Concrete

AI at the helm

Published

2 years ago

August 23, 2024

Roshna

Tushar Kulkarni, Head – Solutions, Innomotics India, writes about innovative AI-based digital solutions for the cement and mining industries, which are enhancing energy efficiency and productivity while combating greenhouse gases for a sustainable future.

Since 2019, we are continuously investing and collaborating with industry experts to develop innovative digital solutions specific for the cement and mining industry to fight greenhouse gases and contribute to climate protection.
Our digital solutions in these industries increase energy efficiency and productivity of our customers’ entire operations.
By the end of FY27, cement consumption in India is expected to reach 450.78 million tonnes, driven majorly by expanding demand from housing, commercial construction, national infrastructure projects and industrial construction*. To meet the growing demand, many cement companies are planning or already undertaking capacity expansions. Despite market growth, challenges such as fluctuating raw material prices, energy costs, transportation costs, skill shortages and regulatory complexities continue to persist for cement plants.
Cement plants constantly strive to improve productivity and cost efficiency through sustainable manufacturing and operations along with environmental emission norms and regulations.
Over the last two decades, different technologies for advanced process control (APC) have developed for the cement industry, such as fuzzy logic and expert systems. However, with the technology changes happening and the increasing use of alternative fuel residual (AFR) and alternative raw materials, the requirement of innovative technology is the need of the hour.
Adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) will significantly help cement plants in their efforts towards innovation, efficiency and sustainability
goals through improved process optimization and increased productivity.
The Innomotics Digi-Suite (AI-based) is positioned to support the cement industry in this endeavour. Built on microservices architecture, Digi-Suite offers flexible self-learning AI based solutions which can be customised or tailor-made in accordance with plant / customer requirements. It enables customers to implement their digitalisation strategies in a stepwise manner and scale it up to an entire plant or multiple plants. Through this platform, customers can monitor and manage processes centrally. This approach
provides guidance for company-wide process standardisation, knowledge sharing and optimum utilisation of expert resources.
Further, the solution is cyber secured as per our product safety and security (PSS) norms. Once deployed, it requires minimal support (patch update based on OS updates).

AI-based pyro solution
The solution assists operations by providing optimal set-point to enable efficient and stable operation, thereby enhancing productivity and energy optimisation.
It is a dedicated machine learning-based model that provides accurate insights into future pyroprocess trends.
By incorporating long-term data sets for AI training, the trained AI models can learn from the past and establish correlations between parameters and time and between actions and outcomes. This knowledge, accumulated in the models, forms the basis for better control performance.
AI pyro solution being implemented at one of the leading cement plants in Europe, it is observed that the solution is supporting customers in optimising fuel consumption between coal and AFR and maintaining stable operation continuously.

Stability: Ensuring all temperature and pressures are within operating range optimising ID fan speed and pressure after preheater.
Coal reduction: Identifying optimum points where coal can be reduced.
Fuel ratio stabilisation with coal vs AFR: Set point for step-by-step moderation of AFR/coal is carried out by AI, thereby maintaining the required heat at the calciner and kiln.
Good quality and increased production: Any change in control parameter is carried out by ensuring the alite and free lime are within operating range. Potential to increase kiln feed, thereby increasing production.
Energy saving: Optimising fans at cooler. AI can achieve energy savings.
Preheater jamming reduction: AI observes SO2 and Chloride formation, material temperature and pressures changes AFR accordingly thereby, preheater jamming occurrence is reduced.
Optimise workforce: Best expert available for 24 hours.

**With provision for input parameters like fly ash, LSF, calorific value of fuel and AFR to keep the alite and free lime in the operating range or best suitable range considering the plant condition.

AI-based mill solution
The solution assists operations by providing optimal set-point to enable efficient and stable operation, thereby enhancing productivity.
Mill operation requires quick response to multiple control parameters based on critical process indicators, which makes it very dynamic in nature. This allows the operator to balance operations between reduced capacity to avoid stoppages or multiple stoppages due to overshooting of critical parameters.
Key Features:
AI Mill solution being implemented at one of the leading cement plants in India, it was observed that the solution supported customers to improve throughput, reduce energy consumption while maintaining stable operations continuously.

