Technology

The changing network dynamics

Published

4 years ago

October 14, 2021

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A sluggish economy, shrinking profit margins and fluctuating prices have put cement dealers and distributors in a tight spot. Fierce competition amongst cement companies to grab a bigger share of the market pie has resulted in innovative strategies such as product diversification and Direct Consumer Service initiatives which have its pros and cons. As the network dynamics is also changing fast dealers find the going getting tougher. ICR trains its spotlight on the rapidly changing network dynamics of the cement industry.

The cement industry has been growing well in the last decade. Unfortunately, the cost of manufacture and transport too, is on the rise. Compared to other industries, cement has the highest logistics cost as a percentage of sales. The cost of freight has been rising due to the increase in oil prices and last mile delivery too is a challenge in the whole supply chain. On the other side, fierce competition amongst cement companies to grab a bigger share of the market pie has resulted in innovative strategies. Most of the major players have over the years built up extensive network of dealers, distributors and to manage the last mile connectivity across their markets which helps to achieve higher capacity utilisation.

So how has the changing equation impacted the highly successful and decades old dealer and distributor network? Degala Ramesh, Managing Partner of Degala Veerabhadra Rao & Brothers elaborates, Â´The network dynamics are now changing since now most big companies are integrating more dealers and fewer distributors into their network. Earlier cement would be supplied by manufacturers to distributors, who in turn would forward it to dealers. Now major companies are selling cement through large number of dealers rather than few distributors. Only mini cement companies are appointing distributors in their network.Â´

Yuvresh Bansal, Proprietor, Jagdish Traders, throws light on some of the issues bothering cement dealers. Says Bansal, Â´In the cement industry, there are no distributors as such, the way we have in other industries like in the iron and steel bar supply chain. What we have is more like a Carry and Forward agent (C&F). So basically, C&F agents supply cement in large volumes to dealers like us and we then supply cement to the sub-dealers and retailers. That is how it is in theory at least but on the ground level, things are not that well defined. In this sluggish market, the defining lines between dealers and retailers are getting fuzzy. Now both dealers and retailers seem to be selling the same volumes to the same consumers. So what is the difference between the two? Earlier there was a logical flow to the market but now it seems to be a bit skewed. Dealers today no longer have the advantage of scale and volume as the demand is very low.Â´

Innovative moves
According to Lalit Agrawal, Business Development Manager, Goyal Agency selling a single brand in the shrinking cement market is tough. Diversification in brands and in products is the way to go forward. He says Â´Having multiple brands is better. Customers vary, their choices vary; they want options in brands and in cost. And we have to provide to those choices if we have to stay in the business. Those with a single brand in the bucket will find the business shrinking every year.Â´ Agrawal further adds that, Â´We are thinking of diversifying and we have now started our steel business along with cement. We are also exploring the construction sector.Â´

SaysRajesh Parwal, Proprietor, Bharat Traders, Â´As you know, cement demand has reduced significantly now. In such a scenario, the retailer must be able to survive and make profit. Diversification ensures that the business continues despite ups and downs.Â´

Says Anshay Sehgal, Proprietor, RN Sehgal, Â´ Lots of things have changed, especially in the recent past. Now cement is sold at FOR prices. Cement companies have become very aggressive in their sales and promotional efforts. New schemes are rampant in the market. They are trying their best to enticing dealers and masons. Even bigger places are not shying away from selling small quantities; some even supply it door to door.Â´

Impact of non-trade deals
Unlike in the past, some of the major manufacturers have started the DCS (Direct Consumer Service) initiative, where the consumers and manufacturers are connected directly, which in effect is side stepping the dealers. This increasing non-trade sale seems to have hit the dealers business and have tilted the equilibrium especially when cement companies have started taking order irrespective of the order size.

