Online condition monitoring of cement rotary kiln

When we look at the future of cement manufacturing, we see huge potential to increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact through digitalisation. From an operational perspective, it enables us to streamline processes by automating controls that would previously have been manual, removing the potential for human error and making calculations much more quickly than people ever could. And when it comes to maintenance, those quick calculations, combined with expert insight, enable us to identify the early warning signs of potential failure. Armed with that information, plant operators can act at the right time, eliminating the occurrence of unplanned downtime.

Digitalisation, then, holds the power to both increase operational efficiencies and enable a predictive maintenance schedule that extends equipment life and reduces costs. But how do we harness that power in a real plant setting?

Monitoring kiln health

Let’s say, for example, that you suddenly notice cracks in the kiln tyres. Everyone panics – this is a problem that needs to be dealt with urgently. But your next maintenance shutdown is not due for another 9 months. Can you afford to take the risk, and wait and see how far you can push it? Or should you be thinking about a more immediate shutdown, with all the associated costs?

Without all the data, you can’t calculate the risk. But with the right data, you could have avoided the problem altogether. And that’s where digital solutions like online condition monitoring services come in.

FLSmidth Cement offers online condition monitoring services across the plant. For the kiln, these services enable plant operators to continuously gather data that was not previously available and use it – in combination with the continuing support provided by our kiln specialists – to keep a close eye on kiln health, including kiln components that would typically only be inspected every 2 – 3 years. This means, for example, that unusual kiln overload would be detected long before the tyre cracks. The problem could be resolved before it becomes urgent, saving you both the cost of unscheduled downtime and all the stress that goes along with it.

Data that informs

The act of gathering data is not new, of course. Your kiln is already equipped with certain sensors, monitoring the bearings, hydraulic thrust device and kiln drive, and you are probably already using a control platform to operate the kiln. The issue is how the data is used. In all likelihood, most of it is looked at in isolation, and some of it is not looked at very often at all. This presents a risk that key indicators of wear will be missed, along with the root causes that could go on to become major kiln failures.

By adding new sensors, you can also monitor kiln crank, kiln shell ovality, kiln drive vibration and axial balance – all on a 24/7/365 basis. This gives you most of the measurements you would get with a Hot Kiln Alignment (HKA), meaning you have all the data you need to schedule the HKA and maintenance activities when they are needed most.

Expertise that empowers

Data without insight is no good to anyone. The data needs to be collected, analysed and reported back in a way that is meaningful and actionable – which is why our online condition monitoring services are digitally-enabled, but also people-powered. All of the sensors are collecting data all the time, and feeding it to FLSmidth Cement’s cloud application, which is designed to detect any abnormal events or ‘behaviour’. If anything out of the ordinary shows up, an alarm is sent to the FLSmidth Cement 24/7 Global Remote Service Centre where the data is analysed by our kiln experts. These are people with plant and process experience, who can decide the context of an alarm and recommend what action the plant might need to take to solve whatever problem has arisen. These recommendations are put into a report for the plant to act on, and these case reports are in addition to the regular condition reports that come as part of the online condition monitoring services package.