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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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.

Concrete

ACC To Expand Cement Capacity Amid Strong Infrastructure Demand

Chairman signals calibrated growth and sustainability focus

Published

3 days ago

June 26, 2026

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ACC will continue to expand its cement capacity in a calibrated manner, deepen its ready-mix concrete (RMC) footprint and accelerate the adoption of low-carbon technologies, the company chairman conveyed in the latest annual report. The note emphasised a balanced and disciplined approach as the business pursues growth while maintaining environmental safeguards.

He argued that the long-term growth outlook for the Indian economy remains strong but that demand conditions in the near term were likely to stay moderate, necessitating cautious expansion. He pointed to India’s relatively low per capita cement consumption compared with global averages as an indicator of significant long-term potential and highlighted the rise in public capital expenditure to Rs 12 trillion (Rs 12 tn), which he said accounted for about four point four per cent of the GDP.

Against this backdrop, ACC and the wider Adani Cement business are positioning themselves as integrated building materials solution providers rather than traditional commodity suppliers, prioritising capability creation over consolidation. The chairman framed cement as the ingredient and concrete as the performance and said that infrastructure and real estate development increasingly demand engineered solutions delivered at site.

He described how deeper integration across energy, logistics and digital systems is intended to improve responsiveness and efficiency across manufacturing, transport and market operations. The company intends to strengthen technical engagement, mix optimisation and application support to improve project timelines, reduce wastage and enhance structural durability while embedding data analytics and predictive systems.

On sustainability, ACC affirmed its commitment to reducing its environmental footprint through greater use of blended cement, renewable energy, alternative fuels and improved thermal efficiency, presenting industrial growth and environmental responsibility as parallel objectives. The message positioned the group to supply engineered concrete solutions at the point of application as it scales capacity and service offerings.

Concrete

Ambuja Sees Cement Demand Easing To Around Five Per Cent In FY27

Company Cites Housing, Infrastructure And Government Capex

Published

7 days ago

June 22, 2026

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Ambuja Cements has said in its latest annual report that cement demand in India is likely to moderate to around five per cent in fiscal year twenty seven, marking a slowdown from the estimated six point five to seven point five per cent growth anticipated for fiscal year twenty six. The company described this as a transition to a more measured pace of expansion after several years of strong momentum in the sector.

It said that underlying demand drivers such as housing, infrastructure development, urbanisation and government capital expenditure remain intact and are expected to sustain cement consumption across regions. The report noted that global geopolitical uncertainties and weather risks, including forecasts of a below normal monsoon, could influence near term demand, while emphasising that the longer term infrastructure story for India continues to provide a solid foundation for the sector.

Industry observers have said that the sector may move towards mid single digit growth rates in fiscal year twenty seven after stronger performances in recent years. The company outlined a calibrated expansion strategy with capacity additions phased to match project pipelines, regional demand patterns and market absorption, seeking to avoid oversupply and pressure on pricing.

Ambuja has crossed the 100 million tonnes per annum capacity milestone (100 mn t per annum) following acquisitions and organic expansion, strengthening its position in the competitive market. The outlook in the report broadly aligns with other market assessments that placed demand at around five per cent in fiscal year twenty five, a recovery to six point five to seven point five per cent in fiscal year twenty six and an easing in fiscal year twenty seven as capacity increases. Executives remain focused on long term demand fundamentals driven by infrastructure and housing.