Concrete

Controlling Dust at Critical Connections

Published

9 months ago

October 10, 2025

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Jerad Heitzler, Training Manager, Martin Engineering, writes about controlling dust at conveyor transfer points to protect worker health and to extends equipment life and boost operational efficiency.

Transfer points are critical connections between key stages of cement manufacturing, but they are notorious as a source of fugitive dust. After all, whenever materials like crushed limestone, shale or clinker drop onto a moving conveyor, dust emissions are inevitable, aren’t they? Not necessarily.
When loose materials hit a moving conveyor belt, the impact causes some of the cargo to disperse, particulates become airborne, and the subsequent air turbulence forces the dust toward the nearest opening. If the environment isn’t sealed, the dust-filled air creates a serious workplace health and safety hazard, a problem that’s exacerbated if dust is allowed to build up.
Dust emissions don’t just create a harmful environment for those working in the area. Abrasive particulates make their way into exposed machine parts and rolling components, causing them to wear quicker, seize and require replacement sooner. Particulates also clog air intakes of nearby equipment, further raising the need for maintenance and downtime. Then as it settles, dust builds up to cover walkways and stairs, engulfing control units, obscuring signage and, in some cases making access for maintenance impossible without a full shutdown and clean-up.
Often, the biggest issue is the team’s lack of understanding of the underlying sources of dust at transfer points. In fact, there are just three factors that cause dust in any minerals processing plant:
a. Material degradation from crushing and milling, as well as transfer and movement, which creates an abundance of fine particles that become airborne.
b. Air flow through the plant is a key factor in carrying airborne particulates and this can be controlled with the right design, considering material speed, volume and fall.
c. Transfer point design is one of the main causes of dust emissions and spillage on conveyor systems, often exacerbated due to desired increases in productivity.

Best practices for transfer point dust control

Avoid belt sag with impact cradle support. For each transfer point, support the belt the entire length of the chute wall so it doesn’t sag away from skirting. The pressure from air turbulence is enough to push dust and fines out of these gaps, causing excessive dust and spillage.
Use wearliners to increase system life. Modern chute designs raise the height of the chute, providing more room for dust to settle in the stilling zone and allowing space for an external wearliner. Without it, the rubber skirting takes the force of falling materials which lowers the equipment’s life.
Seal the environment with belt skirting. Single skirting should be cut to the belt’s trough angle for a tighter seal and mounted externally for easy and safe adjustment. Self-adjusting skirting has spring-driven latches that offer slight downward pressure for reduced maintenance. Dual skirting offers a single skirt with a rubber flap that provides a second layer of sealing and protection from spillage and emissions.
Use dust collection only when necessary – ‘Passive dust control’ uses engineered solutions such as controlled loading, wearliners, skirting, curtains and modular enclosures first. When there are length or space restrictions for chutes, which prevent an extended settling zone, dust bags and mechanical air cleaners are still effective, but they can require more maintenance, so sealing at source is better.
Slow the exiting air velocity. Some flow of air is still going to be exiting the system, but the key is slowing it to under 200 fpm (1 m/s), slow enough to allow for settlement happen. Adding a tail panel and curtains is essential to this but simply adding them at the ends does not accomplish the proper stilling environment required. Understanding the air flow and then strategic placement is the key to reducing exiting air velocity.

Conclusion
Improving workplace air quality in a cement plant seems like a challenge but eliminating dust delivers numerous benefits, notably in health and safety, housekeeping, efficiency, productivity and cost reduction. Of course, conveyor transfer points are not the only source of dust. However, as one of the most prevalent generators of particulate emissions in any bulk handling operation, addressing these is an excellent place to start.
By following best practices using modern and well-designed retrofitted components, and expert advice from experienced technicians, operators can tackle dust in a methodical way. Once the major dust sources are addressed, it becomes easier to identify emissions from other parts of the operation with the ultimate goal of a clean, efficient and
safe operation.

About the author:
As programme manager and lead instructor for Martin Engineering’s FOUNDATIONS™ Training Workshops, Jerad Heitzler is a leader in helping the industry learn how to make the handling of bulk materials cleaner, safer and more productive.

