Cement

In recent years, the cement industry has adopted the proactive approach to maintenance that has been successfully applied in many other branches of industry over the years. Maintenance represents a significant part of operating costs and as such is a critical point of improvement. SPM has been involved in the cement industry for a number of years and we continue to contribute to improved plant reliability for main manufacturers around the world.

Availability concerns are a top priority in cement production. Unplanned shutdowns caused by equipment failure can be very costly. Poor availability influences productivity and the contribution per hour, and in the cement industry these numbers are usually very high. The cost of secondary damages can be astronomical if the main production units break down. Typical applications where condition monitoring is applicable are kiln drives, separators, crushers, screens, gearboxes, conveyor belts, fans, raw mills, ball mills, elevators and blowers.

Condition monitoring solutions for cement

Many of the applications are run under harsh conditions, where the environment often is dusty, dirty, and hot. This puts a great demand on optimized lubrication of the rolling element bearings. Low-speed machinery also puts special demands on the techniques used for bearing measurement. The SPM method is unique, being able to monitor such conditions as well as giving very early damage detection. It is not only used for keeping track of manually lubricated bearings but also used in cooperation with automatic lubrication systems, giving signals when to lubricate. SPM Spectrum, in combination with EVAM, is very well suited for keeping control over the operating condition of gearboxes. On slowly rotating machinery, the SPM HD® measuring technique can be used with benefit. SPM HD uses RPM-based sampling frequency and algorithmic correlation techniques to ensure the highest possible signal quality and razor-sharp spectrums for analysis.

The SPM product range includes portable instruments, online systems, and accessories specifically suited for shock pulse monitoring of rotating machinery and vibration monitoring equipment for, for example, detecting misalignment, gear problems, and balancing problems.

Portable instrumentation

Our range of handheld instrumentation includes equipment for shock pulse measurement, vibration severity measurement, and vibration spectrum analysis.

Intellinova online systems

With Intellinova, our unique HD condition-monitoring technologies can be fully utilized to successfully provide earlier warning of mechanical problems than any other monitoring technology.

Condition monitoring in explosive environments

Our high-performance portable and online equipment are also available for potentially explosive environments.

HD Technologies

High-definition condition monitoring technologies provide exceptional pre-warning times, maximizing the planning horizon for maintenance and repairs. In turn, this enables fully utilizing asset life, cutting repair costs, and minimizing the consequences of unplanned downtime.

Case studies

Bearing cage damage in vertical roller mill

This case study deals with the detection of a damaged bearing cage in a gearbox driving a vertical roller mill in the Hoang Mai cement plant in Vietnam.

Online monitoring on rotary calciner

This materials processing plant replaced its previous vibration monitoring system on the low-speed calciner drum with the online system Intellinova Compact after a test installation involving SPM HD measurements had proven successful.

HD technologies on ball mill at Orcem

Dutch cement producer Orcem implements HD Technologies to monitor the mechanical condition of a ball mill, which is a critical part of the milling process in cement manufacturing. In many cases, the entire process can be severely limited or completely stopped if the ball mill ceases to operate. C...

News

Case study: Successful trial measurements on low-speed rotary calciner

In material processing industries – such as cement manufacturing or kraft pulping – the rotary kiln, or calciner, is a production-critical piece of equipment. This cas...

Orcem successfully upgrades its vibration monitoring system

Dutch cement manufacturer Orcem, located south of Rotterdam, develops and produces a special cement called ECO2cem. One of the major advantages of ECO2cem is reduced C...

Cementa AB monitoring lime kiln drive with SPM HD

Cementa AB is one of Sweden's largest manufacturers of building materials and part of the international group HeidelbergCement. The facility on Gotland off the Swedish...