by Ramakrishna Nuti and Abhishek Joshi, Product and Solution Sales, FLSmidth
The ever-increasing demand for quality product, coupled with stringent environmental policies and regulations, presents the manufacturing sector with significant challenges. They must boost productivity, maintain compliance and minimize operating costs without compromising on product quality – all in a time of skills shortages and more complex operating parameters.
The challenges of going green
The cement process has undergone many changes as it has modernized, both in a quest to be more cost-effective and more environmentally friendly. The increasing use of alternative fuels and supplementary cementitious materials have an impact on the end product that has to be monitored and adjusted with the use of precise and agile quality control measures. Meanwhile, market demand for specialty products requires careful control throughout the process.
In order to make the most of these opportunities, quality control systems have to be able to react quickly and efficiently. These are the systems that determine whether a plant will remain competitive, or miss out on market share.
Automated laboratory solutions from FLSmidth are setting new industry standards
Fortunately, the capability of quality control systems has grown immensely in recent years. Where previously plants relied on the skills of their laboratory team, today they can achieve optimum consistency in representative sampling, better solid sample preparation and accurate analysis through fast, automated systems.
FLSmidth has been a pioneer in this field. With ourLab Automation Solution, cement plants can say goodbye to inconsistencies in quality and excess operational costs, such as a daily variation in power consumption. They are no longer held back by the skills shortage, or unable to take on the challenge of greener production for fear of undermining quality.
QCX/RoboLab is a quantum leap in quality control for the cement industry, delivering consistency throughout quality control operations.
The single, integrated QCX/Robolab system uses cutting-edge technology to deliver automated sampling, sample preparation and analysis that is fast and reliable, providing consistent information to achieve optimumquality and process control at all stages of cement production.
| Productivity | Quality | Savings | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast and accurate results with consistency in operational behavior | Uniformity in quality control with sound chemistry that doesn’t compromise on safety | Reduced number of unplanned stoppages with precise chemistry recipe | No more injuries from repetitive laboratory practices |
The components of quality control are Material Sampling, Sample Preparation and Analysis and Material Proportioning
Lab Automation speeds up every aspect of quality control operations, from sampling / sample collection to accurate pellet preparation for analysis,and especially when it comes to taking control actions to achieve a desired target. Plus, by eliminating the potential for manual errors, precision is significantly increased. And the laboratory becomes a much safer environment, with fewer operators and a far reduced risk to health and safety. The advanced, user-friendly system can be tailored to your specific cement production needs, including special fuels, and supports continuous 24 x 7 operations.
The benefits of QCX
Enhance quality control measures: consistent automated sampling, sample preparation and analysis eliminate manual errors.
Save energy: Reduce fuel consumption in the preheater and kiln by achieving consistency in raw material quality.
Provide a healthy and safe work environment: Eliminate hazardous operations and create a dust-free environment in the labs and sample preparation areas.
Stay ahead of the competition: Maximise product quality by implementing the best in class technology.
Improve service life of plant machinery: Reduce wear on parts caused by unstable operations.
Simplify management: Comply with quality standards and embrace continuous improvements with automatic reporting.
