Economy & Market

Predictive maintenance is a top priority in industrial IoT

Published

2 years ago

August 23, 2024

Roshna

Kapil Agarwal, Senior Vice President and Local Division Manager, Process Industries, ABB India, discusses how advanced digital solutions are revolutionising the cement industry by enhancing operational efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.

How does ABB Ability™ Knowledge Manager help cement plants connect business KPIs to operations and optimise their performance?
ABB Ability™ Knowledge Manager (KM) is a true manufacturing operations management solution which, in a single platform, integrates data from operational, control, production, quality, downtime and business systems and converts data into actionable information.
At its core, ABB Ability™ Knowledge Manager offers industry-specific process and quality data warehousing, presenting information in a meaningful way. This single, powerful tool meets various needs: production information and downtime management, production scheduling, energy cost tracking and benchmarking, plant emissions monitoring and alarm analytics. Its user-friendly and intuitive statistical analysis tools boost both production and quality.
Statistical production analysis offers powerful tools to monitor quality-related process variables effectively. It helps verify if these variables are randomly scattered around the mean and normally distributed, and it detects variability and process changes to prevent instability. Some key tools we use include X charts (Shewhart), EWMA charts, CUSUM charts, histograms, and multivariable X-Y correlation graphs.
To enhance transparency across a plant or fleet of plants, our KM is available via a mobile app for smartphones and tablets. This allows plant and company managers to view operational performance anytime, anywhere. ABB Ability™ KM is highly scalable to meet customer needs, with flexibility for plant-level, regional, and enterprise-level deployment. It helps cement customers track processes, quality, operations, emissions, and downtime using standardised custom templates, IoT connectors and seamless ERP integration, all backed by excellent security policies.

How does ABB’s shift from reactive to predictive maintenance impact the operational efficiency and reliability of cement plants?
Predictive maintenance is a top priority in industrial IoT because it combines data, domain expertise, IoT platforms and AI. This combination allows manufacturers to predict anomalies in their plants. I believe, by using a modern asset optimisation system, cement manufacturers can shift from reactive to predictive maintenance strategies, avoiding unnecessary maintenance and reducing operating costs. This is achieved through the vast amount of data generated by smart devices connected in the plant, such as motor control centers, numerical relays, smart transmitters, and various asset models for motors, transformers, grinding circuits and conveyors.
ABB Ability™ Predictive Maintenance service leverages digital applications for quick detection of impending issues, root-cause analysis with recommendations, and assessment of severity levels and health indexes. It offers ready-to-use standard models that are easy to deploy and scale, helping to identify active conditions, assess health with severity and ensure easy deployment.

What are the key features of ABB’s AI-based Asset Performance Management (APM) suite, and how does it enhance asset optimisation in cement plants?
Predictive asset models can help cement plants operate with fewer workers, and to manage operations remotely. An APM solution, powered by predictive asset models, would give the remote teams full visibility into data that would tell them the health of all the assets in the plant. Think of AI-enabled APM as the most cost-effective way to extend the life of the aging (and newer) assets, to decide on the optimal timing for scheduled maintenance turnarounds (one of the biggest costs in a plant) and plan better. The new AI-based APM helps develop models, algorithms, dashboards and reports using a maintenance-oriented platform. It integrates with enterprise-level systems and evolves into digital strategic asset management. This makes transitioning from predictive to prescriptive maintenance and management possible.
ABB was approached by one of Asia’s largest manufacturers of grey cement, ready mix concrete and white cement. The customer has 19 integrated plants, one clinkerisation plant, 25 grinding units and seven bulk terminals. Working together with ABB domain experts, the company used maintenance-oriented algorithms that alerted the client to the potential failure of a particular part or electronic device, allowing it to perform predictive rather than reactive maintenance. Combined with a range of other digital solutions, including ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer and ABB Ability™ Collaborative Operations, the customer was able to achieve ROI in eight months, a reduction in costs by 3-5 per cent and increase in the life cycle of assets. In this way, cement manufacturers can fully utilise the power of digitalisation to reduce energy usage and emissions, paving the way for the smart, sustainable and profitable cement plants of the future

