Rizwan Sabjan, Head of Sales & Proposals, and Ramakrishna Nuti, Global Sales Manager -Automation Technologies, Fuller Technologies Cement India, discuss cement laboratory automation.

India’s cement industry is on a strong growth path, driven by infrastructure projects and urban housing demand, with the market expected to grow at over 10 per cent CAGR through 2030. Over the next five years, the sector will reshape the nation by powering mega-corridors, smart cities, and expanding urban centers, while adopting green cement and alternative fuels and waste-heat recovery systems to cut emissions.
The cement manufacturing sector faces mounting pressure from rising demand for high-quality cement products and increasingly stringent environmental regulations. To remain competitive, organisations must enhance productivity, ensure regulatory compliance, and reduce operational costs, all without compromising product quality. These challenges are further intensified by skills shortages, stricter safety requirements, and the need to manage more complex and demanding operating conditions.

The Challenges of Going Green
The cement manufacturing process has evolved significantly as the industry strives to improve cost efficiency and environmental performance. The growing use of alternative fuels and supplementary cementitious materials introduces variability that directly impacts product quality, requiring continuous monitoring and adjustment through precise, agile quality control systems. At the same time, increasing market demand for specialised products places greater emphasis on maintaining tight process control across all stages of production.
To fully capitalise on these opportunities, quality control systems must respond rapidly and effectively to changing conditions. Their ability to deliver timely, accurate insights is critical, often determining whether a plant can maintain competitiveness or risks losing market share.

Automated Laboratory Solutions
Fortunately, the capability of quality control systems has grown immensely in recent years. Where previously plants relied on the skills of their laboratory team, today automated laboratory solutions can achieve optimum consistency in representative sampling, better solid sample preparation and accurate analysis through fast, automated systems. As one can see below there has been tremendous growth in QCX/RoboLabs® in recent years.
Fuller has been a pioneer in this field. With our Lab Automation Solution, cement plants can say goodbye to inconsistencies in quality and excess operational costs, such as a daily variation in power and fuel consumption. They are no longer held back by the skills shortage, or unable to take on the challenge of greener production for fear of undermining quality.
QCX/RoboLab® is a quantum leap in quality control for the cement industry, delivering consistency throughout quality control operations.
The QCX/RoboLab® laboratory concept, which utilises an industrial robot for sample handling allows for very flexible laboratory layouts and a high sample throughput.
Lab Automation speeds up every aspect of quality control operations, from sampling / sample collection to accurate pellet preparation for analysis, and especially when it comes to taking control actions to achieve a desired target with QCX/BlendExpert™ (Raw Mix Control). Plus, by eliminating the potential for manual errors, precision is significantly increased. And the laboratory becomes a much safer environment, with fewer operators and a far reduced risk to health and safety. The advanced, user-friendly software can be tailored to your specific cement production needs, including special fuels, and supports continuous 24/7 operations.

Benefits of QCX® Lab Automation System
Enhance quality control
Achieve consistent, reliable results through automated sampling, preparation, and analysis—eliminating human errors and variability.
Reduce fuel and energy consumption Improve raw material consistency to optimise preheater and kiln performance, leading to lower fuel usage and energy costs.
Ensure a safe and healthy work environment
Minimise exposure to hazardous tasks by automating processes and maintaining clean, dust-free laboratory and sample preparation areas.
Strengthen competitive advantage
Deliver superior product quality by leveraging best-in-class technology and advanced process control systems.
Extend equipment lifespan
Stabilise operations to reduce mechanical stress and wear, increasing the durability and reliability of plant machinery.
Simplify compliance and management
Meet quality standards with ease while supporting continuous improvement through automated reporting and data-driven insights.

Productivity Quality Savings Safety
Fast and accurate results with consistency in operational behavior 24/7/365 Uniformity in quality control with sound chemistry that doesn’t compromise on safety Reduced number of unplanned stoppages with precise chemistry recipe  2 × 350 TPH

Cement manufacturing runs on rotating equipment, and every one of those assets is connected to the same bottom line. The plants seeing the biggest gains today are the ones that stopped treating lubrication as a line-item cost and started treating it as a plant-wide reliability strategy.

For India’s cement plants, the economics of operations come down to two variables: energy consumption and equipment uptime. Both are directly influenced by lubrication – not just at a single point in the plant, but across multiple critical systems running simultaneously, every day. Most lubrication conversations in cement manufacturing begin and end with the gearbox. That focus is understandable – gearboxes are among the most demanding and most expensive assets to maintain. But limiting the lubrication conversation to one asset type means leaving real savings on the table. The plants that are reducing total cost of ownership most effectively are those looking at lubrication strategy across the whole plant, not just the most visible application.