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Star Cement Named Preferred Bidder For Boro Lakhindong Block

Preferred bidder for limestone mining lease in Assam

Published

5 minutes ago

June 29, 2026

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Star Cement has been declared the preferred bidder for the mining lease for Boro Lakhindong West Block following e-auctions conducted by the Government of Assam. The block is located in Boro Lakhindong Village, Umrangso Tehsil, Dima Hasao District, Assam, and extends over an area of 123 hectares. The estimated limestone resource is 207.822 million (mn) tonnes (t), a quantity that will supply raw material for cement production and support the company’s manufacturing operations in the region.

The company is engaged in the manufacturing and selling of cement clinker and cement and distributes products across the north-eastern and eastern states of India. Star Cement operates plants and logistics networks that procure and process limestone to produce clinker for cement, and the addition of Boro Lakhindong is presented as a strategic enhancement of feedstock availability. The preferred bidder status secures rights to the specified lease area under the terms of the auction process.

Financial results for the company in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 showed a consolidated net profit rise of 20.24 per cent to Rs 1,481.0 mn on an 11.54 per cent increase in revenue to Rs 11,735.5 mn compared with the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Those results reflected higher sales volumes and revenue growth in the company’s primary markets and are cited in company disclosures accompanying the lease announcement. The reported performance provides context to the company’s ability to pursue and finance new mining lease opportunities.

Market reaction to the declaration was modest, with the scrip rising zero point thirty six per cent to trade at Rs 212 on the BSE. The award of the Boro Lakhindong lease concludes the e-auction process for the west block and assigns operational rights to Star Cement as the preferred bidder, subject to completion of statutory and contractual formalities.

Concrete

KERC Proposal To Cut Rooftop Solar Export Tariff Raises Concern

Consumers and advocates urge regulator to reconsider change

Published

5 minutes ago

June 29, 2026

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The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has proposed a reduction in the tariff paid for surplus electricity that rooftop solar installations export to the grid, prompting concern among consumers, renewable energy advocates and industry specialists. The proposal arrives while the Central government and state governments are promoting clean energy adoption and offering subsidy schemes to encourage rooftop solar deployment. Thousands of households in Karnataka, particularly in Bengaluru, have invested substantial sums in rooftop systems to reduce reliance on conventional power and support state renewable targets.

Stakeholders have raised questions about the implications of a lower export tariff for the financial attractiveness of rooftop solar investments and the pace of the state transition to renewables. Industry analysts warned that a reduction in compensation for excess generation could discourage new installations and extend payback periods for existing systems. Current messaging from authorities, which simultaneously promotes adoption while proposing lower export rates, has been described by user groups as creating contradictory signals for consumers.

Experts argued that policy measures should focus on grid modernisation rather than reducing consumer benefits, with investments in transmission and distribution networks needed to manage higher volumes of distributed solar generation. Consumer groups and renewable advocates are preparing written submissions to the regulator and are urging retention of incentives that support household adoption of rooftop systems. KERC has invited public objections and suggestions as part of a consultation process that will determine the final tariff framework.

The outcome of the consultation is expected to influence the future growth of rooftop solar across the state and shape investor confidence in small-scale renewable projects. Residents who have already installed rooftop panels are monitoring developments closely because changes to compensation mechanisms may affect household finances and the speed of return on investment. Observers noted that coherent policy, aligned incentives and grid upgrades would be essential to sustain momentum in the rooftop solar sector.

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Indian Railways Plans Green Fly Ash Transport Network

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2026

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Specialised rail logistics will move fly ash from power plants to infrastructure industries.

New Delhi

Indian Railways is planning a large-scale green logistics initiative to transport fly ash from thermal power plants to industries where it can be reused in infrastructure and construction activities.

The initiative was discussed during a review meeting chaired by Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw. Union Ministers of State for Railways V Somanna and Ravneet Singh Bittu were also present.

India generates nearly 340 million tonnes of fly ash every year from thermal power plants. The proposed initiative aims to create an efficient rail-based transport system using specialised containers and dedicated logistics arrangements to move fly ash safely from power plants to end-use industries.

Fly ash is widely used in road construction, cement manufacturing, brick production, concrete, blocks and boards. By improving its movement through the railway network, the initiative is expected to support better utilisation of this industrial by-product while reducing environmental concerns linked to storage and disposal.

The move also aligns with India’s circular economy goals by converting waste from thermal power generation into a useful raw material for the construction and infrastructure sectors. Wider availability of fly ash can help reduce material costs in areas such as bricks and cement, supporting more affordable infrastructure and housing development.

Through this initiative, Indian Railways aims to provide a cleaner, safer and more organised transport solution for fly ash, turning an environmental challenge into an infrastructure resource.