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As the cement industry continues its journey towards net zero, Fuller is focusing on optimization at every stage of the process to increase efficiency and, in turn, sustainability. We talked to Raveendran Chalil and Manoj Taneja to find out how service and sustainability are intertwined, and why performance optimization underpins the industry’s ambitious environmental targets.

Our latest ECS/ProcessExpert® advanced process control solution brings together a range of cutting-edge technologies to deliver cement plant optimization well beyond what was possible with previous incarnations of the software.

The latest update to our ECS/PlantDataManagement system features a range of advanced functionality that supports critical decision making to improve plant- and enterprise-level productivity, profitability, and sustainability.

In this presentation, Jens Asbjørn Pedersen explores structured acquisition of sample data across automated and manually operated laboratory equipment in cement production. Pedersen shows how the QCX® System is covering the complete value chain from sampling to quality optimization, contrasting traditional selective data capture with current industry trends demanding comprehensive acquisition from all laboratory sources. This shift is driven by efficiency requirements, documentation demands, and the growing need for well-structured datasets to support AI applications in Industry 4.0 environments. The presentation covers Production LIMS characteristics for high-throughput cement laboratories, the fundamental differences between process data and complex sample metadata, automation level trade-offs, and the critical importance of careful sample data infrastructure planning for future technology integration.

How do you ensure your cement sampling and analysis systems are ready to support your Industry 4.0 ambitions? It all starts with the system responsible for collecting, organising, and tracking sample data: the Production Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). Jens Asbjørn Pedersen, Global Product Manager – Sampling, Preparation, and Analysis, and Claus Østergaard, Global Technical Manager – Laboratory Automation Software, at Fuller explain.

Kiranmai Sanagavarapu, Program Manager - Clinker Decarbonisation, and David Jayanth, Project Manager, Carbon Capture, Fuller, share highlights from a cross-industry panel discussion on carbon capture in the cement industry, with a focus on the US.

Troubleshooting is now so easy for operators at Mangalam Cement’s plant in Rajasthan, India, that downtime is a thing of the past. Upgrading the control system to Fuller's ECS/ControlCenter™ V8 has made the system simple to use and Mangalam no longer depend on specialised individuals to perform maintenance or bypass interlocks.

Lars Skaarup Jensen, R&D Specialist and Project Manager, PhD Chem. Eng., presentation at EnviroTech 2024, "Ways to Transition to Green". Content includes the development of the FUELFLEX® Pyrolyzer at Mannok Cement.

The Pfister® FEEDflex is an upgrade to the proven and widely used Pfister® DRW Rotor Weighfeeder, with the advantage of a much lower minimum feed rate – down to as little as 60 kg/h – with no change to the maximum feed rate.

As announced on 29 January 2024, FLSmidth (now Fuller) is exploring new ownership for our Cement business. We welcome this development. Cement has been the heart and soul of FLSmidth (Fuller) for much of its history, however our market environment has evolved. Years ago, we shared some synergies and economies of scale by integrating aspects of our organization with our mining business. However, our industries, and in turn, the appropriate operating models which best serve them, have diverged. Consequently, combining our two organizations under one ownership is now forcing more operational friction than benefit.

John Terembula, Fuller, discusses options to reduce the clinker factor using existing technologies and materials.

With proper lubrication, you can extend the life of your compressor and maximise performance, ensuring your conveying operation keeps moving. We have three Ful-Lube™ lubrications systems, designed specifically to meet the requirements of your Ful-Vane™ Compressor.

What does your maintenance team want you to know about reliability, but is afraid to tell you? Jose Gil, Fuller, explains. Ask anyone working at a cement plant and all would agree that reliability – of equipment, of the process, of production output, of product quality – is critical. Fuller would also agree. In fact, the company even has Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) service specifically designed to help cement plants prioritise reliability. Ask who is responsible for reliability and they would probably all point to the maintenance team. And here, Fuller would disagree.

Here’s why the world needs green cement, and also why we’ve decided to take up the reins, aiming to become a global leader in zero carbon cement.