Says Rajesh Agarwal, President, Pune Stockists and Dealers Association, Â´One major area of concern is the volume of cement sold via non-trade transactions. Now, more and more companies are selling the material directly to the consumer at non-trade rates. This reduces our viability drastically. The company seems to have no discrimination in accepting the orders irrespective of the order size Earlier they would take orders directly if the quantity exceeded more than 250 tonnes, now they are picking up deals as low as of 25 tonnes. And that too, at the non-trade rates which are Rs 40 to 50 less per bag. How can dealers compete with them?Â´

He further adds, Â´Today, the trade market is fast vanishing. Earlier, it was 90 per cent trade and 10 per cent non-trade. Now, it is 70 per cent trade and 30 per cent non-trade. In cities like Mumbai, only five percent deals take place at trade rates, the rest is at non- trade rates. Pune too, is now on the same track.Â´

Ramesh supports the view. According to him one of the major challenges that dealers face is that the cement companies are bypassing distributors and dealers and supplying material directly to the contactors, which has a negative impact on their sales performance. Â´As production capacities are dropping and the market gets saturated with excess products, cement companies are trying to scoop orders by sidestepping dealers and distributors and then, offering discounts to contractors. This will affect the network in the long run,Â´ says Ramesh. Â´There has to be some agreed consensus on the volume that could be supplied directly. Earlier companies would dispatch cement directly to the consumer only if the volume exceeded 200 tonnes. This was fine with us since huge volumes are involved and major consumers would like to take advantage of discounts gathered by dealing directly with company. However, of late, companies have started selling volumes as low as 50 tonnes and that too, through direct billing.Â´ He further adds,Â´Our demand is that companies should leave at least the small volumes to us.Â´

Says Rajesh Parwal, Â´Some cement manufacturers have started the DCS (Direct Consumer Service) initiative; here the consumers and the manufacturer are connected directly. Dealers are not mediators in all the deals. However, bypassing dealers is also affecting the business. Yes, we had a dialogue with top cement manufacturers, requesting them to include us in their growth. We have suggested that the manufactures could sell directly to the consumer if the sales volume is more than 500 tonnes. For volumes below that, we must be included.Â´

Says Ashok Ku Patra, Proprietor, Srikant Agency, Â´Companies are selling cement through non -trade sales. The price gap between cement sold via trade sales and non-trade sales is very high, up to Rs 40 to 50 differences per bag. As a result, unauthorised shops are selling non trade cement at trade sales rate with a discount of Rs 10 to 15. This is giving a tough time to authorised shops and the dealers are losing in the market.Â´

Patra further adds, Â´We are facing several challenges on several fronts. TodayÂ´s market is the buyer`s market. Cement companies are promoting several sub-dealer shops in small areas. The market is getting more than saturated with small cement sellers. This is creating unnecessary competition.

The credit policy too, should be tweaked. While dealers like us are getting credit facility up to five days with a security amount, the sub- dealers are getting 10-15 days` credit facility without having to deposit any security. Sub-dealers are free from any worries of losing cash discounts.Â´

Rajkumar Modi, Proprietor, Vishesh Enterprises had this to say. Â´There is difference in trade and non-trade rates and there is lot of discussion in the market about it. The cost difference varies from brand to brand and also based on prevailing market conditions. The difference in top brands of cement will be around Rs 25, while other local brands may have a gap of around Rs 40 – 50 in their trade and non-trade price. Even the excise duty on the trade and non-trade cement varies, which adds to the cost difference.Â´ As the demand for infrastructure is growing, more contractors are moving towards RMC. Bansal adds Â´As a civil engineer, I have worked on a few RMC projects myself. In such projects, dealers, retailers, etc, are bypassed. As RMC requires cement to be poured in bulk, we cannot supply bagged cement to RMC contractors. Builders and contractors get in touch with the manufacturers directly and fulfill their requirements.Â´ According to him as the RMC industry grows, dealers will have a tougher time. He says, Â´I wonder what can be done to make dealers too, a part of this growth and ensure that the outcome is win-win for everybody.Â´

Says Sehgal Â´RMC is also impacting the market to a significant extent. It is mainly used by the builders. The end users and small consumers do not use RMC but the RMC market cannot be ignored now. At least 25 per cent of the market is covered by RMC.Â´ Modi sums up the story on a positive note. Surviving in todayÂ´s market is not that difficult if dealers come together and stay united. A systematic approach will help dealers tide over the tough time, says Modi. Â´We must adopt the cash and carry policy. If we are strict about our system and do not give material on credit, we will be able to come out of this. But for this, all dealers must come together and follow this strictly. Unfortunately, despite several attempts, we are not able to achieve strong unity amongst ourselves. This has to change.

Apart from this, one must also be careful about giving too much material on credit which can be detrimental to the business in today`s market.Â´

As Rajesh Agarwal puts it succinctly dealers must come together in order to be heard.

