Cement is the most commonly used building material worldwide and is continuously growing. Cement manufacturers are however faced with challenges: complying with ever stricter environmental regulations, in an industry with some of the highest carbon dioxide emissions. They are also faced with permanently increasing cost pressures due to excess capacities, especially from China. Many countries therefore import the material, instead of producing it. BEUMER Group supports cement manufacturers with systems and machines that are adapted to the market, increasing the efficiency of their systems and their competitiveness.

As the saying goes in the building industry: “Somewhere someone is always building something”. Whether it is in North America, Asia or Africa: large infrastructure projects require more and more material for buildings, streets, airports, bridges or dams. Since 1990, global cement production has almost quadrupled. About 4.17 million tons were produced worldwide in 2016. This growth is mainly coming from the development of the Asian markets, especially China. Despite growing cement sales, cement manufacturers worldwide face production overcapacities that have been built up during recent years especially in China. This decreases global cement and clinker prices. Due to these overcapacities, some countries focused more on the export of cement and clinker, an intermediate product when producing cement. At the same time, an increasing number of countries decide to import cement or clinker, instead of producing it domestically. In 2016, more than 150 countries imported cement and clinker.

One of these countries is Australia. Brisbane for example, the metropolis on the Pacific coast, is one of the fastest growing cities on the continent. Its population of about 2 million inhabitants is expected to double by 2056. Construction sites all over the city centre are witness to this progress. Skyscrapers are springing like mushrooms. Due to their strict environmental regulations and price pressures, Australia imports an increasing part of their demand for cement and especially clinker. The clinker is imported and then ground down to cement in Australia. The imported materials are coming from multiple countries including Indonesia, China and Vietnam. The cement and clinker imports are increasingly replacing the local production. In 2016, the utilisation of the domestic cement production capacities was only at around 57 percent.

Reduce environmental impacts, increase energy efficiency

When producing cement large quantities of carbon dioxide is emitted worldwide. These emissions occur during various processes, but the majority comes from emitting the CO₂ from the limestone used to produce cement clinker.

Depending on the processes used, the carbon dioxide emissions from producing cement are at 0.6 – 0.99 t of CO₂ per ton of cement. The CO₂ emissions from producing cement are estimated to account for seven to eight percent of the overall global carbon dioxide emissions. Manufacturers can reduce these large quantities for example by partially substituting the cement clinker with alternative materials such as fly ash, clay or granulated blast-furnace slag.

Another approach to sustainably reduce greenhouse gas emissions and production costs is to increase the use of alternative fuels for the cement production. The alternative fuels are used as sources of energy instead of fossil fuels like coal and gas. Besides liquid materials like waste oil or solvents, the majority of the solid alternative fuels are composed of municipal and industrial waste, such as plastic, paper, composite material or textile mixes. Whole or shredded waste tyres are also used and made up 6 % of the alternative fuels used in Germany for the production of cement in 2016. The calorific value of the rubber from waste tyres is comparable to that from hard coal, and the iron from the reinforcement can be incorporated mineralogically into the cement. This minimises the addition of ferrous corrective substances.

Systems adapted to the production

As a system supplier, BEUMER Group develops tailor-made solutions perfectly adapted to meet cement plant requirements: conveying systems such as troughed belt conveyors and pipe conveyors, different bucket elevator types and clinker transport systems, loading systems and complete packaging lines. BEUMER Group provides these solutions throughout the entire material flow chain from unloading the delivery vehicle to storing, taking samples, conveying and control feeding solid alternative fuels. BEUMER Group also provides fully automated systems that can control feed, singulate and convey large and heavy tyres to the inlet of the rotary kiln. BEUMER Group provides innovative intralogistic solutions to international cement companies who are looking for sustainable and cost-efficient ways to modernise their plants.

Aalborg Portland A/S relies on these solutions for example. BEUMER Group provided a complete solution so the cement manufacturer can recover energy from different types of waste at its plant in Denmark. Different types of alternative fuels are used in the calciner and in the main burner. These fuels are made of varying compositions and are efficiently stored, conveyed and fed. The customer received all equipment from one source, thus having only one contact.

The oven-ready alternative fuels are delivered in moving-floor trailers. They are unloaded and then temporarily stored at the receiving station. Both lines receive the transported material from the storehouse via the moving floors that have been modernised by BEUMER Group. To enable the transport of the pre-processed fuels from the storehouse to the calciner and to the main burner, BEUMER Group supplied and installed one Pipe Conveyor as the heart of this system. Using the Pipe Conveyor to transport the fuels is quiet and low-maintenance; and the enclosed system is also emission-free and energy-efficient. The enclosed construction prevents material from falling and dust and odours from escaping into the environment. With an ability to navigate curves, the Pipe Conveyor requires considerably less transfer points compared to other belt conveyors. This allows for substantial capital cost savings for the customer and BEUMER Group can customise the system to the individual routing.