The Gearbox
Conventional mineral-based gear oils under high-load, high-temperature conditions can shear, lose viscosity, and force early change-outs – with oil changes at every 2,000 hours adding up in labour, downtime, and lost production over the life of the asset. Mobil SHC™ 600 Series synthetic lubricants are engineered for exactly these conditions. They can reduce energy consumption in gearboxes and circulating systems by up to 3.6 per cent*, extend oil life by up to six times versus conventional oil, and are approved by Siemens AG for use in Flender gearboxes. In one documented instance at a cement plant in Tamil Nadu, switching to Mobil SHC™ 632 delivered a 1 per cent increase in energy efficiency, a 3°C reduction in gearbox temperature, an oil drain interval extended by four times, and annual savings of INR 4,76,772**.
That result alone makes the case for better fluid selection. But it is only part of the story.

The Compressor: Where the Bigger Opportunity Often Sits
Compressors are as operationally critical as gearboxes in a cement plant – and typically receive far less lubrication attention. Running continuously under high load cycles, with lubricant exposed to sustained heat and oxidation, compressors on conventional oils often degrade faster than their scheduled drain intervals suggest. The result is increased maintenance frequency, elevated running temperatures, and higher total lubricant consumption than necessary.
Mobil Rarus SHC™ 1020 Series is formulated for exactly this environment. Recognised by more than 20 global compressor builders, it delivers up to 8,000 hours of oil life – significantly reducing change-out frequency and the associated downtime, labour, and disposal costs that conventional compressor oils generate.
The results from Indian cement plant operations are documented. In one instance, a cement sector facility operating 23 screw compressors reduced lubricant consumption from 10-12 litres per compressor to 5-7 litres, achieving annual savings of approximately INR 4,96,000**. In another, a cement manufacturer extended oil drain intervals by two times, lowered running temperature by approximately 10°C, and achieved annual savings of INR 4,86,747**.
The pattern across both operations is consistent: extended drain intervals, lower consumption, and measurable cost reduction – driven by a single product decision.

One Strategy Across the Plant
Gearboxes and compressors are only two examples. The same principle extends across a cement plant’s rotating equipment, mixer roll bearings, roll neck bearings, plastic calenders, and centrifuge applications all place similar demands on lubrication. Mobil SHC™ 600 Series spans seven viscosity grades, from ISO VG 32 to ISO VG 1000, giving plants the flexibility to match the right grade to the right application across this range of equipment, rather than defaulting to a single product for every use case.

The Bigger Picture
Energy and downtime are two of the largest controllable costs in cement plant operations, and lubrication is one of the few decisions that influences both directly. As demonstrated across the gearbox and compressor examples above, the right lubricant, matched to the right application and supported by field engineering services, can measurably reduce energy consumption, extend oil drain intervals, and lower maintenance costs.
For cement plants evaluating lubrication as part of a broader efficiency strategy, these results offer a starting point rather than an endpoint. Mobil SHC™ 600 Series and Mobil Rarus SHC™ 1020 Series are both engineered for the demanding conditions cement plants operate under daily, and the field results documented here reflect what that engineering can deliver in practice.
Fill with Mobil™. Fill with Confidence.

For more information, visit www.mobil.in/business

*Energy efficiency relates solely to the performance of Mobil SHC 600 when compared to conventional (mineral) reference oils of the same viscosity grade in circulating and gear applications. The technology used allows up to 3.6 per cent efficiency compared to the reference when tested in a worm gearbox under controlled conditions. Efficiency improvements will vary based on operating conditions and application.
**This Proof of Performance is based on the experience of individual customers. Actual results may vary depending on the type of equipment used, its maintenance, operating conditions, environmental factors, and the lubricants previously used, among other variables. Exxon Mobil Corporation has numerous affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso, and Mobil. For convenience and simplicity, those terms, and references to “corporation,” “company,” “ExxonMobil,” “EM,” and other similar terms are used for convenience and may refer to one or more specific affiliates or affiliate groups.
For more information, visit www.mobil.in/business

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said in Shillong on August 13 that the Meghalaya government is consulting a range of stakeholders before taking a decision on the Shree Cement project. He said the authorities will listen to all sides and take a call after hearing representations, noting that the process is unfolding amid a 15-day ultimatum issued by the Khasi Students Union seeking cancellation of the public hearing. The chief minister framed the consultations as an attempt to balance competing interests and to reach an informed outcome.

He acknowledged that there are apprehensions in some quarters while emphasising that many residents in the project area have welcomed the proposed industry and supported its arrival. Sangma said the government is engaging with different organisations and examining all relevant aspects, and that it is mindful of the need to take all stakeholders into confidence. The engagement is intended to surface concerns, identify misunderstandings and ensure that decisions reflect the range of views present in the area.

On the allegation that a road was dug up during the public hearing process, the chief minister said the Deputy Commissioner has ordered an enquiry and the administration is awaiting the official report. He indicated that the enquiry has already been initiated and that the government will consider its findings before determining next steps. The probe was presented as part of the wider effort to ensure transparency and to address any procedural irregularities.

Sangma said the government remains open to dialogue with groups opposed to the project and will not close the door on discussions. He said discussion and dialogue are the preferred means to resolve concerns and that officials stand ready to clarify issues so that communities and authorities can move forward together. The administration will continue consultations while keeping all options on the table.