Concrete

SPECTRAFLOW, now in India

Published

5 years ago

July 1, 2021

admin

Cross belt analysers have been gaining popularity over years especially for the raw material analysis that goes for raw meal preparations. This leads to consistency of raw meal before clinkerisation takes place.

Ramco Cements, an independent Indian group, ordered a Crossbelt and Airslide analyzer from SpectraFlow analytics, for their new integrated plant at Kalvatala, to optimize the stability of their raw meal.

Ramco Cements Limited, founded in 1961, is a reputed cement manufacturer in India, headquartered in Chennai. Ramco Cements produces superior quality cement at their state-of-the art facilities including integrated cement plants and grinding units. The company is the fifth largest cement manufacturer in India and also produces Ready Mix Concrete and Dry Mortar products and operates one of the largest wind farms in the country.

About Ramco Cements Limited, Kalvatala plant:

Greenfield integrated cement plant is being setup at Kalvatala, Kolimigundla Mandal, Kurnool District. The foundation stone was laid in December 2018 and the plant shall be operational in first quarter of 2021. The project will include a Waste Heat Recovery System and a Thermal Power Plant.

FLS was chosen as the main equipment supplier and Ramco Project Team looked after specialized components themselves and choose SpectraFlow Analytics Crossbelt Analyzer for their stockpile and pre-blending management and SpectraFlow Airslide Analyzer for the raw meal optimization of their two raw mills.

SpectraFlow Installation for Quarry/Stockpile Optimization:

The SpectraFlow Crossbelt Analyzer is the online analyzer to be able to measure raw materials on belt conveyors. As raw materials from the quarry are processed through a crusher the raw material on the conveyor belt is statistically homogeneous and therefore the analytical results of the SpectraFlow Crossbelt Analyzer are accurate.

By using SpectraFlow Crossbelt analyzer and a site specific blending strategy at Kavalatala the high variation in the local raw materials shall be balanced out to increase consistency of the stockpile quality.

Summarized benefits are:

– No need of sampling. Sampling from conveyor belts is unrepresentative and slow for process optimization. Additionally, sampling is very work intensive regarding operation and maintenance.

– The analyzer together with a Pre-Blending control software from RAMCO SYSTEMS is fully automating the feed from the hoppers. The analyzer delivers the analytical results and according the setpoint the software is adjusting the feeders into the mixing stage

– The analyzer together with a Pre-Blending control software is informing the quarry/crusher operators of the current composition of the stockpile and accordingly the trucks can be coordinated to reach the setpoint of the stockpile.

– Stockpile quality will be homogeneous and on setpoint. That results in stable and low additive consumption at the raw mill.

– Stable feed from the stockpile leads to stable raw mill operation and fine raw meal/clinker quality.

SpectraFlow Installation for Raw Mill Optimization:

The SpectraFlow Airslide Analyzer is the online analyzer to be able to measure raw materials in airslides. As raw materials in airslides are very homogeneous and dry the analytical results of the SpectraFlow Airslide Analyzer are very accurate and based on these accurate results the raw mix control software can optimize the weight feeders before the raw mill in real time every minute. This results in very low LSF STDEV without the need of extensive sampling and laboratory efforts.

Kalvatala operates 2 Roller Press raw. The raw meal will feed to a joint airslide where the SpectraFlow Airslide analyzer will measure.

For the control of the weight feeders at the 2 raw mills Ramco will use control software from RAMCO SYSTEMS.

By using SpectraFlow an increase in the raw meal homogeneity will be achieved.

Summarized benefits are:

– Two raw mills can be controlled by one online analyzer.

– No need of intensive sampling. No automated sample transport system, no automated laboratory required.

– High cost reduction due to reduced laboratory usage (CAPEX, OPEX, man power,??

– The analyzer together with the control software is fully automating the raw material grinding. The analyzer delivers the analytical results and according the setpoint the software is adjusting the weight feeders of the additive bins.

– Adjustment of the weight feeders in real time every minute. No time delay due to sampling, sample preparation, ??/p>

– Lower LSF STDEV/better and more consistent raw mill quality

RAMCO SYSTEMS

SpectraFlow order

This SpectraFlow order is the 39^th order for the Cement Industry and the 1^st installation in India. This order raises the installed based in India to 2 analyzers (1 Crossbelt & 1 Airslide) and worldwide to 56 analyzers (31 Crossbelt & 25 Airslide).

SpectraFlow Analytics Ltd. Switzerland are the experts in providing online analysis for the cement and minerals industry without any radioactive sources nor neutron generators. The NIR technology used for the SpectraFlow Analyzers is not requiring any permits or licenses and there are no restrictions in buying, importing or maintaining the analyzers. This results in very low operating costs and high availability of the analyzers combined with highly accurate measurement results.

