Displaying items by tag: Product

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has warned local cement producers to rein in their more outlandish claims. In a letter reported upon by the Economic Times newspaper this week, the government department has accused some manufacturers of making both objective and subjective claims about their products that strained credulity and didn’t fit the corresponding official standards. One industry source from the newspaper blamed the crackdown on some producers claiming that their cement products helped protect people from Covid-19! In their view the bureau was now over-enforcing its rules in retaliation. Given the severity of the outbreak in India - it has the second highest number of reported cases in the world this week - the response of the authorities is understandable to say the least.

The distinction between objective and subjective exaggeration that the BIS makes it worth looking at in more detail. For example, objective or supposedly fact-based claims the BIS cited included: ‘Protect Steel in Concrete’; ‘Protect Concrete from Corrosion’; ‘Corrosion Resistant’; ‘Weather Proof’; and ‘Damp Proof.’ Then, there were subjective, or more emotionally evocative, claims along the lines of ‘strong’ or ‘high performance.’ The BIS then outlines the specific ways in which objective and subjective assertions can be used. Objective claims should be avoided on marketing and packaging material. Subjective claims should, “explicitly indicate that such claims are not covered under the scope of BIS licence granted to them and the responsibility of such claims lies with them.”

Marketing is a big part of standing out in the crowded Indian cement market with producers sponsoring major sports teams. This might seem odd to readers elsewhere in the world but it demonstrates the target market, the importance of cement as a commodity to the general public and the power of brand awareness. Amubja Cement’s logo of a man with a Charles Atlas style physique cuddling a building sums up the message they want to convey: strength. No wonder producers are wary of the BIS wading in.

Standards also appeared in another news story this week with the announcement that Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) had obtained the first cement product carbon footprint label issued by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) in the country. Its products will be marked with carbon footprint labels from the fourth quarter of 2020.

This shows a general trend in cement products towards showing sustainability credentials from putting environmental footprint data in front of specifiers for large projects towards making it a more basic retail selling point. Lots of other cement producers around the world have done and/or are doing similar things, from the dedicated slag cement manufacturers to the larger producers routinely releasing and promoting new low-CO₂ products. To pick one example from many, in July 2020 LafargeHolcim France introduced ‘360Score CO₂ emissions reduction ratings’ to its bagged cement range. The score, between ’A’ and ’D,’ corresponds to the factor of CO₂ compared to CEM-I Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), with ‘A’ products producing less CO₂ than ‘D’ products in their overall creation.

To look at an older example of the need for standards generally, building collapses in Nigeria appeared to increase post-2000, with the misuse of lower-grade cements blamed for the situation. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) took action in 2014, local producers introduced higher strength cements and the problem was reduced. Given the intangible nature of measuring sustainability in cement products there is a need for reliable standards. Unlike performance metrics, such as a strength or durability, the CO₂ footprint of a cement product will generally remain utterly intangible for most end-users. The effects of CO₂ emissions are continually analysed and debated, but the negative climate effects of cement products are more akin to someone else’s house flooding on the other side of the world 50 years later, than one’s own house falling down a decade later due to using the wrong strength cement. So, some form of trustworthy enforcement for sustainability standards is crucial. Standards may represent ‘boring’ bureaucratic red tape at its most officious but we need them. In India and elsewhere though, the debate on enforcement continues.

Taiwan: Taiwan Cement has been awarded the first product carbon footprint label by the local Environmental Protection Administration (EPA). It follows its completion of the structure of product category rules (PCR) in early August 2020 and inspection by the EPA. TCC's products will be marked with carbon footprint labels from the fourth quarter of 2020. The Taiwan-based cement producer has also announced support for the Global Cement and Concrete Association’s (GCCA) 2050 Climate Ambition plan.

TCC started its Science-Based Target project in 2019 and says it became the first cement company in the Greater China region to complete target setting and was approved by Science-Based Target initiatives (SBTi) in June 2020. Following the science-based methods promoted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from the United Nations, TCC set a target to reduce carbon emissions by 11% in 2025, using 2016 emissions as the base. TCC completed carbon footprint certification for the most popular cement products, Portland Type I cement and Ready-Mixed Concrete 3000psi, in July 2020.

