meaningful results through ICP, which can give accurate reports on wear metals and total contamination besides additive depletion in the oil. With this, we can adopt a proper filtration system cleaning the oil and bring it to the level of ‘As New Oil’. Once this is adopted it can lead to oil conservation of oil to the extent of 30 to 40 percent. Oil conservation is an important need of the day, as we at GTS always work towards – ‘Save Oil – Oil will not last forever’.

What impact can proper lubrication create on the cost efficiency and productivity of cement plants?
Good lubrication practices are very important for cement plants and their mining operations for the following reasons:

They are continuous process plants, and run for a year continuously and stop only during scheduled shut down
They operate under very dusty conditions
All cement plants have heavy rotary equipment such as raw mills, kiln, cement mills, etc.
The operating conditions are stringent like high temperature, dusty environment, etc.

The above operating facts offer challenges for establishing ‘good lubrication practices’, so that cement plant’s reliability can be maintained. Hence, good lubrication is of paramount importance for operation of cement plants.
A basic requirement is to maintain quality of lubricants and greases manufactured by standard and reputed oil companies. The specification of the oil is therefore to be maintained and oil to be kept in clean condition to avoid any contamination with dust, dirt or moisture. This contamination has to be kept under control for good mechanical maintenance. Any breakdown in cement plant operation is very costly, affecting production.
Therefore, it is essential for cement plants to invest in good lubrication practices by having dedicated manpower, doing lubrication, keeping oil clean by use of filtration machines, oil testing laboratory at site, to ensure quality of oil as per specifications and take corrective action, when required.

How do you maintain quality for the lubricant products provided to the cement manufacturers?
Oil and grease barrels should be kept indoors. If space limitations make it impossible to keep all the oil barrels indoors, then the grease barrels must be kept indoors. The oil stored in outdoor barrels should be kept between 30°C and 90°C, covered with tarpaulin, or placed under a shed specifically developed for outdoor oil storage. Grease barrels cannot be kept outdoors because grease is a suspension of oil in soap. If grease barrels are stored outdoors, the heat will cause the oil and soap to separate, making the grease unfit for use.
Oil received from suppliers should be handled carefully at the site to prevent any barrels from being damaged during unloading. If barrels are not carefully unloaded, they can be damaged, causing oil to spill. GTS takes utmost care to ensure that the oil in service is as clean as possible, without any contamination. This ensures good maintenance practices and the reliability required in any industry, especially in cement plants, which operate in dusty environments.
The storage, handling and dispensing of lubricants and greases are very important because the oil is produced under high-quality control by the oil companies. After the oil is received and stored carefully, ensure there is no contamination from barrel breathing. The oil should then be dispensed to the machines using suitable containers, preferably dust-free containers with colour coding. Cement plants should not use open-mouth conical containers, as these can accumulate dust from the cement industry environment.
GTS has specifically developed containers called ‘Dust-free Containers’, which are colour-coded for different families of oil: hydraulic oil (blue), gear oil (green), and engine oil (red), among others. GTS uses its own colour-coding system to ensure that the lubricating oils, which are fed to the machines, are contamination-free.

How often do you audit or review your implemented systems?
We conduct regular reviews of each site where we provide Total Lubrication Management Services:

Greasing in the plant is a major activity. Greasing schedules are monitored daily, and any deviations must be corrected the next day.
Oil sample testing is done at the site laboratory and the main laboratory for detailed analysis, where ICP testing is required. The number of samples to be tested depends on the size of the plant and mines, and these samples are audited monthly.
Total oil filtration is performed and used in plant machines after testing (weekly review).
Oil conservation is important as it helps control oil wastage.
Oil and grease consumption is reviewed on a weekly and monthly basis, with trend analysis conducted.

The above parameters are reviewed at the site on a weekly and monthly basis as well as at our Mumbai office.
The GTS Site In-charge provides this information to the TLM Coordinator at the site on a daily basis. We provide weekly and monthly reports to the entire Plant Management team, which we call the Monthly Technical Activity Report (MTAR).
We work in association with the TLM Coordinator on a daily basis. The TLM Coordinator serves as the primary contact person from the mechanical and maintenance department of each plant where we provide our services. Additionally, we have Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that detail every activity to be performed at the site. A copy of the SOP is available at every plant with the unit head, mechanical head, and TLM Coordinator. The SOP incorporates every system of our work, ensuring smooth implementation of lubrication management at the plants and their mines.

