Lafarge Poland invests in fully-automated shift laboratory
Published by Lucy Stewardson,
Editorial Assistant
World Cement,
In a first for the Polish cement industry, Lafarge Poland has implemented an automatic shift laboratory using a robot. The purpose of the laboratory is to analyse the quality of manufactured products.
With an investment cost of €2.5 million, the fully-automated laboratory will be able to control samples more frequently, ensuring customers that Lafarge products meet the highest quality standards.
Used to analyse raw meal, clinker, and cement, the laboratory in Cementownia Kujawy uses state-of-the-art technologies and equipment from world suppliers, allowing for the complete automation of activities.
The solution also allows for better control, with a large number of cement types produced alternately within 24 hours. Testing is undertaken every hour, meaning the operator in the central control room is able to act faster and more efficiently in response to any irregularities in the sample. The result of this is the avoidance of risk in producing materials with incorrect parameters, alongside confidence that the company’s customers will receive the highest quality cement.
The implementation of the project required detailed and consistent planning. Works included both the interior of the laboratory and its exterior surroundings, as well as the integration of IT and operational systems. The furthest distance of pneumatic transport routes from the sampling point to the laboratory is 0.5 km. Where such projects are most commonly implemented in stages over 2 – 3 years, the Lafarge Poland facility was constructed and commissioned in less than 10 months, covering all sampling points.
LafargeHolcim is a global leader in the building materials industry.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/13112018/lafarge-poland-invests-in-fully-automated-shift-laboratory/
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