Displaying items by tag: GCW51
Timken supplies bearings for CITIC mill
30 May 2012China: Timken Company has supplied bearings for one of China's largest vertical slag mills, featuring a 5.7m grinding table. The mill, one of several now utilising Timken bearings, was developed by CITIC Heavy Industries Co Ltd, one of China's top manufacturers of cement-producing equipment. According to CITIC, the new vertical slag mill produced by CITIC is expected to produce up to 1.2Mt/yr of ground slag for inclusion in cement and concrete products.
"Many sizable construction projects underway across China require large amounts of quality concrete," said Leong Fang, president of Timken China. "We work closely with CITIC and other customers in this important industry to make sure they can meet the growing demands of their customers for concrete and other construction materials. Our recent success is a testimony to teamwork and innovation for the two companies."
Argentina: Loesche, the German producer of vertical roller mills for the cement industry, has been awarded a contract by InterCement in Argentina for the supply of a solid fuel mill for its cement plant in Barker, Argentina.
The Loesche LM 35.3 D mill will be used for InterCement's Barker Coal project and will be used to replace natural gas in the kiln. The solid fuel dry-grinding plant will be designed for the grinding of coal and petcoke with product rates of 45t/hr for coal and 30t/hr for petcoke respectively. The mill's main drive power rating will be 960kW.
Besides the mill, the order comprises the complete machinery of the grinding plant in between the raw coal storage and the pulverised fuel dosification area. Electrical equipment and automation systems as well as the steel structures for buildings will be delivered by Loesche. Complete delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2012.
Czech production down 14% in Q1
28 May 2012Czech Republic: Czech cement production posted a year-on-year drop of 14% to 466,000t in the Jan-March 2012 period owing to the fall of the construction sector and a colder winter, according to the latest data of the Czech Cement Producers' Association. Cement producers commented that domestic consumption and cement exports also went down.
"A combination of several effects was behind the significant drop in Czech cement production and consumption in the first quarter," said Ceskomoravsky cement board chairman Jan Hrozek. He also blamed unclear policies from the Czech Transport Ministry and the resulting changes that these had on priorities in infrastructure projects.
First-quarter cement sales on the domestic market were 8% lower at 404,000t. Exports sank by 24% over the same period. Cement producers have said that the outlook for 2012 is currently uncertain.
"Overall I expect domestic cement consumption to stagnate in 2012, with possible recovery to come at the end of the third quarter," Hrozek added.
Leading cement producers in the Czech Republic include Ceskomoravsky cement of the German group HeidelbergCement, French group Lafarge, Swiss company Holcim and the Czech branch of Dyckerhoff of Germany.
Ash Grove announces major upgrade at Midlothian
25 May 2012US: Kansas-based Ash Grove Cement has announced an investment of over US$125m at its Midlothian plant in Texas in an effort to make it one of the lowest-emitting cement producers in the state. The decision to install a new preheater/precalciner production system was taken at the company's May 2012 meeting on 24 May 2012 and has been prompted by the need for the plant to lower its emissions ahead of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) portland cement National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rule that is scheduled to take effect in September 2013.
The decision, which comes hot-on-the-heels of a request to close the plant's existing wet production lines, was one option being considered by Ash Grove."We concluded that we wanted to continue to provide Texans with locally-made cement from our Midlothian facility for the foreseeable future and therefore approved the modernisation project," said Ash Grove Chairman Charles Sunderland. The decision secures jobs for the 110 people that work at the plant.
Ash Grove has invested millions of dollars in the Midlothian facility over the past four decades to reduce production emissions. Since 1996, Ash Grove has reduced the plant's NOx emissions by more than 60%. "Our employees appreciate the confidence the board has shown in them by making this decision," said Midlothian plant manager Kevin Blankenship. "We have generations of employees working here, many with decades of service. This decision demonstrates that Ash Grove will maintain its strong north Texas presence for our families, our community and our customers."
Reaction among community leaders also has been favourable."We are very pleased that Ash Grove has committed to investing to upgrade its plant here," said Midlothian Mayor Bill Houston. "Ash Grove is an outstanding corporate citizen and has always worked hard to be a good and responsible neighbour. "By investing in this key technology upgrade (the) plant will remain viable, competitive and environmentally-friendly for many years to come."
CMS boss outlines Sarawak progress
24 May 2012Malaysia: CMS Cement Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd (CMS) is embarking on an expansion programme with an initial investment of US$47m in an effort to meet the growing demand for cement.
"We are still doing the actual costing but when the programme is done we are optimistic of coping with the increasing demand from the state and particularly from construction activities in its regional development corridor, the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy," said CMS Group Managing Director Datuk Richard Curtis. "The state's annual need is 1.66Mt/yr and in the last five years, it has registered increases of 10-15%."
Speaking at the opening of the company's new 6000t US$7m Sibu bulk cement terminal, Curtis said, "We will expand our Kuching and Bintulu plants to be able to produce 2Mt/yr of both Portland and Cemplast Masonry cement by either late 2013 or early 2014. For our Kuching clinker plant, a new production line will be added to boost raw material production from 0.65Mt to 0.8Mt by middle of the year," he said.
The Kuching plant, set up in 1978, has an annual capacity of 1Mt/yr and caters to the Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman and Sibu markets. On the other hand, its Bintulu plant in Kidurong, produces 0.75Mt/yr and caters to the rapidly growing north-east region. Curtis said that the plan was to increase the Kuching plant output by another 0.4-0.5Mt/yr and increase that of Bintulu by 10%. He said it was much cheaper for the state to be able to produce its own cement rather than relying on imports from elsewhere in Malaysia.
Regarding the Sibu facility Curtis said that it represented a significant investment in upgrading the company's cement distribution capabilities statewide. "The distribution of fresh cement to the Sibu, Kapit, Mukah and Sarikei areas is made more reliable. Bulk cement manufactured in the Kuching plant is now being transported, using a fully-enclosed dust-free pneumatic pipeline on to one of the two dedicated purpose built 7000 DWT barges and barged to Sibu," he said.
Curtis added the all weather barges were built and operated for CMS by Shin Yang Shipping Sdn Bhd, one of the state's top shipbuilders. "Each of them is equipped with Sweddish-made fully enclosed dust-free pneumatic self-loading/unloading system and has a fully-enclosed cargo hold fitted with aeration panels and a fluidised cement transfer system.
Curtis used the opportunity to reassure customers in the region that although it is the only cement supplier in Malaysian Borneo, CMS would do its utmost to cope with the demand and to deliver as scheduled. "We will be constantly upgrading our facilities and delivery systems in order to give the best service. In the last five years, we have invested more than US$160m to do so," he said.
CMS had earlier said that it was looking to 'dominate' the cement market in Malaysian Borneo, a region that is significantly less developed than the western Peninsular region.