Cement Factory Maintenance Course

A modular course exploring the maintenance of cement factories, including the different
maintenance challenges faced by different cement factories around the world, the assessment
of cement manufacturing equipment condition, common maintenance and reliability
problems, their solution and the organization of the maintenance function on a cement
factory.

Course Content
In module 1 the course explores the different maintenance challenges presented by cement
factories, dependent on their scale, location, number of lines operated and vintage. Also the
ways in which maintenance will be judged, not only from the availability of the equipment
and the costs of maintenance, but also from the overall equipment effectiveness. Availability
of spare parts will make a vital contribution to the effectiveness of maintenance, but what
level of spare parts can or should be provided? Many factors which will impact on the
effectiveness of maintenance throughout the life of the cement factory are determined when
the factory is laid out and the equipment is designed. These factors need to be taken into
consideration when cement factories are first established as they will never be able to be
changed in the future.
In module 2 of the course the inter-related issues of cement factory condition assessment,
common problems and their resolution are explored. Cement kilns must operate for long,
continuous campaigns to minimize their thermal energy consumption. In order to do this,
their mechanical condition must be regularly assessed and adjusted, if necessary, to prevent
long-term damage and the requirement for major repair involving massive loss of time and
clinker production. A cement kiln is in fact an assemblage of inter-connected sub-systems
which must all operate reliably. The kiln is only as reliable as the weakest of these subsystems, so the raw meal preparation, kiln feed system, fuel preparation and delivery, clinker
cooling and transport and the exhaust gas venting and dedusting systems are all expected to
operate for these long campaigns. There will be some overtaking capacity in some of these
sub-systems allowing limited time for maintenance, but all will be expected to give reliable
performance.
In the final module of the course the theories of maintenance organization, as they relate to
cement factories, are explored. What is the role of breakdown, preventive and condition
based maintenance in cement factories? How do approaches such as Total Productive
Maintenance and Reliability Centred Maintenance apply to cement factories? What changes
on the organisation of maintenance and the skills of the maintenance personnel are required
to implement these changes in cement factory maintenance philosophy? Computerised
maintenance management systems make a vital contribution to these approaches to
maintenance and are a prerequisite for the effective maintenance of a modern cement factory.