Gaurav Gautam, Business Unit Head, Beumer Group, talks about bulk material handling with predictive maintenance, digital transformation and customised sustainable solutions.
Efficient bulk material handling is crucial for the cement industry, where operational efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand. Beumer Group, a global leader in material handling solutions, is redefining industry standards with digital transformation and innovative technologies. In this exclusive interview, Gaurav Gautam, Business Unit Head, Beumer Group, discusses how their cutting-edge solutions optimise equipment effectiveness, enhance predictive maintenance and drive sustainability. From reducing carbon footprints
to improving material transport, he sheds light on the company’s commitment to future-ready operations.
Can you tell us about some of theinnovative products you supply to the cement industry and how they have helped improve operations?
We do not want to remain solely focused on products. Instead, what we are offering is a complete value proposition for our customers. While the product itself is an essential part of our offering, we also emphasise long-term services, product lifecycle cost optimisation, and total cost of ownership.
When we talk about total cost of ownership and full value propositions, a crucial element in this equation is digital transformation. We are introducing digital tools that go beyond reactive problem-solving. Rather than addressing issues after they have already occurred, we are moving towards a predictive approach. This means we are now able to analyse data and forecast potential problems before they arise—whether in the next month or three months down the line. This predictive capability enhances the overall availability and efficiency of our offerings.
Our focus is on optimising overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), which is determined by three key aspects: availability, accuracy, and throughput. These three factors collectively contribute to improving equipment efficiency. Our product portfolio covers both upstream and downstream operations. On the upstream side, we are highly active in long-distance conveying, cross-country conveyors, stacker reclaimers, and yard equipment handling machines. Additionally, we offer solutions for tall elevators and critical applications for kiln feeds and preheaters. On the downstream side, we provide innovative filling, packing, and palletising machines, ensuring seamless processing from start to finish.
Transporting bulk materials, such as raw materials from mines to cement plants, results in significant wear and tear. Similarly, carrying hot clinker from the kiln to the cooling point before it is fully cooled also causes high levels of wear and tear. How do you manage these challenges?
That is an excellent question. We are material handling experts, and our solutions start right from the mining stage. We are heavily involved in providing stockyard machines, large reclaimers and long-distance conveyors, which help optimise material transport. One of the key areas we focus on is shifting from truck-based transport to mechanical conveying solutions. This shift not only improves efficiency but also significantly reduces carbon footprint.
Once within the plant boundaries, we handle various critical applications, including kiln feed
and post-cooling material transport. Over the years, we have continuously improved our equipment,
such as bucket elevators and apron conveyors, to withstand the high wear and tear associated with cement manufacturing.
A major recent focus has been integrating digital monitoring tools into our equipment. These tools include condition monitoring sensors that track temperature variations, vibrations and operational anomalies in real-time. By capturing this data, plant operators can take proactive actions when conditions start deviating from normal parameters. This approach prevents sudden breakdowns and, in the long term, enhances the durability and reliability of the equipment.
Moving forward, digitalisation will play a key role in tackling wear and tear challenges. By increasing the number of data capture points and applying advanced analytics tools, we can gain deeper insights into equipment health and performance, ensuring a more efficient and predictive maintenance strategy.
In this entire process, what do you think is your carbon footprint, and how do you ensure sustainability in your operations?
Sustainability is a broad and complex subject. However, in my view, sustainability efforts must lead to tangible outcomes—both in terms of environmental benefits and business viability. Simply implementing sustainability initiatives for the sake of it will not be effective unless they generate measurable improvements. Sustainability must address two key aspects: its impact on human life and its contribution to business efficiency.
From a financial standpoint, sustainability initiatives should not become a burden by requiring excessive capital investments without generating returns. Instead, they should lead to long-term cost savings and efficiency gains. This is the approach we take with our products and solutions. We define sustainability ratings for our offerings and work with customers to evaluate the total cost of ownership while integrating sustainable practices.
One practical example is our work in long-distance conveying from mines to cement plants. If a cement plant traditionally relies on 100 trucks per day to transport limestone or other raw materials, replacing those with conveyor systems eliminates fossil fuel consumption, resulting in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. Our conveyor systems are highly energy-efficient, consuming far less power than a fleet of trucks.
Another major focus area is reducing fossil fuel consumption in kilns. The adoption of alternative fuels (AFR) presents a promising solution, but the challenge lies in the processing, pre-processing, and co-processing of AFR. Alternative fuels often have high moisture content and vary widely in composition, making them difficult to handle.
To address these challenges, we are introducing several innovative solutions. These include air-supported conveyors, which eliminate the need for traditional idlers and maintenance-heavy platforms, as well as OptiFeeds, which can handle a broad range of AFR particle sizes and moisture levels. By integrating
these solutions, we aim to make alternative fuel adoption more efficient and practical, thereby contributing to the overall sustainability goals of the cement industry.