Transport – low on energy and environmentally friendly

The BEUMER Group belt conveyors, Pipe Conveyors and open troughed belt conveyors, are particularly suited for transporting bulk material through rough terrain. The overland conveyors come with horizontal and vertical curves, depending on the topography, and can be over 10 kilometres long. Angles of inclination of up to 15 degrees are possible, depending on the characteristics of the material to be transported. The throughput capacity of BEUMER Group conveying systems can be up to 10,000 tons per hour.

Trucks are still frequently used for greater distances. Depending on the nature of the terrain, however, they can rapidly reach their limits as they require well-developed roads and fuel, for example. The costs arising for construction, maintenance and possible extension of these roads are not insignificant. In addition, all of this implies serious landscape changes. The emissions caused by truck traffic are high, both with regard to toxic substances and to noise and dust.

The BEUMER Group belt conveyors are provided with environmentally safe electric drives and low-energy belts. Therefore, especially in times of climate change and increasing greenhouse gas emissions they are considered a ‘preferred option’. The motors – which, depending on the topography are run in motor-driven and regeneration mode – are mostly adjustable. This permits an optimum load distribution on the drive unit in different operating conditions. If the belt conveying system conveys downhill, the system works in generative operation. The generated electric energy is fed back into the public network by a regenerative feedback unit. This way the operating costs of the complete system can be further reduced.

Straight up

BEUMER Group provides different types of bucket elevators with low investment costs, a long service life and easy maintenance to ensure a cost-efficient production. The buckets are mounted either to a belt or a central chain, depending on the application. Thanks to consistent developments in the field of vertical conveying technology, BEUMER Group can provide each customer with the perfect solution, whether with belt or chain bucket elevators.

Until recently, the use of belt bucket elevators was generally limited to transporting fine bulk material, because there was a risk on the older models that coarse-grained bulk material could get stuck between the bucket and the belt and damage the belt. Through the consistent advancement of their belt bucket elevators, BEUMER Group developed the innovative high-capacity belt bucket elevator type HD (heavy duty), that makes it now possible to also efficiently transport coarse-grained material such as clinker. This bucket elevator designed to eliminate the space between the individual buckets and the belt. This prevents coarse material from getting stuck during the scooping and filling process and from damaging the belt. At the same time, it holds the same proven advantages of belt-based bucket elevators for the customer, such as the very high conveying capacity, prolonged service life of the belt and less noise generation. BEUMER is also well-positioned in the field of chain-based bucket elevators and its central chain bucket elevators offer highly-efficient technology for the vertical transport of coarse, hot or abrasive bulk material.

PACKAGING FOR SAFE TRANSPORT

Until the final completion of cement in the silo, the greatest part of the costs is associated with the transport. Cement is transported in bulk and in bags. The majority of cement worldwide is loaded in bulk via terminals on road and rail vehicles or on ships. Another not insignificant part of the material is transported bagged, palletised and packaged and then transported to the customer, often over large distances. For this BEUMER Group provides entire packaging lines. They consist of the BEUMER fillpac R which operates according to the impeller filling principle. The weighing electronics make it unique. The product is filled according to the gross weight principle, i.e. the bags are weighed during the filling process. The weighing electronics of the system ensure exact filling degrees of the bags. The system is complemented by the BEUMER bag placer and a state-of-the-art ream magazine. The fully automatic BEUMER paletpac layer palletisers then stack the bags reliably with a capacity of 5,500 bags per hour. The systems can be equipped with a twin-belt turning device, so the bags can be turned to the required position fast, gently and without affecting their dimensions. Its intelligent control involves the dimensions and weights of the bags in order to achieve an exact positioning preset by the respective packing pattern. The finished bag stacks are then transported over roller conveyors to the BEUMER stretch hood A packaging system.

Loading and palletising in one

To further reduce the costs, the trend goes towards higher degrees of automation in the fields of packaging and loading, also on emerging markets like India for example. The goal is to reduce personnel, especially in emerging countries, where the transhipment of bagged bulk goods is increasing and labour costs are climbing. In order to fully automatically load the bagged bulk material on trucks, BEUMER Group offers the loading and palletising system BEUMER autopac, that can load up to 3000 bags per hour without any problems. The machine simultaneously loads and stacks bagged goods directly on trucks, pallets are not necessary. This system makes the loading of bags on trucks particularly efficient and cost-effective.  Using the BEUMER autopac can help save labour during the otherwise labour-intensive loading of cement bags. BEUMER products are also suitable for loading waggons and ships. BEUMER Group machines and systems help cement manufacturers worldwide to produce efficiently despite increasing cost pressure and strict environmental regulations.

