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Process Control Solutions for the Future

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From the increased use of modern techniques of control to advanced software solutions, technology is accelerating cement processes in myriad ways. ICR looks at the economic impact of AI and automation on the cement sector.

The history of cement production dates back to 12,000 years ago. The earliest archaeological discovery of a consolidated whitewashed floor made from burned limestone and clay is found in modern-day Turkey. Around 800 BC, the Phoenicians had the knowledge that a mixture of burnt lime and volcanic ash, today called ‘pozzolana’, could be used to produce hydraulic lime, which was not only stronger than anything previously used, but also hardened under water. The Romans perfected it later with their process called, ‘opus caementicium,’ a type of concrete made of lime with aggregates of sand and crushed rock. No wonder the Colosseum and Pantheon in Rome, and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, all stand perfectly fine today.
But modern production of cement is million times bigger in scale and must be controlled to derive the benefits of cost, throughput and quality, sometimes several objective functions must be optimised to give the overall gain in terms of profit maximisation. The technology itself progressed in leaps and bounds to make allowance for both throughput increase and cost while the quality improved from one milestone to the next. The first cement standard for Portland cement was approved in Germany in 1878, defining the first test methods and minimum properties, with many other countries following suit. 
Cement production and applications surged globally at the turn of the century. Since the 1900s, rotary kilns have replaced the original vertical shaft kilns, as they use radiative heat transfer, more efficient at higher temperatures. achieving a uniform clinkering temperature and producing stronger cement. Gypsum is now also added to the resulting mixture to control setting and ball mills are used to grind clinkers.
Other developments in the last century include calcium aluminate cements for better sulphate resistance, the blending of Rosendale (a natural hydraulic cement produced in New York) and Portland cements to make a durable and fast-setting cement in the USA, and the increased usage of cementitious materials to store nuclear waste. New technologies and innovations are constantly emerging to improve the sustainability, strength and applications of cement and concrete. Some advanced products incorporate fibres and special aggregates to create roof tiles and countertops, for example, whilst offsite manufacture is also gaining prominence with the rise of digitalisation and AI, which could reduce waste and improve efficiency and on-site working conditions. Cements and concretes are also being developed, which can absorb CO2 over their lifetimes, reducing the carbon footprint of the building material.
The focus of the current times is manifold – on the one hand cement process and technology experts have the job cut out to create sustainable solutions and on the other, the process control techniques have improved to embrace new digitisation techniques to better improve the following processes:

  • Quarrying and preparation
  • Close circuit blending systems that create the ideally suited raw mix
  • Clinker kilning
  • Cement grinding

The systems of the cement production control these operations to produce maximal quantity of the cement with prescribed quality and minimal cost. The quality also depends on many variables. The appropriate rate of the basic components determining the setting time, strength, heat of hydration, expansion, etc. is the most important. The free lime content (FLC) also influences the quality similarly to the size distribution and the relative surface area. A great many open and closed loop controls can be found in the cement production, however, the proper control of the operations-triplet proportioning-burning-grinding can ensure to reach the overall control aim, the other controls are auxiliary ones. The synthesis of this would aim at thermal efficiency parameters with use of different fuel mixes, alternate fuels included and the raw mix must be so blended such that a range of objective functions can be met that include Lumping, Burnability, High Heat of Hydration, Fast Setting, One Day, 3 Day, 7 Day, 28 Day Strength, etc.
The burnability parameters include lime saturation factor, silica ratio, af ratio, content of coarse quartz, content of coarse calcite, while the compositional parameters like content of C3S, MgO, C3A and presence of alkali. Silica ratio and other aspects could together influence the attainment of the quality objectives like fast setting or efficiency objectives like high heat of hydration. This is where control systems step in to play a decisive role to make adjustments in a number of parameters, while the production process remains continuous. Achieving stability of the process, where coal feed, kiln feed, raw mix, all have a myriad of parameters to be weighed against the objectives of productivity, efficiency and quality.

The AI to Z of Technology
Artificial intelligence (AI) today provides valuable decision support and control techniques in these uncertain environments. Two common techniques used in this field are artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic. Fuzzy logic is especially useful for processes that are difficult to control by conventional or discrete methods due to the lack of knowledge of quantitative relations between the inputs and outputs. Controls based on fuzzy logic employ a close-to-human language to describe the input-output relationships of the controlled process. The controller converts an expert knowledge-based control strategy into an automatic control strategy imposed on the process. Most control environments have steadily moved towards adoption of AI and fuzzy logic techniques as dynamic environments are impossible to model with any other tools and techniques unless we want to avoid the inter-play and friction of some of the control parameters.
Use of modern techniques of control have shown productivity gains (t/h) of 3 per cent and energy gains (Kcal/t) of 5 per cent compared to expert operators using controls. In cement milling, the productivity increased by 3.1 per cent and the energy savings were 2.9 per cent. In clinkerisation, there were increases from 1 to 3 per cent in the daily production, reductions from 2 to 4 per cent in energy consumption, reductions from 12 to 16 per cent in the variability of clinker quality requirements, and reduction of up to 10 per cent in the variability of the lifetime of the liner. In other clinker kilns, there were from 4 to 5 per cent reduction in fuel consumption, from 80 to 90 per cent decrease in variability and increase from 7 to 8 per cent in productivity.
Now the focus in controls have shifted to use of algorithms and software that would step in to make allowance on the selection of specific objective functions like quantity over efficiency or efficiency over quality or vice versa, as the optimisation objectives could vary. The forward progress also shows far greater focus on use of alternate fuels that actually changes the dynamics by a considerable extent. For CO2 abatement measures and carbon sequestration processes, the use of controls are moving to the next level of automation as more complexity is getting introduced. Electronics and electrical systems are now inseparable from the field of software and algorithms that embrace AI to create the right blend of self-controls and automation that limits human interventions as the complexities of the dynamic environment makes it impossible for humans to interact any more.
Software solutions together with drone systems and automation allow the process to be self-serving in delivering multi-objectives within the framework of optimisation; the caution however is that the final decision on the choices must include proper testing (in a test environment) before selection of the type of the AI based system as the number of options are on the increase and competing systems all vouch for the similar end-results.
Software progress should not be limited to cement production systems alone, but cement distribution and logistics as well. With tracking and tracing systems in place it is easy to match planning with execution where one can make a simulation of movements of cement deliveries across the demands of micro, mini and regional markets to arrive at the best overall distribution to attain the goals of sales and profitability; this need not be based on rule of thumb which has nothing to do with the realities on the ground where the situation is far too dynamic throughout the day. Merging planning algorithms with track and trace systems has everything ready to be used, only the lack of intent seems ominous for some. The leaders however have progressed considerably in this regard.

