The cement industry plays a vital role in the construction sector, but it must overcome the challenges of increasing sustainability demands, rising energy costs, and the need for operational efficiency for continued growth. To help future-proof its operations, a leading cement manufacturer tackled these challenges head-on by implementing HanPrism, an advanced solution for industrial data management. By replacing their outdated software system with HanPrism, the manufacturer achieved improvements in efficiency, sustainability, and cost savings, aligning with the vision of being a smart cement manufacturer now and in the future.

Digital Transformation Cement Challenges

The cement manufacturer faced several significant challenges with their existing software system, which hindered their ability to optimize operations and achieve their sustainability goals. According to McKinsey, cost reduction is a key requirement for cement manufacturers, and digitalization and sustainability efforts are crucial for boosting productivity. McKinsey has determined that pursuing these efforts and implementing advanced technology can result in a margin gain of $4 to $9 per ton of cement. This moves digital transformation from a nice-to-have process to becoming a fundamental business necessity for continued success.

With their existing data historian, this cement manufacturing faced:

1. Slow Data Querying: The speed of data querying was slow, causing significant problems related to data utilization. The slower the data retrieval process, the more likely users were to give up on accessing the information they needed. This inefficiency reduced the productivity of team members who had to wait for data and increased the risk of non-data-informed decision-making due to the time-consuming nature of retrieving relevant information.
2. Outdated Software Ecosystem: The manufacturer’s software ecosystem was old and not convenient to use. They lacked the necessary features and functionality to transform their data effectively. This limitation left them with two choices: either update their current system or seek an alternative solution that could meet their evolving needs.
3. Data Management and Backup Inefficiencies: Managing and backing up historian data was a complex and time-consuming task for the manufacturer. They needed to ensure proper data archiving and backup for reporting and compliance purposes. Additionally, they required an improved way to effectively manage their data, enabling them to derive valuable insights and make informed decisions across the organization.

Implementing HanPrism: A Game-Changer

To address these challenges and align with the vision of being a cement manufacturer of the future, the organization implemented HanPrism. After comparing HanPrism with other leading historian providers, the organization selected HanPrism to monitor its 20,000 tags, with an additional 5,000 tags added after successful implementation.

HanPrism was deployed to monitor critical equipment across the entire cement manufacturing process, including cement mills, coal mills, raw mills, kilns, sludge, gamma ray, mining equipment, and waste heat power generation. The system seamlessly integrated with the existing systems (ABB and Fuji DCSs and Allen Bradley PLCs), utilizing OPC and Modbus.

Key Benefits of HanPrism

The implementation of HanPrism brought numerous benefits to the cement manufacturer, enabling them to optimize operations, improve sustainability, and reduce costs. The key benefits include:

• Integrated Monitoring and Data Management: HanPrism enabled the integration of plant process data and IT information system data in real time, allowing for a comprehensive view of the entire manufacturing process. This integration facilitated informed decision-making and optimized operations.
• Visualization of Process Management: By integrating data from production planning, production operation, and inventory management into a single system, HanPrism provided enhanced visualization of process management. This allowed for better tracking and control of the manufacturing process.
• Improved Functionality: HanPrism offered advanced features such as comparison trends of real-time data, multiple trend displays on one screen, and a process graphic replayer. These functionalities empowered decision-makers with valuable insights and enhanced their ability to analyze and optimize operations.
• Energy Cost Savings: HanPrism’s monitoring capabilities allowed the manufacturer to optimize the operating time of raw mills, which are the most electricity-demanding facilities. By strategically scheduling the operation of these mills during off-peak hours, the manufacturer significantly reduced electricity costs without compromising production targets.
• Environmental Compliance: The manufacturer utilized HanPrism to develop a NOx monitoring system, ensuring compliance with domestic environmental regulations. By proactively monitoring and controlling emissions, the manufacturer demonstrated its commitment to sustainability and mitigated the risk of penalties or reputational damage.
• Seamless Integration with ERP and MES: HanPrism automatically exports daily output data from kilns and raw mills to the manufacturer’s ERP and MES system once a day. This integration streamlined data flow, eliminated manual data entry, and ensured accurate and timely information exchange between systems.

The Future of Cement

The implementation of HanPrism improved cement manufacturing operations for this leading company. By replacing an outdated software system with the advanced HanPrism data historian, the manufacturer achieved significant improvements in operational efficiency, sustainability, and cost savings. The integration of plant process data and IT information system data, enhanced visualization of process management, improved functionality, energy cost savings, environmental compliance, and seamless integration with ERP and MES systems contributed to the manufacturer’s success.

This customer’s journey highlights the importance of adopting innovative industrial data management solutions to address the challenges faced by the cement industry and drive progress towards the vision of the future cement plant. By leveraging the power of HanPrism, cement manufacturers can enhance operational excellence, meet sustainability goals, and stay competitive in an increasingly demanding market. The success story of this manufacturer serves as an inspiration for other industry players looking to transform their operations and build a sustainable future.