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On 1 January 2018, Amir Reza Sinai was appointed as the new managing director of the BEUMER Group (Thailand) Co., Ltd., based in Bangkok. The subsidiary, which has 59 employees, acts as the BEUMER Group’s regional headquarters in South East and East Asia, where it covers the divisions Conveying & Loading Systems and Palletizing & Packaging Systems. It also provides solutions for the cement industry.

Before coming to the BEUMER Group, Amir Reza Sinai was chief executive officer of the Indonesian subsidiary of a global plant engineering and construction company. He joined BEUMER’s Thai subsidiary on 1 January 2017, and for almost a year he headed the company’s office in Jakarta, Indonesia.

“Amir Reza Sinai is an expert with more than ten years’ experience in the cement industry of South East Asia and Oceania,” says Dr. Detlev Rose, Chief Sales Officer of the BEUMER Group. “Thanks to him, we will be able to provide even better support for our customers in this region.”

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The Cooperativa La Cruz Azul S.C.L, third-largest cement manufacturer in Mexico, required an entire packaging line for the flexible and fully automated filling, palletising and packaging of different types of a new tile mortar. The BEUMER Group solution won out over the competition, providing everything from one single source. This included the BEUMER fillpac R filling system that was adapted for filling different materials. They also included the BEUMER bag placer to ensure a more efficient filling of the high-quality materials. With this new packaging line, Cruz Azul can achieve their projected production capacity.

Gigantic bridges, high-rises, tunnels for roads, subways and sewage systems: some of biggest construction projects in Latin America are currently being built in Mexico. This makes the country the second largest cement market on the continent, right after Brazil. In order to hold their own against national and international competition, Mexican manufacturers are developing more and more high-class materials. Cooperativa La Cruz Azul, headquartered in Mexico City, is one of them. The production of this leading company, founded in 1881, is aimed exclusively towards the domestic market. The manufacturer operates four plants with a yearly production of around eight million tons of Portland cement per year, which is only one of their end products. The main plant is in Jasso in the state of Hidalgo. The city is located in a region that is very rich in limestone. A football club founded by employees of this cement plant in 1927 is now playing in the top level of the Mexican football league, with national and international success.

Decisive factors: supplier reliability and quality

Success plays an important role for Cruz Azul as well. Its cement production represents 22 percent of the national market. With the goal to further increase this share, the cooperative developed high-quality tile mortar in eight different variations as one of their new products. “The quality of the building materials is decisive in order to remain competitive,” explains Victor Luna, Managing Director at Cruz Azul in Hidalgo. Distributors and end customers also want the products to arrive by the required date and quantity. A small amount of the mortar is sold in big bags, the majority however is sold in 20- and 25-kilogram bags. This is why the manufacturer needed an entire packaging line that could meet very specific requirements: due to varying material densities, and as a consequence different flow properties of the different variants of the new product line, the filling system had to be adjustable to the different materials as well as to smaller bag sizes without extensive retrofitting of the machine through the employees. The line should then palletise precise and stable bags stacks and package them to protect the content against transport damage and atmospheric influences.

Decision for the right partner

March 2015: after an offer from another supplier had already gone in and the project was already at an advanced stage, employees from the cooperative Cruz Azul responsible for the project reached out to BEUMER Group to also hand in an offer. “We have been working closely together for the last 30 years,” says Victor Luna. “We have a long-standing relationship and trust in the BEUMER brand.”

This trustful relationship is not surprising. BEUMER Group was already able to convince in 2008. In an extensive major order for the plant in the state of Puebla, the system supplier provided and installed five bucket elevators and two palletising and packaging lines in only 26 months. They consist of BEUMER paletpac palletisers and the BEUMER stretch hood high-capacity packaging systems. As with the current project, one of the requirements for this line was to palletise and package various bagged materials, without extensive retrofitting of the machines. Victor Luna emphasises that BEUMER Group provided them with an adaptable technology with which his colleagues are working efficiently to this day. 

Filling technology made in Germany

BEUMER Group presented the BEUMER fillpac R filling system to Cruz Azul. “Changing the required parameters is simple and quick and the different material is filled efficiently into two- to four-ply paper valve bags,” explains Ralph Buchholz, Director General at BEUMER de México. Both companies quickly agreed on the scope and scheduling for the entire packaging line, and signed the contract already in April. “Cruz Azul attaches greatest value to the quality seal ‘Made in Germany’,” explains Buchholz. “Those responsible for the project even travelled to our headquarters in Beckum, Germany to accept the systems in person.”

