13 July 2016
Denmark: FLSmidth has released ECS/ProcessExpert 8.3, the latest version of its process control system. Following installation and testing at four sites, it is now available for different cement and mineral plant applications, including as a free commercial release to all existing ECS/ProcessExpert version eight customers. The update improves a number of features and benefits including easier transitions for cement recipes.
"Some of the advanced techniques used by the new system include model predictive control and fuzzy logic rules. These allow it to continuously monitor the plant's process and quality parameters and continuously compute new control set points with more speed and accuracy than a human operator," said FLSmidth's Global Product Line Manager for Process Optimisation, King Becerra.
Other benefits offered by the update include a full decision tree on the front page of the system to help operators understand controller actions better and enhanced full plots on the front page to allow operators to see actuator actions and measure responses to a given action from the main page.
US: HarbisonWalker International (HWI) has increased its inventory levels of monolithic refractory materials in response to customer demand. The North American supplier refractory products and services says it is now supplying its widest ever range of materials. The company previously announced a restructuring and rebranding initiative in May 2016 to increase its competitiveness. This included reorganising its distribution centres as Global Sourcing Centres to hasten delivery and product availability.
HWI runs an international network in North America, Europe and Asia, with 19 manufacturing plants, 30 global sourcing centres and technology facilities in both the US and China. Its cement refractory products include Versagun, Versaflow, Shot-Tech, Kruzite-70, Kala, Magnel RS, Magnel, Thor, Magnel Ultra and Magnel Ultra AF.
Cemex Puerto Rico fined US$292,000 for Mine Safety and Health Administration violations 13 July 2016
Puerto Rico: The US Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has fined Cemex Puerto Rico US$291,722 in penalties relating to 119 citations and orders issued for safety violations at the company’s Ponce Cement Plant and Cantera Canas mines. The cement producer must now implement enhanced safety measures at its three MSHA-regulated facilities in Puerto Rico.
The MSHA issued the citations and orders for a wide variety of violations, including obstructed and unsafe travel ways and workplaces, safety defects on mobile equipment and machinery, and unguarded machine parts. The settlement was approved on 7 June 2016.
In the settlement Cemex agrees to hire an independent external safety consultant knowledgeable about surface mining and cement plant operations to conduct annual, wall-to-wall employee safety audits of these three facilities over the next four years. It will also arrange for the MSHA’s Educational Field and Small Mine Services to teach a mine safety course and cement plant safety course to safety directors, assistant safety directors, area supervisors and foremen.
Mexico: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has granted Cemex a loan of Euro106m to support the cement producer’s sustainable investment programs in emerging markets. The IFC will grant Cemex funding for projects designed to enhance environmental performance that were completed in 2014 and 2015 as well as on-going during 2016, which are part of the capital expenditure plan previously communicated by Cemex. Approximately 60% of the funds will be allocated for projects related to the reduction of Cemex’s greenhouse gas emissions, while the remainder of the funds will be allocated to cover improvements to Cemex’s overall air emission controls.
“IFC’s financing to Cemex sustainable programs is part of our commitment to invest in critical climate-smart solutions across emerging markets,” said Liz Bronder, IFC Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “We are encouraged by Cemex’s innovative initiatives and look forward to the company’s leadership expanding the climate change agenda among global key players”.
The IFC is joining Cemex’s facilities agreement dated 29 September 2014, as amended and restated maturing in 2020. This transaction increases the currently outstanding commitments under this credit agreement by approximately Euro106m and diversifies Cemex’s sources of funding.