Avoiding air compressor breakdowns in a cement plant
Compressed air systems are essential for cement plant operations. They power critical operations such as material handling, pneumatic conveying, and equipment actuation. Therefore, it's important to avoid air compressor breakdowns as much as possible.
The consequences of downtime can be far-reaching, and result in loss of revenue. This is mostly due to downtime caused by productivity dips. In this article, we'll explore the impact of compressed air system failures for cement plants. You'll also learn about preventative maintenance and service measures to keep everything running smoothly.
The domino effect: how breakdowns affect cement plant operations
As the backbone of your operations, you'll want consistent air compressor operations. A faulty system can have a chain reaction for your entire business. If equipment uptime is inconsistent, this can damage your reputation.
Also, since electricity costs make up to 80% of owning and operating an air compressor, it's important to avoid overworking your equipment. Below you'll find some examples of how breakdowns can impact your operations.
Production delays
When an air compressor fails, it disrupts material flow, leading to production delays. For example, a pneumatic conveyor malfunction can halt clinker transport. This impacts kiln operations.
Quality issues
Inconsistent air pressure can result in erratic valve actuation of improper mixing of raw materials. This causes quality control to suffer. Cement properties are affected, resulting in a subpar end-product.
Energy consumption
A malfunctioning system may run inefficiently and consume more energy than necessary. As a result, you'll encounter higher electricity bills due to overworked compressor operations.
Maintenance costs
Without routine maintenance, you'll likely need emergency repairs. Also, frequent breakdowns can occur. Both these instances can be expensive and impact overall costs.
Safety hazards
Leaking hoses or faulty connections pose safety risks. You'll want to pay attention to closed or blocked valves. High-pressure air jets can cause injuries to workers.
Oil leaks and issues
If you're operating an oil-injected rotary screw or piston compressor, it's important to avoid oil issues. These include leaks, blockages, and improper viscosity. Without the right amount of oil for lubrication and cooling, damage can occur. Oil-free rotary screw compressors don’t need such maintenance.
Vibrations and loud noises
It's important to make sure your equipment is properly ventilated. Common culprits are damaged head gaskets and valves, and/or dirt buildup.
Ventilation and high heat
You should know how your system sounds under normal conditions. If there are louder than average noises, this can indicate underlying issues. Similarly, if your compressor seems out of alignment, this can be damaging to your equipment.
Real-life examples
With the above ways a breakdown can negatively impact operation, we'll explore two real life examples you can encounter. These include consequences from a kiln shutdown and leaky pipes. The latter is especially important, as it's commonly overlooked.
Kiln Shutdown
When a cement plant experiences a blower failure that supplies combustion air to the kiln, production is significantly impacted.
In addition to the time required to repair the blower, extra heat-up time must be considered. This is the time needed to compensate for the heat lost in the kiln while the blower was not operational. As a general rule, one-third of the downtime is needed as heat-up time.
Besides the additional time lost, there are also increased energy costs and production losses. This is why most cement plants opt to have an extra blower for the combustion process as a redundancy.
Energy loss from air leaks
Undetected air leaks in pipes can lead to wasted energy. This is because it causes pressurized air to escape, forcing the drivetrain to overcompensate.
With regular inspections, you'll avoid such issues. In addition to checking pressure gauges and listening for escaping air, the soap test can be used. To do this, apply soap to the pipes and see if any bubbles form. This will show areas of air loss.
How to avoid unnecessary air compressor breakdowns
Now that we've covered the consequences of air compressor breakdowns, it's time to get into how to avoid them. This mostly comes down to routine maintenance, and using monitoring and control tools. With technology at your side, you can focus on bigger picture areas of your business. Learn more below.
- Scheduled maintenance: It's important to regularly inspect and service compressors, blowers, and associated components. If you notice any issues, address them as soon as possible to prevent major breakdowns. With this, it's always best to set a calendar for thorough check ups.
- Monitoring and control tools: You can install monitoring and control tools to collect data and analytics about overall system performance. Using such technology can help pinpoint issues in real-time. With this, you'll want to add pressure sensors and leak detectors. All this information is important for optimal performance and maintenance.
- Training and awareness: Train your staff on system operation, safety protocols, and emergency procedures. Since they're likely the first to notice any anomalies, you'll need them to be proactive about reporting. It's important they address problems the moment they're noticed. These include poor alignment, pressure drops, heat, oil leaks, and abnormally loud noises.
- Backup systems: If your budget allows, you'll want to invest in backup air compressors or blowers to minimize downtime during failures. It's also a good idea to maintain a spare parts inventory.
- Servicing and original parts: While third-party servicing and parts can be cheaper than the original equivalent, they'll cost you more in the long run. This is because properly trained workers can accurately handle issues. In addition, original parts are especially designed for your system, guaranteeing the best possible fit.
Conclusion
Air compressor breakdowns in cement plants are more than inconveniences. They impact productivity, quality, and safety. By prioritizing preventive measures and investing in robust maintenance practices, cement plants can minimize disruptions and ensure smoother operations. Remember, a well-maintained system is the backbone of efficient cement production.
If you'd like to learn more about our maintenance solutions, including monitoring and control tools, feel free to contact us today. Our team is happy to help point you in the right direction.