How do you incorporate sustainability in your process and operations?
Sustainability is one of the most important requirements today in any industry. We have mentioned earlier that ‘Oil Never Dies’ and also ‘Oil will not last forever’. Hence, handling oil carefully without any spillage or wastages or leakages is of paramount importance while handling and dispensing of lubricants into the machines. In case the oil is not handled with utmost care as per the prescribed norms, it can lead to spilling, which will lead to loss of oil and slippery floors.
One of the major requirements today for technicians using lubricants, whether petroleum-based or synthetic, is to completely eliminate oil spillage through careful handling, in order to achieve sustainability. We place a significant emphasis on oil conservation and also adopt the principles of Reduce, Re-use and Recycle. Implementing these practices could result in saving at least 30 per cent to 40 per cent of lubricants in any industry.
We must do used oil filtration and test filtered oil within the site laboratory and accordingly using it for top-up or any other use as per the test report, will save considerable number of lubricants in the industry. In future, oil recycling is going to be the major activity and will be required to be done at all the plants. A cost reduction is important to save lubricants for sustainability.
We cannot afford to throw out oil due to ecological/environmental reasons and therefore reclamation of used oil is a highly focused area and will have a big effect on sustainability, besides reducing costs in manufacturing.
We make best efforts to save lubricating oil by testing oils regularly in the laboratory. In the cement industry, there are many locations where loss of application is required using oils / greases such as chain, pulleys, etc. and where used oil beyond filtration can be used for all loss applications.

What are the major challenges that you have had to face and overcome in terms of lubrication for the cement industry?
We initiated Total Lubrication Management Services for the cement industry approximately
23 years ago, in the year 2001-02. It is now well-established, and we do not face any major challenges in the cement industry because the personnel working in the industry understand the importance of Total Lubrication Management on a Single Window Basis at their plants.
Initially, our challenges included setting up a robust Central Lubrication Cell (CLC), which serves as a single location for carrying out the work of Total Lubrication Management for the entire plant. Now, these facilities are standardised and accepted by most plants. For mines included in our scope, we set up a separate CLC due to distance.
The CLC is where we operate Lubrication Management services for the entire plant (or mines). We maintain a 15-day inventory of oil and grease at the CLC. Handling and dispensing of lubricating oils or greases are conducted from this location, along with the setup of an Oil Testing Laboratory at the site for the Central Lubrication Cell of the Plant. Hence, this area is specially built to cater to all our activities. We prioritise maintaining ‘good housekeeping’ at the CLC to ensure clean oil is fed to machines.
Maintaining good housekeeping at the CLC is our prime requirement. Additionally, our next challenge is manpower. We have to train them according to our needs, and finding competent manpower has become increasingly difficult. Sometimes, our manpower has to work for 14 to 16 hours. Apart from this, we have no other major problems in implementing Total Lubrication Management at various sites.

Tell us about the innovations that can be seen in the near future by Global Technical Services.
We wish to achieve the following in the cement industry in the near future.

We have already initiated a training programme for GTS personnel/technicians at sites to enhance the quality of our day-to-day services in providing Total Lubrication Management as per our SOP.
The cement industry utilises large quantities of lubricating oils, primarily gear oil and hydraulic oils. These oils can be regenerated to the level of ‘As-New Oil.’ Since we have an on-site oil testing laboratory, the regenerated lubricants/oils can be tested and reused. This will provide a significant and cost-effective service, allowing us to save a considerable amount of lubricating oil in the industry. To achieve this objective, we will utilise 5th generation oil filtration systems. These systems absorb water/moisture as well as all suspended impurities, wear debris, etc.
With the availability of sensors and software, we aim to implement online oil condition monitoring for all critical and major equipment in the cement plant. This will enhance mechanical maintenance as a continuous process, which is a major expense in any industry.