-Procyon Mukherjee

Concrete

Lower sales realization impacts margins for cement makers in Q2 FY25

The industry encountered several challenges, including an extended monsoon season.

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Major cement manufacturers reported a decline in margins for the September quarter, primarily due to lower prices, which led to decreased sales realization.

With the exception of three leading cement producers—UltraTech Cement, Ambuja Cement, and Dalmia Bharat—smaller companies, including Nuvoco Vistas Corp, JK Cement, Birla Corporation, and Heidelberg Cement, experienced a drop in both topline and sales volume during the second quarter of the current fiscal year.

The industry encountered several challenges, including an extended monsoon season, flooding, and a slow recovery in government demand, all contributing to weak overall demand.

Despite these challenges, power, fuel, and other costs largely remained stable across the industry. The all-India average cement price was approximately Rs 348 per 50 kg bag in June 2024, which represented an 11 per cent year-on-year decrease to Rs 330 per bag in September, although it saw a month-on-month increase of 2 per cent.

In the first half of FY25, cement prices declined by 10 per cent year-on-year, settling at Rs 330 per bag. This decline was notable compared to the previous year’s average prices of Rs 365 per bag and Rs 375 per bag in FY23, as reported by Icra.

Leading cement manufacturer UltraTech reported a capacity utilization rate of 68 per cent, with a 3 per cent growth in volume. However, its sales realization for grey cement declined by 8.4 per cent year-on-year and 2.9 per cent quarter-on-quarter during the July-September period.

In response to a query regarding cement prices during the earnings call, UltraTech’s CFO Atul Daga indicated that there had been an improvement in prices from August to September and noted that prices remained steady from September to October. He mentioned that the prices had risen from Rs 347 in August to approximately Rs 354 currently.

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Concrete

Steel companies face Rs 89,000 crore inventory crisis

Steel firms grapple with Rs 89,000 crore stockpile amid import surge.

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Steel companies in India are facing a significant challenge as they contend with an inventory crisis valued at approximately Rs 89,000 crore. This situation has arisen due to a notable increase in steel imports, which has put pressure on domestic producers struggling to maintain sales in a competitive market.

The surge in imports has been fueled by various factors, including fluctuations in global steel prices and increased production capacities in exporting countries. As a result, domestic steel manufacturers have found it difficult to compete, leading to rising stock levels of unsold products. This inventory buildup has forced several companies to reassess their production strategies and pricing models.

The financial impact of this inventory crisis is profound, affecting cash flows and profitability for many steel firms. With domestic demand remaining volatile, the pressure to reduce prices has increased, further complicating the situation for manufacturers who are already grappling with elevated production costs.

Industry experts are urging policymakers to consider measures that can support local steel producers, such as imposing tariffs on imports or enhancing trade regulations. This would help to protect the domestic market and ensure that Indian steel companies can compete more effectively.

As the steel sector navigates these challenges, stakeholders are closely monitoring the situation, hoping for a turnaround that can stabilize the market and restore confidence among investors. The current dynamics emphasize the need for a robust strategy to bolster domestic production and mitigate the risks associated with excessive imports.

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Concrete

JSW and POSCO collaborate for steel plant

JSW Group and POSCO ink MoU for steel project.

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JSW Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korea’s POSCO Group to develop an integrated steel plant in India. This collaboration aims to enhance India’s steel production capacity and contribute to the country’s growing manufacturing sector.

The agreement was formalized during a recent meeting between executives from both companies, highlighting their commitment to sustainable development and technological innovation in the steel industry. The planned facility will incorporate advanced manufacturing processes and adhere to environmentally friendly practices, aligning with global standards for sustainability.

JSW Group, a leader in the Indian steel industry, has expressed confidence that the joint venture with POSCO will bolster its position in the market and accelerate growth. The project is expected to attract significant investments, generating thousands of jobs in the region and contributing to local economies.

As India aims to boost its steel output to meet domestic demand and support infrastructure projects, this partnership signifies a crucial step toward achieving those goals. Both companies are committed to leveraging their expertise to develop a state-of-the-art facility that will produce high-quality steel products while minimizing environmental impact.

This initiative also reflects the increasing collaboration between Indian and international firms to enhance industrial capabilities and foster economic growth. The MoU sets the stage for a promising future in the Indian steel sector, emphasizing innovation and sustainability as key drivers of success.

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