Displaying items by tag: digital

Germany: Beumer Group says it is supporting logistics start-up Sparrow Networks with its Beam spin-off company. Sparrow Networks consists of a spare parts pool of interconnected cement industry players. Customers can access the inventory on Sparrow Networks’ digital marketplace. Beam is a Berlin-based start-up company builder, supported by Beumer Group, that focuses on logistics and technical challenges.

Mexico: Cemex has implemented more than 50 new safety protocols to minimise the risk of coronavirus spread in its cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates operations. Cemex said that it recognised ‘the importance of the construction industry in supporting the maintenance and service of essential infrastructure required to face the pandemic and contribute to the economy,’ and would resume or continue all possible operations in line with the regulations of the countries in which it operates.

“The health and safety of its employees is the company’s number one priority,” said Cemex. “Among the protocols implemented are the company’s Personal Hygiene Protocol, Physical Distancing Protocol, Screening at Workplace Protocol, Cemex Truck Drivers Protocol, Workplace Cleaning Protocol, and Commuting To and From Work Protocol,” all developed in line with advice from national and international bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO).
Cemex has leveraged its Cemex Go digital platform to limit physical contact and ‘protect employees, customers and suppliers.’

Russia: Eurocement subsidiary Kavkazcement has reported the successful installation of a remote monitoring system at its 3.1Mt/yr integrated Kavkazcement plant. The system uses near field communication (NFC) tags and identification devices to feed real-time operational data from its four wet kilns to smartphones. Kavkazcement CEO Oleg Lopatin said, “Accurate and timely inspection of the equipment increases the efficiency and stability of the entire cement production line. The mobile monitoring system reduces the time and improves the quality of diagnostics.”

Russia: Sibirskiy Cement subsidiary Krasnoyarsk Cement has equipped the exhaust stack of its 1.1Mt/yr Krasnoyarsk, Siberia plant with an emissions monitoring system supplied by Finland-based Gasmet. The system provides continuous NO_x, CO₂ and SO₂ monitoring via a UK-based Oxitec 500E gas analyser, Germany-based Durag D-FL-220 flow rate meter and a Gasmet Simatic computer. Krasnoyarsk managing director Vladimir Afanasin said, “We approached the choice of equipment taking into account all the requirements of the Russian environmental legislation, which have recently been significantly tightened.”

Krasnoyarsky Cement will complete preliminary testing of the installation in late 2020.

Germany: Siemens subsidiary Flender, which supplies couplings and gearboxes to the cement industry, has signed a partnership agreement for technological solutions with digital drive specialist Currax. The partnership aims to bring a comprehensive increase in efficiency to Flender’s business and a high level of flexibility for customers. Currax executive director Daniel Aßman said, “From customer acquisition to sales, from implementation to support, Currax is the contact for all matters relating to the Flender portfolio.”

Austria: Refractory manufacturer RHI Magnesita has launched a digital hub in Vienna to support the development of so-called ‘Industry 4.0’ initiatives. Projects the new hub will explore include automated process optimisation in data analysis and quick (QCK) and broadband spectral thermometer (BST) in measurement.

India: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim has co-located its global digital and business services at a single site in Mumbai. The company says that the Global Hub will enable it to ‘focus on providing modern global platforms and capabilities, accelerating the pace of innovation at a local, regional and global level.’

Greece: Titan Cement has opened the Group Digital Centre of Competence, a facility which it says will consolidate its digital and advanced analytics capabilities. Titan says the Centre ‘accelerates its digital efforts’ set out under its Group Digital Initiative. “This is an essential part of efforts to increase operational efficiency and competitiveness,” said the company.

Austria: Mondi has launched ‘myMondi’ a web-based platform. It says it is the first all-in-one digital customer platform available in the paper sack industry worldwide. The sales product is intended to enable customers to view live product and stock information, place orders and track order status.

Mexico: Cemex says it has completed the global deployment of its digital platform Cemex Go. The product is available in 21 countries with 96% of the company’s total recurring customers using it. 45% of Cemex’s total global sales are processed through the platform, over half a million payments are completed through it per year and 1.5 million deliveries use the system annually.

“We are incredibly proud that our vision of providing a superior customer experience enabled by digital technology has been deployed to our customers around the world. Cemex Go has proven itself as a game changer, an established and essential tool for our customers, accessible anywhere, any time to help them run their businesses with increased efficiency,” said Fernando A Gonzalez, chief executive officer (CEO) of Cemex. He added that platform was only part of the ‘initial’ stages of the company’s digital transformation plans.