Concrete

Redefining Efficiency with Digitalisation

Published

2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

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Professor Procyon Mukherjee discusses how as the cement industry accelerates its shift towards digitalisation, data-driven technologies are becoming the mainstay of sustainability and control across the value chain.

The cement industry, long perceived as traditional and resistant to change, is undergoing a profound transformation driven by digital technologies. As global infrastructure demand grows alongside increasing pressure to decarbonise and improve productivity, cement manufacturers are adopting data-centric tools to enhance performance across the value chain. Nowhere is this shift more impactful than in grinding, which is the energy-intensive final stage of cement production, and in the materials that make grinding more efficient: grinding media and grinding aids.

The imperative for digitalisation
Cement production accounts for roughly 7 per cent to 8 per cent of global CO2 emissions, largely due to the energy intensity of clinker production and grinding processes. Digital solutions, such as AI-driven process controls and digital twins, are helping plants improve stability, cut fuel use and reduce emissions while maintaining consistent product quality. In one deployment alongside ABB’s process controls at a Heidelberg plant in Czechia, AI tools cut fuel use by 4 per cent and emissions by 2 per cent, while also improving operational stability.
Digitalisation in cement manufacturing encompasses a suite of technologies, broadly termed as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), AI and machine learning, predictive analytics, cloud-based platforms, advanced process control and digital twins, each playing a role in optimising various stages of production from quarrying to despatch.

Grinding: The crucible of efficiency and cost
Of all the stages in cement production, grinding is among the most energy-intensive, historically consuming large amounts of electricity and representing a significant portion of plant operating costs. As a result, optimising grinding operations has become central to digital transformation strategies.
Modern digital systems are transforming grinding mills from mechanical workhorses into intelligent, interconnected assets. Sensors throughout the mill measure parameters such as mill load, vibration, mill speed, particle size distribution, and power consumption. This real-time data, fed into machine learning and advanced process control (APC) systems, can dynamically adjust operating conditions to maintain optimal throughput and energy usage.
For example, advanced grinding systems now predict inefficient conditions, such as impending mill overload, by continuously analysing acoustic and vibration signatures. The system can then proactively adjust clinker feed rates and grinding media distribution to sustain optimal conditions, reducing energy consumption and improving consistency.

Digital twins: Seeing grinding in the virtual world
One of the most transformative digital tools applied in cement grinding is the digital twin, which a real-time virtual replica of physical equipment and processes. By integrating sensor data and
process models, digital twins enable engineers to simulate process variations and run ‘what-if’
scenarios without disrupting actual production. These simulations support decisions on variables such as grinding media charge, mill speed and classifier settings, allowing optimisation of energy use and product fineness.
Digital twins have been used to optimise kilns and grinding circuits in plants worldwide, reducing unplanned downtime and allowing predictive maintenance to extend the life of expensive grinding assets.

Grinding media and grinding aids in a digital era
While digital technologies improve control and prediction, materials science innovations in grinding media and grinding aids have become equally crucial for achieving performance gains.
Grinding media, which comprise the balls or cylinders inside mills, directly influence the efficiency of clinker comminution. Traditionally composed of high-chrome cast iron or forged steel, grinding media account for nearly a quarter of global grinding media consumption by application, with efficiency improvements translating directly to lower energy intensity.
Recent advancements include ceramic and hybrid media that combine hardness and toughness to reduce wear and energy losses. For example, manufacturers such as Sanxin New Materials in China and Tosoh Corporation in Japan have developed sub-nano and zirconia media with exceptional wear resistance. Other innovations include smart media embedded with sensors to monitor wear, temperature, and impact forces in real time, enabling predictive maintenance and optimal media replacement scheduling. These digitally-enabled media solutions can increase grinding efficiency by as much as 15 per cent.
Complementing grinding media are grinding aids, which are chemical additives that improve mill throughput and reduce energy consumption by altering the surface properties of particles, trapping air, and preventing re-agglomeration. Technology leaders like SIKA AG and GCP Applied Technologies have invested in tailored grinding aids compatible with AI-driven dosing platforms that automatically adjust additive concentrations based on real-time mill conditions. Trials in South America reported throughput improvements nearing 19 per cent when integrating such digital assistive dosing with process control systems.
The integration of grinding media data and digital dosing of grinding aids moves the mill closer to a self-optimising system, where AI not only predicts media wear or energy losses but prescribes optimal interventions through automated dosing and operational adjustments.

