Sawan Jasoliya

1. Plant Condition and Major Operational Issues Since Commissioning Since commissioning, the plant has experienced several persistent mechanical, process and operational issues that adversely affected reliability, productivity, energy efficiency and clinker quality. A. Kiln and Cooler Reliability 1. Frequent breakdowns and stoppages associated with kiln supporting roller mechanisms, including high bearing temperatures. 2. Frequent cooler mechanical problems and breakdowns. 3. Frequent kiln coating collapses, resulting in red-hot clinker reaching the DPC and causing clinker quality deterioration. 4. Very low and inconsistent refractory life. 5. Frequent material puffing from the kiln inlet, accompanied by continuous material spillage. 6. Excessively hot kiln hood, with almost zero draft, resulting in unstable kiln operation and frequent hood roof damage. B. Preheater / Calciner Problems 7. Frequent material flushing / build-up at different locations in the preheater. 8. Very high prehea...

Unplanned stoppages are bad.  But shutdowns can be a big opportunity — A really big opportunity… IF ONLY WE ARE PREPARED, our job-lists are ready. There are two types of job-lists for any shutdown: 1. Standard Job-List This is the list of jobs that we perform as part of our standard inspection and maintenance routines (mostly preventive maintenance). Process Department: checks refractory conditions in cooler, kiln, and preheater; dip tube, feedpipe, flap valve condition, etc., and carries out the necessary maintenance. Mechanical Department: checks DPC, cooler, kiln supporting roller bearings, drive, HTD, bucket elevator, blowers, process fans, mill internals, screw conveyors, etc., and performs the required maintenance. Electrical Department: checks HT/LT panels, circuit breakers, cable terminations, MCCs, motors, lighting systems, earthing, and ensures functionality of interlocks and protection systems. Instrument Department: calibrates and maintains field instr...

Everyone Talks About Efficiency, But What Is It Really? Everyone wants efficiency. Everyone talks about efficiency. But if you ask ten people what efficiency really means, you’ll probably get ten different answers. For me, the definition is simple: Efficiency = Output ÷ Input It’s as basic as that. If the formula is so simple, then why do we often make efficiency improvement exercises so complicated? They don’t need to be. If you think as a layman and ask yourself: "How do I make something more efficient?" the answer is straightforward: 1️⃣ Remove existing inefficiencies. 2️⃣ Don’t allow new inefficiencies to enter your system. That’s it. Do these two things, and the major part of efficiency improvement is done. Where Do Inefficiencies Come From? Now, ask yourself: Why were these inefficiencies in your plant or systems in the first place? How did they enter? How did they build up over time? Do a basic root cause analysis , and you’ll find the answers. You...