– Kanika Mathur

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Concrete

PROMECON introduces infrared-based tertiary air measurement system for cement kilns

Published

11 hours ago

May 20, 2026

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The new solution promisescontinuous, real-time tertiary air flow measurement in cement plant operations.

PROMECON GmbH has launched the McON IR Compact, an infrared-based measuring system designed to deliver continuous, real-time tertiary air flow measurement in cement plant operations. The system addresses the longstanding process control challenge of accurate tertiary air monitoring under extreme kiln conditions. It uses patented infrared time-of-flight measurement technology that operates without calibration or maintenance intervention.

Precise tertiary air measurement is a critical requirement for stable rotary kiln operation. The McON IR Compact is engineered to function reliably at temperatures up to 1,200°C and in the presence of abrasive clinker dust. Its vector-based digital measurement architecture ensures that readings remain unaffected by swirl, dust deposits or drift. Due to these conditions conventional measurement systems in pyroprocess environments are often compromised.

The system is fully non-intrusive and requires no K-factors, recalibration or periodic readjustment, enabling years of uninterrupted operation. This design directly supports plant availability and reduces the maintenance overhead typically associated with process instrumentation in high-temperature zones.

PROMECON has deployed the McON IR Compact at multiple cement facilities, including Warta Cement in Poland. Plant operators report that the system has aided in identifying blockages, optimising purging cycles for gas burners, and supplying accurate flow data for AI-based process optimisation programmes. The practical outcomes include more stable kiln operation, improved process control, and earlier detection of process disturbances.

On the energy side, real-time tertiary air data enables reduction in induced draft fan load and helps flatten process oscillations across the pyroprocess. This translates to lower fuel and energy consumption, fewer unplanned shutdowns, and a measurable reduction in NOx peaks. This directly reflects on the downstream cost implications for plants operating SCR or SNCR systems for emissions compliance.

Concrete

Filtration Technology is Critical for Efficient Logistics

Published

5 days ago

May 15, 2026

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Niranjan Kirloskar, MD, Fleetguard Filters, makes the case that filtration technology, which has been long treated as a routine consumable, is in fact a strategic performance enabler across every stage of cement production and logistics.

India’s cement industry forms the core for infrastructure growth of the country. With an expected compound annual growth rate of six to eight per cent, India has secured its position as the second-largest cement producer globally. This growth is a result of the increasing demand across, resulting in capacity expansion. Consequently, cement manufacturers are now also focusing on running the factories as efficiently as possible to stay competitive and profitable.
While a large portion of focus still remains on production technologies and capacity utilisation, the hidden factor in profitability is the efficiency of cement logistics. The logistics alone account for nearly 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the total cost of cement, making efficiency in this segment a key lever for profitability and reliability.
In the midst of this complex and high-intensity ecosystem, filtration often remains one of the most underappreciated yet essential enablers of performance.

A demanding operational landscape
Cement production and logistics inherently operate in some of the harshest industrial environments. With processes such as quarrying, crushing, grinding, clinker production, and bulk material handling expose the machinery to constant high temperatures, heavy loads, and dust, often the silent destructive force for engines.
The ecosystem is abrasive, and often one with a high contamination index. These challenging conditions demand equipment such as the excavators, crushers, compressors, and transport vehicles to perform and perform efficiently. The continuous exposure to contamination across every aspect like air, fuel, lubrication, and even hydraulic systems causes long-term damage. Studies have also shown that 70 to 80 per cent of hydraulic system failures are directly linked to contamination, while primary cause of engine wear is inadequate air filtration.
For engines as heavy as these, even a minor contaminant has a cascading effect; reducing efficiency, performance and culminating to unplanned downtime. Particles as small as 5 to 10 microns, far smaller than a human hair (~70 microns), can cause significant damage to critical engine components. In an industry where margins are closely linked to operational efficiency, such disruptions can significantly affect both cost structures and delivery timelines.

