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We are focusing on predictive measures

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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.

Concrete

CCU testbeds in Tamil Nadu

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Tamil Nadu is set to host one of India’s five national carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) testbeds, aimed at reducing CO2 emissions in the cement industry as part of the country’s 2070 net-zero goal, as per a news report. The facility will be based at UltraTech Cement’s Reddipalayam plant in Ariyalur, supported by IIT Madras and BITS Pilani. Backed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the project will pilot an oxygen-enriched kiln capable of capturing up to two tonnes of CO2 per day for conversion into concrete products. Additional testbeds are planned in Rajasthan, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, involving companies like JK Cement and Dalmia Cement. Union Minister Jitendra Singh confirmed that funding approvals are underway, with full implementation expected in 2025.

Image source:https://www.heavyequipmentguide.ca/

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Concrete

JSW Cement gears up for IPO

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JSW Cement has set the price range for its upcoming initial public offering(IPO) at US$1.58 to US$1.67 per share, aiming to raise approximately US$409 million. As reported in the news, around US$91 million from the proceeds will be directed towards partially financing a new integrated cement plant in Nagaur, Rajasthan. Additionally, the company plans to utilise US$59.2 million to repay or prepay existing debts. The remaining capital will be allocated for general corporate purposes.

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Concrete

Cement industry to gain from new infrastructure spending

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As per a news report, Karan Adani, ACC Chair, has said that he expects the cement industry to benefit from the an anticipated US$2.2tn in new public infrastructure spending between 2025 and 2030. In a statement he said that ACC has crossed the 100Mt/yr cement capacity milestone in April 2025, propelling the company to get closer to its ambitious 140Mt/yr target by the 2028 financial year. The company’s capacity corresponds to 15 per cent of an all-India installed capacity of 686Mt/yr.

Image source:https://cementplantsupplier.com/cement-manufacturing/emerging-trends-in-cement-manufacturing-technology/

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