For further information, contact: Vijay Kumar Vemuri, Managing Partner, SPV Engineers, 2242, BHEL MIG,

Phase-I, Serilingampally, Hyderabad – 502032

M no. +91 8885744161, Email:vk.vemuri@spvengineers.com

Concrete

Ultra Concrete Age

Prof. A. S. Khanna (Retd., IIT Bombay) on how Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) improves strength, durability and lifecycle performance.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 1, 2026

admin

The need of present time is stronger buildings, industrial or common utility buildings, such as Malls, Railway stations, hospitals, offices, bridges etc. For this, there is need of long durable, tough and stable concrete, which could stand under normal and seismic conditions. Tough railway bridges are required for bullet trains to pass without any damage. Railway tunnels, sea-links, coastal roads, bridges and multistorey buildings, are the need of the hour. The question comes, is the normal cement called OPC is sufficient to take care of such requirements or better combination of cements and sand mixtures is required?

Introduction

A good stable building structure can be made with a good quality of cement+sand+water system. Its quality can be enhanced by keeping the density of admixture higher (varies from 30 in normal buildings to bridges etc to 80). Further enhancement in the properties of various cements admixtures is made by adding several additives which give additional strength, waterproofing, flexibility etc. These are called construction chemicals…

To read the full story Click Here

Concrete

NCB Signs MoU With Cement Manufacturer To Boost Construction Skills

Partnership to deliver nationwide training and certification

Published

2 weeks ago

March 31, 2026

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The National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) has signed a memorandum of understanding with a leading cement manufacturer to strengthen skill development and capacity building in the construction sector. The agreement was formalised at NCB premises in Ballabgarh and was signed by the Director General of NCB, Dr L. P. Singh, and the head of technical services at UltraTech Cement Limited, Er Rahul Goel. The collaboration seeks to bring institutional resources and industry expertise into a structured national training effort.

The partnership will deliver structured training and certification programmes across the country aimed at enhancing the capabilities of civil engineers, ready?mix concrete (RMC) professionals, contractors, construction workers and masons. Programme curricula will cover material quality testing, concrete mix proportioning, durability assessment and sustainable construction practices to support improved construction outcomes. Emphasis is to be placed on standardised assessment and certification to raise practice levels across diverse construction roles.

Practical learning elements will include workshops, site demonstrations, technical seminars and exposure visits to plants and RMC facilities to strengthen applied skills and on?site decision making. The Director General indicated confidence that a large number of professionals and workers would be trained over the next three to five years under the initiative. The partnership is designed to complement flagship government schemes such as the Skill India Mission and to align training outputs with national infrastructure priorities.

By combining the council’s technical mandate with industry experience, the initiative aims to develop a more skilled and quality?conscious workforce capable of meeting rising demand in infrastructure and housing. NCB will continue to coordinate programme delivery and quality assurance while industry partners provide practical exposure and technical inputs. The collaboration is expected to support long?term capacity building and more sustainable construction practices nationwide.

Concrete

JSW Cement Commissions Nagaur Plant, Enters North India

New Rajasthan unit boosts capacity to 24.1 MTPA and expands reach

Published

2 weeks ago

March 30, 2026

admin

JSW Cement has strengthened its national presence by commencing production at its greenfield integrated cement plant in Nagaur, Rajasthan, marking its entry into the north Indian market.

With this commissioning, the company’s installed grinding capacity has increased to 24.1 MTPA, while total clinker capacity, including its joint venture operations, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

The Nagaur facility comprises a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and a 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit, with an additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity currently under development. Strategically located, the plant is positioned to serve high-growth markets across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR.

The project has been funded through a mix of equity and long-term debt, with Rs 800 crore allocated from IPO proceeds towards part-financing the unit.

Parth Jindal, Managing Director, JSW Cement, stated that the commissioning marks a key milestone in the company’s ambition to become a pan-India player. He added that the project was completed within 21 months and positions the company to achieve its targeted capacity of 41.85 MTPA by FY29.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, highlighted that the expansion aligns with the company’s strategy to tap into rapidly growing northern markets driven by infrastructure development. He noted that the company remains focused on delivering high-quality, eco-friendly cement solutions while progressing towards its long-term capacity goal of 60 MTPA.

The Nagaur plant has been designed with sustainability features, including co-processing of alternative fuels and a 7 km overland belt conveyor for limestone transport to reduce road emissions. The facility will also incorporate a 16 MW Waste Heat Recovery System to improve energy efficiency and lower its carbon footprint.

JSW Cement, part of the JSW Group, operates across the building materials value chain and currently has eight plants across India, along with a clinker unit in the UAE through its joint venture.