Dust management: A persistent challenge
Dust is a natural by-product in cement operations. From drilling and blasting in the quarries to packing in plants, this fine particulate matter does occupy a large space in operations. Dust concentration levels in quarry and crushing zones often create extremely high particulate exposure for equipment. These fine particles, when enter the engines and critical systems, accelerates the wear and tear of the component, affecting directly the operational efficiency. Over time every block fall; engine performance declines, fuel consumption rises, and maintenance cycles shorten. In this case, effective air filtration is the natural first line of defence. Advanced filtration systems are designed to capture high volumes of particulate matter while maintaining consistent airflow, ensuring that engines and equipment operate under optimal conditions.
In high-dust applications, as in cement production, even the filtration systems are expected to sustain performance over extended periods without the need of frequent replacement. This becomes crucial in remote quarry locations where access to frequent maintenance may be limited.

Fluid cleanliness and system integrity
Beyond air filtration, fluid systems also play a crucial role for equipment reliability in cement operations. Fuel systems are required to remain free from contaminants for efficient working of combustion and injection protection. Additionally, lubrication systems also need to maintain the oil purity to reduce friction and prevent any premature wear of moving parts. The hydraulic systems, which are key to several heavy equipment operations, are especially sensitive to contamination.
If fine particles or water enters these systems, it can lead to reduced efficiency, erratic performance, and eventual failure of the system. Modern filtration systems are designed with high-efficiency media capable of removing extremely fine contaminants, with advanced fuel and oil filtration solutions filtering particles as small as two to five microns. Multi-stage filtration systems further ensure that fluid performance is maintained even under challenging operating conditions.
Another critical aspect of fuel systems is water separation. Removing moisture helps prevent corrosion, improves combustion efficiency and enhances overall engine reliability. Modern water separation technologies can achieve over 95 per cent efficiency in removing water from fuel systems.

Ensuring reliability across the value chain
Filtration plays a critical role across every stage of cement logistics:
• Quarry operations: Equipment operates in highly abrasive environments, requiring strong protection against dust ingress and hydraulic contamination.
• Processing units: Crushers, kilns, and grinding mills depend on clean lubrication and cooling systems to sustain continuous operations.
• Material handling systems: Pneumatic and mechanical systems rely on clean air and fluid systems for efficiency and reliability.
• Transportation networks: Bulk carriers and trucks must maintain engine health and fuel efficiency to ensure timely deliveries.
Across these operations, filtration plays a vital role; as it supports consistent equipment performance while reducing the risk of unexpected failures.
Effective filtration solutions can reduce unscheduled equipment failures by 30 to 50 per cent across heavy-duty operations.

Uptime as a strategic imperative
In cement manufacturing, uptime is currency. Downtime not only delays the production, but it also greatly impacts the supply commitments and logistics planning. With the right filtration systems, contaminants are kept at bay from entering the
critical systems, and they also significantly extend the service intervals.
Optimised filtration can extend service intervals by 20 to 40 per cent, reducing maintenance frequency while maintaining consistent performance across demanding operating conditions. Filtration systems designed for heavy-duty applications sustain efficiency throughout their lifecycle, ensuring reliable protection with minimal interruptions. This leads to improved equipment availability, lower maintenance costs, and more predictable operations, with well-maintained systems capable of achieving uptime levels of over 90 to 95 per cent in challenging cement environments.

Supporting emission and sustainability goals
With the rising environmental awareness, the cement industry too is aligning with the stricter norms and sustainability targets. In this scenario, the operational efficiency is directly linked to emission control.

Air and fuel systems that are clean enable
much more efficient combustion. They also reduce emissions from both the stationary equipment and transport fleets. Similarly, with a well-maintained fluid cleanliness, emission systems function better. Poor combustion due to contamination can increase emissions by 5 to 10 per cent, making clean systems critical for compliance.
Additionally, efficient and longer lasting filtration systems significantly reduce any waste generation and contribute to increased sustainable maintenance practices. Extended-life filtration solutions can reduce filter disposal and maintenance waste by 15 to 20 per cent. Smart and efficient filtration in this case plays an important role in meeting the both regulatory and environmental objectives within the industry.

