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In aggregates processing, automation supports equipment such as conveyors, crushers, pumps and fans. If a critical asset is unavailable, production may be affected. PLCs and other controllers oversee operational tasks, but existing systems may limit teams’ ability to adjust processes or use performance data.

Cement plants have their own process requirements. The right level of automation depends on each plant’s equipment, infrastructure and objectives. Teams should assess the controls and data already available, identify where they limit operational decisions, and define the scope of any upgrade. Requirements for cement kiln automation, for example, should be confirmed against plant-specific engineering information.

Energy use, equipment availability and maintenance are three practical priorities when assessing automation in the cement industry.

Energy use and visibility

Quarries and aggregates plants use energy-intensive equipment, including crushers, pumps and conveyors. Collecting and analysing energy data can help teams assess consumption and identify areas for investigation. Possible approaches include:

• frequency inverters,
  
• energy monitoring,
• analytical systems.

Monitoring is useful when it informs a decision, such as which equipment to examine or which energy hotspot to prioritise. A phased approach can help teams focus first on areas where better information may be most useful.

Availability and maintenance

Availability is the ratio of actual asset run time to planned run time, while utilisation reflects the proportion of time an asset is used. These measures describe different aspects of operations and should be interpreted in context.

Predictive maintenance uses diagnostic data and analytics to help teams anticipate maintenance needs or possible failure. It can inform maintenance planning around production schedules, but it does not replace physical maintenance. A cement plant predictive maintenance project should start with a clear question about what equipment or decision the data is intended to support.

Modernisation and support

Cement plant modernisation may involve legacy equipment and obsolescence. Planning may need to consider:

• migration tools and engineering support,
  
• equipment upgrades,
  
• technical training,
  
• service arrangements
  

These considerations help teams plan implementation and ongoing support. They do not replace the need to define the operational objective of the upgrade.

Begin by assessing the control infrastructure and data available for the equipment and processes in scope. Establish what teams can control, what information they can access and where current limitations affect decisions.

Then define an objective and choose an initial area of work, such as a critical asset, a bottleneck or an area with limited energy visibility. A phased approach can account for budget, operational priorities and lessons learned, while planning for engineering, maintenance, system migration and staff training.

For a related perspective on industrial digital transformation in another sector, see digital transformation in automotive plants.

Energy and diagnostic data are valuable when they help teams make operational decisions. Energy data can support analysis of consumption and costs; diagnostic data can help assess equipment condition and plan maintenance.

The concrete-production case study at Holcim illustrates how a defined operating problem can be addressed with drive technology. Raw-material transport trolleys carried loads of up to five tonnes on steep ramps. Hard starting and braking caused mechanical jerking and failures of brakes and six mechanical components. The counter-current braking method also meant that 18 kW motors consumed full power while lowering loads.

Holcim, working with system integrator DWI Motion, replaced traditional starters with Mitsubishi Electric FR-A800E inverters and FR-XC regenerative modules. The inverter provided vector control for managing loads on an incline, while the regenerative module managed energy during downward movement and returned it to the supply.

The reported result was a saving of 11 kWh per day for a single drive, or more than 3 MWh per year, with an estimated reduction of approximately one tonne of CO₂ emissions. This is a specific result for one application, not a forecast for other equipment or plants.

Choose measures that match the project objective. Depending on the work, these may include:

• energy consumption and cost;
  
• asset availability and utilisation;
  
• diagnostic information and equipment condition;
  
• mechanical wear and maintenance requirements;
  
• production interruptions;
  
• energy recovery and system health, where available.
  

Before an upgrade, establish what the plant can measure and which indicators will show whether the project addressed the original problem. For energy reduction, use data relevant to the equipment being changed; for availability, compare planned and actual run time. The available materials support a staged approach but do not prescribe universal targets for cement plants.