Gaurav Gautam, Business Unit Head, Beumer Group, discusses the role of automation with Kanika Mathur.
The Beumer Group has made significant contributions to the cement industry, focusing on automation and digital transformation. In an attempt to understand the effect of technology on sustainability, we get them to expound on the idea of creating an eco-system that is conducive to growth.
Tell us about your organisation and its role in the cement industry.
I represent Beumer Group, a 90-year-old family-owned company headquartered in Germany. We are experts in material handling, and that has always been our focus. With our products and solutions, we cater to various industries, including cement, building materials, petrochemicals, and the mineral mining segment on the bulk side. Additionally, we serve industries such as airports and automation in the discrete side of operations. Our primary focus remains on evolving and innovating. Given the current world of disruptions, changes are happening much faster, and we understand the necessity to remain innovative, not just in our products but also in our overall value propositions to customers.
Tell us about some of the innovative products that you supply to the cement industry, and how have they helped improve their operations?
As I mentioned, we don’t just focus on products. Instead, we aim to offer comprehensive value to our customers. By this, I mean that while products and solutions are a part of what we provide, we also emphasise long-term services. We address product lifecycle costs, total cost of ownership, and digital transformation.
On the digital side, we are introducing tools that go beyond reactive measures—where you address problems only after they occur. Instead, we are focusing on predictive measures. For instance, we use data to analyse and forecast potential issues that might arise in the next one to three months. This predictive approach ensures greater equipment availability.
We focus on overall equipment effectiveness, addressing three critical aspects: availability, accuracy, and throughput. Our portfolio encompasses both upstream and downstream solutions. On the upstream side, we specialise in long-distance conveying, cross-country conveyors, stacker reclaimers, and yard equipment handling machines. We also offer critical applications for kiln feeds and preheaters, including tall elevators. On the downstream side, we excel in innovative filling, packing, and palletising machines.
Tell us more about your bagging, packaging, and palletising machines. How are they helping the cement industry become more efficient and faster?
The bagging, packaging, and palletising area is crucial in cement plants as this is where revenue generation happens for our customers. Unfortunately, this area often lacks the same efficiency focus as other sections and continues to employ significant manpower. It is also less human-friendly, as workers still handle 50-kg bags under challenging conditions. We are committed to automating these processes and working alongside our customers to identify and resolve challenges. However, introducing automation requires a supportive ecosystem. Innovative equipment alone isn’t enough if the ecosystem isn’t prepared.
We approach this as a partnership with our customers, where we understand their problems—whether it’s space issues or challenges with manual loading. While full automation will take time, we have made significant progress. Several of our customers, such as UltraTech, Holcim and Wonder Cement, have already adopted automation, particularly on the loading side of bagging lines.
What are your views on fully automated packaging? What are some innovations and challenges in packaging?
Currently, packaging remains a live operation, meaning whatever is filled is immediately despatched, leaving no buffer in between. This model poses challenges, as it limits the window for preventive maintenance, affecting equipment availability. We are working towards transitioning this live model to a hybrid one. While moving entirely from live loading to palletising is not immediate, we are introducing palletising machines. Palletising buffers the bags, organises them into pallets, and allows faster loading. This also decouples the filling and loading processes, improving efficiency.
European and American markets have widely adopted this model, and China is also moving in this direction. We believe India will follow suit soon.
Does the type of bag make a difference in functionality?
Yes, it does—especially on the filling side. While our auto-loading machines are robust and can handle any type of bag, including woven or traditional SDP bags, the quality of the bag significantly impacts the filling process. Auto bag-placing machines have specific preconditions regarding bag quality.
On the loading side, our electromechanical machines do not use pneumatic systems, which is a key differentiator. This design ensures robust performance irrespective of bag type.
What controls do you have in place to maintain a dust-free and moisture-free packaging environment?
Technology plays an essential role, but the ecosystem is equally important for achieving optimal performance. The Indian cement industry predominantly uses woven SDP bags, which limit the ability to maintain a dust-free packing plant. However, we have made substantial improvements in our filling and packing machines. We have introduced intelligent flow rates, optimised filling cycles, and enhanced dust collection systems. These developments significantly reduce fugitive dust during operations.
On the loading side, automation has helped minimise manual handling, which further reduces dust. Our auto-loading machines, for instance, place bags directly onto the truck bed, eliminating the need for manual bag placement and mitigating fugitive dust. While technology has supported advancements, evolving the ecosystem and transitioning to better-quality bags remain critical for long-term improvements.
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