Advancements in filtration technology
Over the years, there has been a significant evolution in the filtration technology to meet the modern industrial applications.
Key developments include:
• High-efficiency filtration media capable of capturing very fine particles without restricting flow
• Compact and integrated designs that combine multiple filtration functions
• Extended service life solutions that reduce replacement frequency and maintenance downtime
• Application-specific engineering tailored to different stages of cement operations
Modern multi-layer filtration media can improve dust-holding capacity by up to two to three times compared to conventional systems, while maintaining consistent performance. These advancements have transformed filtration from a basic maintenance component into a critical performance system.

Adapting to diverse operating conditions
The cement industry of India operates across diverse geographies. Spanning across regions with arid regions with higher dust levels, to the coastal areas with higher humidity, challenges of each region pose different threats to the engines. Modern filtration systems are thus tailored to address these unique challenges of each region.
Indian operating environments often range from 0°C to over 50°C, with some of the highest dust loads globally in mining zones.
Additionally, filtration technology can also be customised to variations which then align the system design with factors like dust load, temperature, and equipment usage patterns. Equipment utilisation levels in India are typically higher than global averages, making robust filtration even more critical. This approach ensures optimal performance and durability across different operational contexts.

Impact on total cost of ownership
Filtration has a direct and measurable impact on the total cost of ownership of equipment.
Effective filtration leads to:
• Lower wear and tear on critical components
• Reduced maintenance and repair costs
• Improved fuel efficiency
• Extended equipment life
• Higher operational uptime
Effective filtration can extend engine life by 20 to 30 per cent and reduce overall maintenance costs by 15 to 25 per cent over the equipment lifecycle. These benefits collectively enhance productivity and reduce lifecycle costs. Conversely, inadequate filtration can result in frequent breakdowns, increased maintenance expenditure, and reduced asset utilisation.

Building a more efficient cement ecosystem
With the rising demand across various sectors, the cement industry is expected to expand at an unprecedented rate. This growth is forcing the production to move towards a more efficient and resilient system of operations. This requires attention not only to production technologies but also to the supporting systems that enable consistent performance. Filtration must be viewed as a strategic investment rather than a routine consumable. By ensuring the cleanliness of air and fluids across systems, it supports reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.

The road ahead
The future of cement logistics will be shaped by increasing mechanisation, digital monitoring, and stricter environmental standards. The industry is also witnessing a shift towards predictive maintenance and condition monitoring, where filtration performance is increasingly integrated with real-time equipment diagnostics.
In this evolving landscape, the role of filtration will become even more critical. As equipment becomes more advanced and operating conditions more demanding, the need for precise contamination control will continue to grow. From quarry to construction site, filtration technology underpins the performance of every critical system. It enables equipment to operate efficiently, reduces operational risks, and supports the industry’s broader goals of growth and sustainability. In many ways, it is the unseen force that keeps the cement ecosystem moving, quietly ensuring that every link in the value chain performs as expected.

About the author
Niranjan Kirloskar, Managing Director, Fleetguard Filters, is focused on driving innovation, operational excellence, and long-term business growth through strategic and people-centric leadership. With a strong foundation in ethics and forward-thinking decision-making, he champions a culture of collaboration, accountability, and technological advancement.

Concrete

Cement’s Next Fuel Shift

Published

6 days ago

May 15, 2026

admin

Jignesh Kindaria highlights how Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) is emerging as a critical lever for cost savings, decarbonisation and competitive advantage in the cement industry.

India is simultaneously grappling with two crises: a mounting waste emergency and an urgent need to decarbonise its most carbon-intensive industries. The cement sector, the second-largest in the world and the backbone of the nation’s infrastructure ambitions, sits at the centre of both. It consumes enormous quantities of fossil fuel, and it has the technical capacity to consume something else entirely: the waste our cities cannot get rid of.
According to CPCB and NITI Aayog projections, India generates approximately 62.4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with that figure expected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2030. Much of this waste is energy-rich and non-recyclable. At the same time, cement kilns operate at material temperatures of approximately 1,450 degrees Celsius, with gas temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees. This high-temperature environment is ideal for co-processing, ensuring the complete thermal destruction of organic compounds without generating toxic residues. The physics are in our favour. The infrastructure is not.
Pre-processing is not the support act for co-processing. It is the main event. Get the particle size wrong, get the moisture wrong, get the calorific value wrong and your kiln thermal stability will suffer the consequences.