About the author
Tushar Kulkarni, Head – Solutions, Innomotics India

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India’s Core Sector Growth Eases to 4.8 Per Cent in August

Cement, electricity and iron ore offset declines in other sectors

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1 hour ago

September 26, 2026

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India’s output across eight core industries grew 4.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, easing from the revised 5.0 per cent growth recorded in July, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Index of Core Industries (ICI), which tracks eight key infrastructure sectors, accounts for a significant share of the Index of Industrial Production.

Cement production led the expansion with growth of 12.5 per cent, followed by electricity at 11.6 per cent and iron ore at 5.5 per cent. Steel output increased 3.4 per cent, while refinery products rose 2.6 per cent during the month. The ministry identified cement, electricity and iron ore as the main contributors to overall core sector growth in recent months.

The gains were partly offset by contractions in several sectors. Coal output declined 3.8 per cent year-on-year, while natural gas and crude oil production fell 4.9 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively. Fertiliser production recorded the sharpest decline, falling 12.4 per cent in August.

Cumulative growth in the ICI during April-August 2026 stood at 4.3 per cent, compared with 2.4 per cent in the corresponding period a year earlier. Steel output increased 4.1 per cent during the period, while cement and electricity production grew 10.3 per cent and 9.6 per cent, respectively.

Coal, natural gas, crude oil, refinery products and fertilisers recorded negative cumulative growth during April-August. Their contractions stood at 3.2 per cent, 4.4 per cent, 4.1 per cent, 1.4 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively. The ministry also revised the final ICI for July to 120.8 from the earlier provisional estimate of 121.2, resulting in a downward revision in the month’s growth rate to 5.0 per cent from 5.4 per cent.

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Jammu Division Begins First Cement Rail Traffic to Anantnag

Cement Loading From Kathua for Anantnag to Begin on September 14

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September 21, 2026

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Jammu Railway Division has placed an indent for the first movement of cement by rail within the division, linking Shaheed Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua Railway Station with Anantnag Railway Station. Loading for the consignment is scheduled to begin on September 14.

Concrete

Hard Worker Wins Three Honours at Kyoorius Design Awards

Ramco Cements’ brand secures Grand Prix and two Blue Elephant honours.

Published

5 days ago

September 21, 2026

admin

The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand, Hard Worker, has won three honours at the Kyoorius Design Awards 2026, including the Grand Prix – Grey Elephant in the Design in Action category.

The brand also secured two Blue Elephant honours, one for Design in Action and another for Packaging, recognising the design approach behind its brand identity and packaging.

Launched in 2025, Hard Worker entered the construction chemicals segment with the brand promise, “Hard-working products for hardworking people.” Its visual identity uses animals and birds to represent product benefits. The camel represents the water-retention capability of Hard Worker Eco Plaster, while the cheetah represents the speed and performance of Hard Worker Block Fix.

The visual language has been extended across packaging, retail, communication, literature, digital platforms and other brand touchpoints. Hard Worker uses bold colours, distinctive animal illustrations and simple visual storytelling to communicate product benefits across markets and audiences, including construction workers and applicators.

“For Hard Worker, design was never an afterthought. It was fundamental to how we wanted to build the brand. In a category that is largely functional, we wanted to create a brand that people could recognise, understand and remember instantly. The Kyoorius recognition is a wonderful validation of this design-led approach,” said Mr. AV Dharmakrishnan, CEO, The Ramco Cements Limited.

Mr. Balaji K. Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements said “In a category where communication has traditionally been product-led and functional, we wanted Hard Worker to stand apart by making design an integral part of the brand experience. From the distinctive animal-led packaging to our communication across consumer and trade touchpoints, every element was designed to make the brand more memorable and the product benefits easier to understand.”

Within its first 12 months, Hard Worker crossed Rs 3.5 bn in sales. The latest recognition follows six honours secured by the brand’s campaign at the Kyoorius Creative Awards earlier in 2026, including the Grey Elephant Grand Prix for its Eco Plaster film.

The Kyoorius Design Awards recognise outstanding design work in India’s visual communications sector across multiple categories and platforms. The 2026 awards were announced on 12 September in Goa.

The Ramco Cements Limited is part of the Ramco Group and operates across cement and allied building-material solutions. Hard Worker is its construction chemicals brand, offering solutions across key construction applications.