In October 2015, the BEUMER Group provided the systems. Three BEUMER eomployees from Germany and one from Mexico were in charge of installing the system. “We had to integrate the line into the existing building structure and bulk storage technology,” reports Buchholz. “My colleagues mastered this challenge because our solutions can be easily adapted to technical and structural conditions.” In this case, the engineers had to rework the suspension for the BEUMER fillpac.

Precise degrees of filling

The BEUMER fillpac R operates with with eight rotating filling spouts according to the impeller filling principle. This way it can safely handle even fine-grained tile mortar. The rotating filling impeller is characterised by its speed and maximum material throughput. “The bags are weighed during the filling process,” explains Buchholz. The BEUMER fillpac is equipped with an electronic calibration-capable weighing unit. It ensures that the bags are always filled with the same amount of material. A special software enables filling spouts and scale to constantly compare the weight. If the determined weight is incorrect, the bags are automatically removed, discharged on a chute and opened. The collected material is fed back into the process via a spillage screw conveyor and a bucket elevator.

The system has a modular structure. “We equipped the system with the new BEUMER bag placer because the material is so fine and volatile,” says Buchholz. A ream magazine for 700 bags was also added. This allows Cruz Azul to further increase the efficiency of the filling system. Servomotors drive the application unit and the suction gripper automatically, precisely and energy-efficiently. The gripping system and the application unit apply the bag from the stack safely onto the filling spout. The system can pack 1,800 25-kg bags or 2,250 20-kg bags per hour with the highest precision. “The operator can also adjust the BEUMER bag placer to other bag formats,” explains Buchholz.

For the subsequent fully automatic, reliable and most of all fast palletising, BEUMER Group installed a BEUMER paletpac layer palletiser. Per hour, it gently and reliably stacks 2,200 bags per hour in 10-bag patterns or in 8-bag patterns on pallets of 1,220 x 1,020 x 245 millimetres in size. “A twin-belt turning device brings the bags in the required, dimensionally stable position,” explains Buchholz. The position accuracy of this device offers a great advantage compared to conventional turning machines, because the system’s components move the bags without mechanically deforming them: two parallel driven belt conveyors move at different speeds and turn the bags quickly into the desired position. The intelligent control of the twin-belt turning device also takes the dimension and weight of the filled bag into consideration. Exact positioning, specified by the preset packing pattern, is achieved. “No adjustement is necessary even with a product change,” says Buchholz.

Packed fast and safely

The finished bag stacks are transported over roller conveyors to the BEUMER stretch hood packaging system. It packages 110 pallet stacks per hour with stretch film hoods with film thickness ranging from 40 to 100 micrometers. “It depends on the type of tile mortar,” Buchholz explains. “The packaging protects the product against dust and humidity during storage and on long transport routes and ensures that the bags remain stable on the pallet without moving.” In order to facilitate the work for the maintenance personnel and to ensure high system availability, the packaging system no longer needs a platform. Maintenance work, such as changing the blades or the sealing bars, is handled at floor level. Additional benefits include the compact design and the resulting low height and small footprint.

“The BEUMER stretch hood A is extremely energy efficient,” emphasises Buchholz. A film transport system, which is particularly gentle on the material, introduces the previously cut and sealed film hood into the system. The sealing seam already cools down on the way to the crimping and stretching unit. Crimping can start without any delay. This allows for the elimination of energy-consuming cooling units and efficiency-reducing cooling times. This way the pallets can be packaged at a high bag sequencing.

In June 2016, Cruz Azul put the line into operation. “The new BEUMER packing line brought the project to success,” mentiones Victor Luna. Which means that the cement manufacturer can reach its projected production capacity. In order to ensure a trouble-free operation, the system supplier’s competent specialists stay in close touch with the customer and help out immediately in case of malfunctions or downtimes. BEUMER Group also provided the necessary spare parts. Ensuring high availability of the systems at all times.

Victor Luna is visibly very pleased with the new solution because this packaging line is tailor-made for their needs. He is particularly impressed by the flexible filling technology. It saves a lot of time and brings great peace of mind, the different types or mortar are getting to the customer a lot faster. With this project, BEUMER Group has installed the first BEUMER fillpac R on the American market. The cooperation with the system supplier will continue. Discussions are currently held regarding new projects in the fields of conveying and loading and palletising technology.

Picture credits: BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG

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