Global case studies in digital adoption
Several cement companies around the world exemplify digital transformation in practice.
Heidelberg Materials has deployed digital twin technologies across global plants, achieving up to 15 per cent increases in production efficiency and 20 per cent reductions in energy consumption by leveraging real-time analytics and predictive algorithms.
Holcim’s Siggenthal plant in Switzerland piloted AI controllers that autonomously adjusted kiln operations, boosting throughput while reducing specific energy consumption and emissions.
Cemex, through its AI and predictive maintenance initiatives, improved kiln availability and reduced maintenance costs by predicting failures before they occurred. Global efforts also include AI process optimisation initiatives to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.

Challenges and the road ahead
Despite these advances, digitalisation in cement grinding faces challenges. Legacy equipment may lack sensor readiness, requiring retrofits and edge-cloud connectivity upgrades. Data governance and integration across plants and systems remains a barrier for many mid-tier producers. Yet, digital transformation statistics show momentum: more than half of cement companies have implemented IoT sensors for equipment monitoring, and digital twin adoption is growing rapidly as part of broader Industry 4.0 strategies.
Furthermore, as digital systems mature, they increasingly support sustainability goals: reduced energy use, optimised media consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions. By embedding intelligence into grinding circuits and material inputs like grinding aids, cement manufacturers can strike a balance between efficiency and environmental stewardship.
Conclusion
Digitalisation is not merely an add-on to cement manufacturing. It is reshaping the competitive and sustainability landscape of an industry often perceived as inertia-bound. With grinding representing a nexus of energy intensity and cost, digital technologies from sensor networks and predictive analytics to digital twins offer new levers of control. When paired with innovations in grinding media and grinding aids, particularly those with embedded digital capabilities, plants can achieve unprecedented gains in efficiency, predictability and performance.
For global cement producers aiming to reduce costs and carbon footprints simultaneously, the future belongs to those who harness digital intelligence not just to monitor operations, but to optimise and evolve them continuously.

About the author:
Professor Procyon Mukherjee, ex-CPO Lafarge-Holcim India, ex-President Hindalco, ex-VP Supply Chain Novelis Europe, has been an industry leader in logistics, procurement, operations and supply chain management. His career spans 38 years starting from Philips, Alcan Inc (Indian Aluminum Company), Hindalco, Novelis and Holcim. He authored the book, ‘The Search for Value in Supply Chains’. He serves now as Visiting Professor in SP Jain Global, SIOM and as the Adjunct Professor at SBUP. He advises leading Global Firms including Consulting firms on SCM and Industrial Leadership and is a subject matter expert in aluminum and cement. An Alumnus of IIM Calcutta and Jadavpur University, he has completed the LH Senior Leadership Programme at IVEY Academy at Western University, Canada.

Concrete

Digital Pathways for Sustainable Manufacturing

Published

2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

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Dr Y Chandri Naidu, Chief Technology Officer, Nextcem Consulting highlights how digital technologies are enabling Indian cement plants to improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and transition toward sustainable, low-carbon manufacturing.

Cement manufacturing is inherently resource- and energy-intensive due to high-temperature clinkerisation and extensive material handling and grinding operations. In India, where cement demand continues to grow in line with infrastructure development, producers must balance capacity expansion with sustainability commitments. Energy costs constitute a major share of operating expenditure, while process-related carbon dioxide emissions from limestone calcination remain unavoidable.
Traditional optimisation approaches, which are largely dependent on operator experience, static control logic and offline laboratory analysis, have reached their practical limits. This is especially evident when higher levels of alternative fuel and raw materials (AFR) are introduced or when raw material variability increases.
Digital technologies provide a systematic pathway to manage this complexity by enabling
real-time monitoring, predictive optimisation and integrated decision-making across cement manufacturing operations.
Digital cement manufacturing is enabled through a layered architecture integrating operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT). At the base are plant instrumentation, analysers, and automation systems, which generate continuous process data. This data is contextualised and analysed using advanced analytics and AI platforms, enabling predictive and prescriptive insights for operators and management.