The regulatory push is real
The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026 mandate that cement plants progressively replace solid fossil fuels with Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), starting at a 5 per cent baseline and scaling to 15 per cent within six years. NITI Aayog’s 2026 Roadmap for Cement Sector Decarbonisation targets 20 to 25 per cent Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) by 2030. Beyond compliance, every tonne of coal replaced by RDF generates measurable carbon reductions which is monetisable under India’s emerging Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). TSR is no longer a sustainability metric. It is a financial lever.
Yet our own field assessments across multiple Indian cement plants reveal a sobering reality: the primary barrier to scaling AFR adoption is not waste availability. It is the fragmented and under-engineered pre-processing ecosystem that sits between the waste and the kiln.

Why Indian waste is a different engineering problem
Indian municipal solid waste is not the material that imported shredding equipment was designed for. Our waste streams frequently exceed 40 per cent to 50 per cent moisture content, particularly during monsoon cycles, saturated with abrasive inerts including sand, glass, and stone. Plants relying on imported OEM equipment face months of downtime awaiting proprietary spare parts. Machines built for segregated, low-moisture waste fail quickly and disrupt the entire pre-processing operation in Indian conditions.
The two most common failures we observe are what I call the biting teeth problem and the chewing teeth problem. Plants relying solely on a primary shredder reduce bulk waste to large fractions, but the output remains too coarse for stable kiln combustion. Others attempt to use a secondary shredder as a standalone unit without a primary stage to pre-size the feed, leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. When both stages are present but mismatched in throughput capacity, the system becomes a bottleneck. Achieving the 40 to 70 tonnes per hour required for meaningful coal displacement demands a precisely coordinated two-stage process.

Engineering a made-in-India answer
At Fornnax, our response to these challenges is grounded in one principle: Indian waste demands Indian engineering. Our systems are built around feedstock homogeneity, the holy grail of kiln stability. Consistent particle size and predictable calorific value are the foundation of stable kiln combustion. Without them, no TSR target is achievable at scale.
Our SR-MAX2500 Dual Shaft Primary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive) processes raw, baled, or loosely mixed MSW, C&I waste, bulky waste, and plastics, reducing them to approximately 150 mm fractions at throughputs of up to 40 tonnes per hour. The R-MAX 3300 Single Shaft Secondary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive), introduced in 2025, takes that primary output and produces RDF fractions in the 30 to 80 mm range at up to 30 tonnes per hour, specifically optimised for consistent kiln feeding. We have also introduced electric drive configurations under the SR-100 HD series, with capacities between 5 and 40 tonnes per hour, already operational at a leading Indian waste-processing facility.
Looking ahead, Fornnax is expanding its portfolio with the upcoming SR-MAX3600 Hydraulic Drive primary shredder at up to 70 tonnes per hour and the R-MAX2100 Hydraulic drive secondary shredder at up to 20 tonnes per hour, designed specifically for the large-scale throughput that higher TSR ambitions require.

The investment case is now
The 2070 Net-Zero target is not a distant goal for India’s cement sector. It starts today, with decisions being made on the plant floor.
The SWM Rules 2026 are already in effect, requiring cement plants to replace coal with RDF. Carbon credit markets are opening up, and coal prices are not going to get cheaper. Every tonne of coal a cement plant replaces with waste-derived fuel saves money on one side and generates carbon credit revenue on the other. Pre-processing infrastructure is no longer just a compliance requirement. It is a business investment with a measurable return.
The good news is that nothing is missing. The technology works. The waste is available in every Indian city. The government has provided the policy direction. The only thing standing between where the industry is today and where it needs to be is the commitment to build the right infrastructure.
The cement companies that move now will not just meet the regulations. They will be ahead of every competitor that waits.

About the author
Jignesh Kundaria is the Director and CEO of Fornnax Technology. Over an experience spanning more than two decades in the recycling industry, he has established himself as one of India’s foremost voices on waste-to-fuel technology and alternative fuel infrastructure.