With increasing digitalisation, how does ABB ensure the cybersecurity of cement plant operations and protect against potential cyber threats?
More and more cement producers on the digitalisation path would like to take a more proactive approach to cyber security. ABB’s analytics solutions and services continuously monitor, diagnose and resolve security issues, helping safeguard people, assets and reputation. Because technology and cyber threats can both change unpredictably, the strategy needs to be reviewed periodically, including performing simulations under different circumstances, like a major ransomware incident.
ABB realises that its customers are concerned about protecting against and minimising the risk of a cybersecurity incident. While asset owners have prime responsibility for any incident response procedures, ABB actively monitors for any cybersecurity threats that pose a potential impact to ABB control systems. All in all, ABB is well positioned as a systems integrator – a factor that is foundational to the company’s cybersecurity strategy in the industrial controls arena. There are two aspects to this. The first is that the customer can trust that implementation of a third party solution in ABB’s reference architecture will result in optimal value. The second is that the cement manufacturer can rest assured that if there is a failure or a problem with implementation, it will, in all probability, not impede the availability or safety of assets and will ease their recovery. ABB has been ensuring its customers by following the highest level of security policies during design, development, deployment and communications by adhering to the industry best practices.

– Kanika Mathur

Up Next

Sustainability audits and process optimisation

Don't Miss

Smart Cement Plants

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

9 hours ago

October 9, 2026

admin

Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing.

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities.

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations.

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events.

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders.

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem.

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution.

Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

Published

1 day ago

October 8, 2026

admin

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA,
Mumbai

JSW Cement, one of India’s leading green cement producers and part of the diversified JSW Group, today announced the successful commissioning of an additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit at Nagaur, Rajasthan. The commissioning marks another significant milestone in the Company’s growth strategy.

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, while its total clinker manufacturing capacity, including clinker capacity at its joint venture, JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

JSW Cement had commenced operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the commissioning of the additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit, the plant’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA, enhancing the company’s ability to cater to the growing cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a strategic mix of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended 30th September 2026, JSW Cement has also commissioned the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) at the Nagaur Integrated Plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said: “The commissioning of additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity at Nagaur is a key strategic priority for us and will accelerate JSW Cement’s expansion into North India. We look forward to servicing the growing needs of the region and contributing to the economic growth of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR area. I am delighted to share that the company has commissioned this grinding unit within the expected timeline, showcasing our project execution capabilities. Further, the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) are expected to substantially reduce our production costs going forward.”

Concrete

UltraTech becomes first Indian cement firm to cross 2 GW green energy

Published

2 days ago

October 7, 2026

admin

UltraTech Cement has crossed 2 GW of captive green energy capacity, with renewables and waste heat recovery meeting 48 per cent of its power needs.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited has surpassed 2 GW of installed green energy capacity for captive use, becoming the first cement company in India to achieve the milestone. The Aditya Birla Group company commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at its Inter-State Transmission System-connected wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, along with 10 MW of Waste Heat Recovery System capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka.

With these additions, UltraTech’s cumulative installed green energy capacity has reached 2,024 MW. This includes 1,580 MW of renewable energy capacity and 444 MW of waste heat recovery capacity, together meeting around 48 per cent of the company’s current power requirements.

The company said the milestone reflects the progress of its long-term energy transition strategy. In FY27 so far, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements, while five units have crossed 95 per cent.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “Crossing the 2 GW green energy milestone is the result of a strategy we have pursued consistently over the past decade. Cement is an energy-intensive, hard-to-abate sector, and showing that reliability and growth can go hand in hand with a rapid shift to green energy sets a benchmark for the industry. With nearly half of our power needs now met through green energy, we are significantly less exposed to fossil fuel supply constraints and power price volatility. As we scale up renewables, waste heat recovery and battery storage across our operations, we are building an energy foundation for stable, long-term growth.”

UltraTech commissioned 430 MW of green energy capacity in FY26 and continues to expand its renewable energy and waste heat recovery portfolio.

The company is also progressively integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems across its operations to improve renewable energy utilisation and supply reliability.

In 2025, UltraTech operationalised what it described as India’s first on-site hybrid round-the-clock renewable energy project at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat. The project combines solar, wind and battery storage.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for either greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.

The company said its expanding green energy portfolio is helping reduce dependence on conventional grid electricity and fossil fuel-based power, while lowering exposure to fluctuations in coal and electricity prices.

UltraTech aims to increase green energy’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030. As a member of RE100, it has also committed to meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through renewable sources by 2050.

UltraTech Cement, the cement flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement and putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. The company is also a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the GCCA Net Zero Concrete roadmap.