Digital optimisation of energy efficiency

Thermal energy optimisation
The kiln and calciner system accounts for approximately 60 per cent to 65 per cent of total energy consumption in an integrated cement plant. Digital optimisation focuses on reducing specific thermal energy consumption (STEC) while maintaining clinker quality and operational stability.
Advanced Process Control (APC) stabilises critical parameters such as burning zone temperature, oxygen concentration, kiln feed rate and calciner residence time. By minimising process variability, APC reduces the need for conservative over-firing. Artificial intelligence further enhances optimisation by learning nonlinear relationships between raw mix chemistry, AFR characteristics, flame dynamics and heat consumption.
Digital twins of kiln systems allow engineers to simulate operational scenarios such as increased AFR substitution, altered burner momentum or changes in raw mix burnability without operational risk. Indian cement plants adopting these solutions typically report STEC reductions in the range of 2 per cent to 5 per cent.
Electrical energy optimisation
Electrical energy consumption in cement plants is dominated by grinding systems, fans and material transport equipment. Machine learning–based optimisation continuously adjusts mill parameters such as separator speed, grinding pressure and feed rate to minimise specific power consumption while maintaining product fineness.
Predictive maintenance analytics identify inefficiencies caused by wear, fouling or imbalance in fans and motors. Plants implementing plant-wide electrical energy optimisation typically achieve
3 per cent to 7 per cent reduction in specific power consumption, contributing to both cost savings and indirect CO2 reduction.

Digital enablement of AFR
AFR challenges in the Indian context: Indian cement plants increasingly utilise biomass, refuse-derived fuel (RDF), plastic waste and industrial by-products. However, variability in calorific value, moisture, particle size, chlorine and sulphur content introduces combustion instability, build-up formation and emission risks.
Digital AFR management: Digital platforms integrate real-time AFR quality data from online analysers with historical kiln performance data. Machine learning models predict combustion behaviour, flame stability and emission trends for different AFR combinations. Based on these predictions, fuel feed distribution, primary and secondary air ratios, and burner momentum are dynamically adjusted to ensure stable kiln operation. Digitally enabled AFR management in cement plants will result in increased thermal substitution rates by 5-15 percentage points, reduced fossil fuel dependency, and improved kiln stability.

Digital resource and raw material optimisation
Raw mix control: Raw material variability directly affects kiln operation and clinker quality. AI-driven raw mix optimisation systems continuously adjust feed proportions to maintain target chemical parameters such as Lime Saturation Factor (LSF), Silica Modulus (SM), and Alumina Modulus (AM). This reduces corrective material usage and improves kiln thermal efficiency.
Clinker factor reduction: Reducing clinker factor through supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash, slag and calcined clay is a key decarbonisation lever. Digital models simulate blended cement performance, enabling optimisation of SCM proportions while maintaining strength and durability requirements.

Challenges and strategies for digital adoption
Key challenges in Indian cement plants include data quality limitations due to legacy instrumentation, resistance to algorithm-based decision-making, integration complexity across multiple OEM systems, and site-specific variability in raw materials and fuels.
Successful digital transformation requires strengthening the data foundation, prioritising high-impact use cases such as kiln APC and energy optimisation, adopting a human-in-the-loop approach, and deploying modular, scalable digital platforms with cybersecurity by design.

Future Outlook
Future digital cement plants will evolve toward autonomous optimisation, real-time carbon intensity tracking, and integration with emerging decarbonisation technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). Digital platforms will also support ESG reporting and regulatory compliance.
Digital pathways offer a practical and scalable solution for sustainable cement manufacturing in India. By optimising energy consumption, enabling higher AFR substitution and improving resource efficiency, digital technologies deliver measurable environmental and economic benefits. With appropriate data infrastructure, organisational alignment and phased implementation, digital transformation will remain central to the Indian cement industry’s low-carbon transition.

About the author:
Dr Y Chandri Naidu is a cement industry professional with 30+ years of experience in process optimisation, quality control and quality assistance, energy conservation and sustainable manufacturing, across leading organisations including NCB, Ramco, Prism, Ultratech, HIL, NCL and Vedanta. He is known for guiding teams, developing innovative plant solutions and promoting environmentally responsible cement production. He is also passionate about mentoring professionals and advancing durable, resource efficient technologies for future of construction materials.

Concrete

Turning Downtime into Actionable Intelligence

Published

2 weeks ago

February 19, 2026

admin

Stoppage Insights instantly identifies root causes and maps their full operational impact.

