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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

ACC Barmana Plant Fails Environmental Compliance

The plant has 11 air pollution control devices.

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A National Green Tribunal (NGT) joint committee has identified environmental compliance failures at Adani Group’s ACC Ltd Barmana Cement Works (Gagal), Himachal Pradesh. 
The report cited dust emissions from clinker, ash, and cement silos, inadequate safeguards against accidental discharges, and insufficient protection for local residents from dust pollution. It also noted the lack of an oil and grease removal mechanism in wastewater from truck washing and the absence of a mandated three-layer tree plantation to mitigate air and noise pollution. 
The plant has 11 air pollution control devices, including 109 bag filters and two ESPs, but is currently operating at 25% utilisation due to an annual maintenance shutdown. Mining and crushing operations remain suspended. 
(cemnet) 

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Concrete

Shree Cement Launches Bangur Marble Cement in Ranchi

The product was launched in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

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Shree Cement has introduced Bangur Marble Cement, a premium PSC cement under its Bangur Cement brand, offering high brightness, superior strength, and crack resistance. Designed for exposed concrete structures, it ensures durability and an imposing aesthetic. 
The product was launched in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and will soon be available in Bihar, West Bengal, and other states. It will be distributed through over 2,000 retailers, with in-store product demonstrations highlighting its unique features. 
Bangur Marble Cement incorporates GGBS, a steel manufacturing by-product, making it eco-friendly and highly durable while reducing the environmental footprint. Shree Cement is also adopting a digital-first approach to reach consumers, setting a new trend in the cement industry. 
This launch expands Bangur Cement’s premium lineup, which includes Jungrodhak, Rockstrong, Powermax, Magna, and Roofon. 
(Construction Week Online)  

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Concrete

Ramco Cements plans Rs 12 bn capex for FY26 and advances Rs 10 bn sale

Ramco Cements reported a profit after tax of Rs 3.25 billion.

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Ramco Cements has announced a capital expenditure (capex) plan of Rs 12 billion for the next fiscal year, maintaining its guidance for FY25. The company has raised Rs 4.43 billion this fiscal through the sale of non-core assets.

During the third quarter of the current fiscal, Ramco Cements incurred a capex of Rs 2.56 billion, bringing the total spending for the first nine months to Rs 8 billion. The company has set a target of monetizing Rs 10 billion worth of non-core assets and has realized Rs 4.43 billion so far, with an additional Rs 100 million received as advances for assets nearing finalization.

The funds generated from these asset sales have been utilised to reduce debt, bringing the company’s net debt to Rs 46.16 billion as of December 31, 2024. In Q3FY25 alone, debt reduction amounted to Rs 4.87 billion.

Ramco Cements remains on course to achieve a cement production capacity of 30 MTPA by March 2026. This expansion includes the commissioning of a second production line in Kolimigundla, capacity enhancements through de-bottlenecking, and additional grinding facilities. A railway siding at Kolimigundla is scheduled for commissioning in March 2025.

The company is also investing in sustainable energy initiatives, with a 10 MW Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) at RR Nagar expected to be operational by June 2025 and a 15 MW WHRS unit at Kolimigundla set to be commissioned alongside Kiln Line-2 by March 2026. A new construction chemicals unit in Odisha is expected to be ready before March 2025. Land acquisition for a greenfield project in Karnataka has progressed, with 53 per cent of mining land and 13 per cent of factory land secured.

For Q3FY25, Ramco Cements reported a profit after tax of Rs 3.25 billion, significantly higher than Rs 930 million in the previous year, primarily due to an exceptional income of Rs 3.29 billion from asset sales. Net revenue declined by 6 per cent year-on-year to Rs 19.88 billion due to a 14 per cent drop in cement prices.

Total sales volume, including construction chemicals, increased by 9 per cent to 4.37 million tonne. Cement capacity utilization saw a slight improvement to 75 per cent in Q3FY25 from 74 per cent in Q3FY24. However, EBITDA declined by 28 per cent to Rs 2.91 billion due to weaker cement prices, despite cost reductions from lower fuel prices and improved manufacturing efficiency.

News source: Hindu Businessline

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