India: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has warned producers to avoid the use of objective product descriptions which may subsequently be proven as false claims. The Economic Times newspaper has reported that the advice follows an internal circular of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution detailing plans for a tightening of standards around the use of objective terms such a ‘corrosion resistant,’ ‘weather proof’ and ‘damp proof’ by cement producers.

Germany: Schenck Process has launched CONiQ Control, a control and automation system “with many options for use in industrial measuring, weighing and automation technology in the cement industry,” according to the company. It says that the product “standardises the use of a common controller platform for a wide variety of processes” through a Reddot Intuitive Design Award 2019-winning web-based interface.

India: JK Cement says that it will sell its white cement, formerly JK White Cement, under the new name ‘WhitemaxX.’ The Economic Times newspaper has reported that the new name “strengthens JK Cement’s core commitment to delivering the maximum to its consumers and partners with a focus on consistent and premium product quality,” according to the company.

JK Cement is the world’s third largest white cement producer and it exports WhiteMaxX to 43 countries.

India: Sustainable roofing specialist Visaka Industries has acquired a 20-year patent for production of ATUM, a roofing system consisting of cement boards with integrated solar panels. The company says that the product, which has been in development since 2016, is both insulative and capable of generating up to 28W/m2 of power.

El Salvador: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Holcim El Salvador has announced an alteration to the composition of its flagship product, Cuscatlán cement, developed in laboratories in France and Mexico. Strategic marketing manager Amalia Palacios said, “The new formula offers the end user higher quality and less waste, that is to say a yield of around 20% more for the same price, so that we are improving quality without an impact on the customer's pocket."

Germany: ThyssenKrupp has announced the launch of the HPGR Pro, a high-pressure grinding roll for raw materials processing that it says “offers up to 20% more throughput, 15% lower energy consumption and 30% longer-lasting rollers” than previous models. HPGR global product manager Frank Schroers said, “We used our experience and what we learned from conversations with customers to introduce improvements that are unique in this market and make grinding much easier.” Laser monitoring keeps users constantly informed about the roller surface and helps predict the best possible time for roller replacement. “Our customers need no longer stop the machine as a precautionary measure, saving them valuable time. What’s more, as our specialists collect and process machine data, our customers can continually improve their HPGR’s operation and optimise throughput, energy consumption or machine availability in line with their specific targets,” added Schroers.

Honduras: Cementos Argos subsidiary Argos Honduras has announced the launch of ECO Multipurpose, a 40% reduced-CO₂ general use cement produced with energy from the company’s 8.5MW solar power plant at its 1.0Mt/yr integrated Piedras Azules cement plant in Comayagua, Comayagua Department. The product is “the first environmentally-friendly cement in Honduras,” according to the cement producer.

General director Gustavo Uribe said, “With this project we are leading the industry in the country and sowing the seeds of the future for construction in Honduras, which will gradually evolve towards the adoption of the global trend of sustainable construction. At Argos, we continually work on creating products and developing projects with a positive impact on the environment and society. As a company, we assume a commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, prioritising climate change especially, and this product brings us closer to fulfilling that commitment.”

US: Komatsu plans to rebrand its underground hard rock equipment, surface wheel loaders and new line of blasthole drills to reflect the company’s focus on growth in these areas. The company will retain its iconic P&H and Joy brands for the products longest associated with those names: P&H for its electric rope shovels, hybrid shovels, draglines and 320XPC blasthole drill; Joy for longwall systems, and room and pillar equipment.

“Building on the growth of our mining portfolio, we’re excited to unite more products under the Komatsu brand, while respecting the history and value of the P&H and Joy brands,” said Jeffrey Dawes, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Komatsu Mining. “As we approach Komatsu’s 100th anniversary, it’s a great moment to expand the brand in mining and celebrate the growth of these product lines.”