In cement, mining and minerals processing operations, every unplanned stoppage equals lost production and reduced profitability. Yet identifying what caused a stoppage remains frustratingly complex. A single motor failure can trigger cascading interlocks and alarm floods, burying the root cause under layers of secondary events. Operators and maintenance teams waste valuable time tracing event chains when they should be solving problems. Until now.
Our latest innovation to our ECS Process Control Solution(1) eliminates this complexity. Stoppage Insights, available with the combined updates to our ECS/ControlCenter™ (ECS) software and ACESYS programming library, transforms stoppage events into clear, actionable intelligence. The system automatically identifies the root cause of every stoppage – whether triggered by alarms, interlocks, or operator actions – and maps all affected equipment. Operators can click any stopped motor’s faceplate to view what caused the shutdown instantly. The Stoppage UI provides a complete record of all stoppages with drill-down capabilities, replacing manual investigation with immediate answers.

Understanding root cause in Stoppage Insights
In Stoppage Insights, ‘root cause’ refers to the first alarm, interlock, or operator action detected by the control system. While this may not reveal the underlying mechanical, electrical or process failure that a maintenance team may later discover, it provides an actionable starting point for rapid troubleshooting and response. And this is where Stoppage Insights steps ahead of traditional first-out alarm systems (ISA 18.2). In this older type of system, the first alarm is identified in a group. This is useful, but limited, as it doesn’t show the complete cascade of events, distinguish between operator-initiated and alarm-triggered stoppages, or map downstream impacts. In contrast, Stoppage Insights provides complete transparency:

Comprehensive capture: Records both regular operator stops and alarm-triggered shutdowns.
Complete impact visibility: Maps all affected equipment automatically.
Contextual clarity: Eliminates manual tracing through alarm floods, saving critical response time.

David Campain, Global Product Manager for Process Control Systems, says, “Stoppage Insights takes fault analysis to the next level. Operators and maintenance engineers no longer need to trace complex event chains. They see the root cause clearly and can respond quickly.”

Driving results
1.Driving results for operations teams
Stoppage Insights maximises clarity to minimise downtime, enabling operators to:
• Rapidly identify root causes to shorten recovery time.
• View initiating events and all affected units in one intuitive interface.
• Access complete records of both planned and unplanned stoppages

Driving results for maintenance and reliability teams
Stoppage Insights helps prioritise work based on evidence, not guesswork:
• Access structured stoppage data for reliability programmes.
• Replace manual logging with automated, exportable records for CMMS, ERP or MES.(2)
• Identify recurring issues and target preventive maintenance effectively.
A future-proof and cybersecure foundation
Our Stoppage Insights feature is built on the latest (version 9) update to our ACESYS advanced programming library. This industry-leading solution lies at the heart of the ECS process control system. Its structured approach enables fast engineering and consistent control logic across hardware platforms from Siemens, Schneider, Rockwell, and others.
In addition to powering Stoppage Insights, ACESYS v9 positions the ECS system for open, interoperable architectures and future-proof automation. The same structured data used by Stoppage Insights supports AI-driven process control, providing the foundation for machine learning models and advanced analytics.
The latest releases also respond to the growing risk of cyberattacks on industrial operational technology (OT) infrastructure, delivering robust cybersecurity. The latest ECS software update (version 9.2) is certified to IEC 62443-4-1 international cybersecurity standards, protecting your process operations and reducing system vulnerability.

What’s available now and what’s coming next?
The ECS/ControlCenter 9.2 and ACESYS 9 updates, featuring Stoppage Insights, are available now for:

Greenfield projects.
ECS system upgrades.
Brownfield replacement of competitor systems.
Stoppage Insights will also soon integrate with our ECS/UptimeGo downtime analysis software. Stoppage records, including root cause identification and affected equipment, will flow seamlessly into UptimeGo for advanced analytics, trending and long-term reliability reporting. This integration creates a complete ecosystem for managing and improving plant uptime.

(1) The ECS Process Control Solution for cement, mining and minerals processing combines proven control strategies with modern automation architecture to optimise plant performance, reduce downtime and support operational excellence.
(2) CMMS refers to computerised maintenance management systems; ERP, to enterprise resource planning; and MES to manufacturing execution systems.