Whatever happens next with market dynamics, achieving efficiencies will continue to be foremost in people’s minds. Whether you operate a port, a terminal or a manufacturing plant, the ability to do more with less will be what sets you apart from the competition. Pneumatic conveying is already widely adopted as the most efficient means of material transport. It’s both cleaner and safer than mechanical methods and, with the right technology, you can achieve impressive volumes and speeds. Key to this capability are the core pump and compressor technologies, which can either make or break your process.

Pneumatic conveying is a clean, quick and reliable way of moving materials around the plant and is almost always the most efficient means of transporting materials around a site. In those instances where pneumatic conveying does not look like an efficient option, the reason is typically given as high energy consumption. However, the introduction of a new rotary airlock, the V-Series Feeder / Airlock, reduces the installed power of pneumatic conveying systems and lowers operating costs significantly.

Fuller will support a leading cement producer to improve the reliability and performance of its operations in Latin America. The new contract builds on a long-standing relationship between the two companies and will last a period of 18 months.

Testing, testing – how material and pilot scale testing helps confirm clay suitability for eco cement: Fuller experts describe the material testing necessary to determine if a particular clay is suitable to process into eco-friendly cement.

Cement plants have a new solution for online analysis of raw materials thanks to a partnership between Fuller and FCT ACTech. Under the agreement, Fuller will incorporate FCT ACTech’s advanced XRF and XRD analysers in its new QCX® CUBE solutions. The agreement was signed in August 2023.

A new research effort led by Fuller is working to use digitalization and advanced predictive modelling to maximize the use of supplementary cementitious materials in cement, a key pillar to decarbonise cement.

Automation is a major contributor towards sustainable production and efficiency in modern cement plants. But what are the boundaries of automation today? Does automation start with the control system and end with high-level optimization? Or could it also include smart instruments, Intelligent Motor Control Centers (iMCCs), and a robotic laboratory? This would mean that plants could also business intelligence solutions to help make informed decisions at the plant level, as well as at the enterprise level. With the advancement of technology, the boundaries of automation are shifting.

Increasing energy efficiency through advanced digital tools is helping cut carbon by reducing power consumption. However, there are some emissions that are much harder to deal with: those which occur with the calcination of limestone and formation of clinker.

A new collaboration with Lin & Associates means the company’s flagship adaptive model-less multivariable control solution, DELTUM® will be incorporated into our ECS/ProcessExpert (PXP) advanced process control (APC) software. The aim is to deliver even greater responsiveness to changes in the process conditions so that plants can best fulfil their sustainability ambitions.

After implementing its second production line with the latest ECS/ControlCenter software, Arghakhanchi Cement knew what benefits a state-of-the-art plant control system could bring. It also showed up the obsolete and fault-prone software used on its older production line. So much so, that the company decided it needed an upgrade.

Having been impressed with the first pre-commercial installation of the FUELFLEX® Pyrolyzer at the Mannok cement plant in Ireland, Continental Cement has awarded Fuller a contract for the first commercial installation of this new technology at its Davenport cement plant in Buffalo, Iowa in the United States.

Fuller was awarded a contract that will both increase the plant’s capacity to 3900 tpd and at the same time decrease its dependence on fossil fuels.

The HOTDISC® Reactor is the best way to substitute calciner fuel with coarse alternative fuels – enabling efficient operation and lower operating costs without compromising performance. A safe, simple and effective alternative fuels solution, this large, moving hearth furnace is integrated with the preheater and calciner systems for maximum kiln availability.

Reduced power consumption. The flexibility to load different bag types and sizes. Greater efficiency at higher capacities. Modern cement plants are placing ever greater demands on their automatic truck loading system.

At CalPortland Cement’s Mojave plant, kiln production was being limited by the raw mill, which couldn’t cope with the increasing demand of a hot market. The company made the decision to invest in a new mill, and settled on an OK™ raw mill 48-4 from Fuller – the first OK raw mill to go into operation in North America.