FLSmidth joins with GE

FLSmidth has joined with GE to create digital solutions for increasing productivity in the cement and mineral industries.

The new solutions developed on GE’s cloud-based Predix platform will leverage FLSmidth’s expertise in cement and minerals processing and GE’s Industrial Internet of Things capabilities to maximise the potential of connected equipment units, helping the cement and mining industry to increase productivity.

FLSmidth will build its solutions on top of GE’s Predix platform, with applications for managing process flow. Through this customers will be able to leverage process data and analytics for monitoring, benchmarking their performance and predicting maintenance of their equipment.

Operating costs make up around 80% of the total cost of ownership for a cement plant or running a mining operation, and energy is the single largest component. An ongoing monitoring of processes with enable a significant increase in productivity.

"Cement and mining companies already collect significant volumes of data, but currently, only a fraction of it is used. This will be the first available solution for a full coherent process monitoring to leverage optimisation solutions offered by a full service provider like FLSmidth," explains Head of Global R&D in FLSmidth Jens Almdal. "By connecting our control applications with GE's platform, we can bring FLSmidth's proven expertise in resource optimisation and productivity together with GE's monitoring and data analytics solution to create an unrivalled combination that will dramatically improve the productivity in the cement and minerals industries."

"FLSmidth and GE are bringing together the best from two worlds, GE's digital industrial expertise to help customers to be more productive and FLSmidth's deep insight into processes and maintenance of cement and minerals plants. Our collaboration will form a strong foundation for the development of a greater digital ecosystem," says John Manison, General Manager of GE's Mining Solutions business. The FLSmidth control applications integrated on GE's Predix platform will be launched in 3Q16.

Adapted from press release by Rebecca Bowden

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/12052016/flsmidth-joins-with-ge-86/