Germany: Schmersal has presented the prototype of the HDS switchgear wireless data transmitter for use with extended conveyor systems. The company says that it developed the products, prototypes of which are still undergoing laboratory tests, in partnership with customer-specific hardware developer Aconno. It says, “The switchgear unites a range of functions into a single platform, making it suitable for an extremely wide range of applications. Typical application areas include emergency-stop shutdown, belt misalignment monitoring in the transport of bulky materials, end position monitoring in steel making and level monitoring in material silos.”

Mexico: Holcim Mexico says that it supplied a record 70,000m³ of concrete to the Dos Bocas oil refinery in September 2020, bringing the total volume supplied since major infrastructure work began at the site in March 2020 to 300,000m³. El Norte News has reported that the company is supplying the project from three sites with a total capacity of 4000m³/day: the Paraíso, Refinería and Dos Bocas concrete plants. Holcim Mexico noted that, of the 215 employees involved in the project, 50% are women.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Jaime Hill Tinoco said, “Dos Bocas is one of the most important infrastructure works in the history of LafargeHolcim and Holcim Mexico.” Upon completion in late 2022, the company expects to have delivered 2.14Mm³ of concrete to the project.

Canada: Screen suppliers to the cement industry Haver & Boecker Niagara and Major have jointly presented an online seminar aimed to “give operations the tools to maximize production, improve performance and increase revenues” through a discussion of “best practices, insights and real-world examples.”

Major president Bernard Betts said, “Major and Haver & Boecker Niagara are leaders in the screening industry, so joining forces gives us the ability to provide customers with a one-stop shop for improvements in every aspect of screening. This webinar complements our customer service efforts to support mineral processing operations. We are dedicated to helping producers improve efficiency and performance.”

India: Dalmia Cement has imported 3830t of fly ash from a National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) power plant in Uttar Pradesh for use at its 0.8Mt/yr-capacity integrated Calcom cement plant in Assam. United News of India has reported that the supplementary cementitious material (SCM) travelled over 1000km.

62.9GW-total capacity NTPC produces 65Mt/yr of fly ash, some of which is used by ACC at its cement plants in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.