Taking Stock
Published by Lucy Stewardson,
Editorial Assistant
World Cement,
Cement plants face myriad storage issues. Measuring the volume and value of inventory in silos, piles, bunkers, domes, and warehouses is challenging, but advancements in sensors and software have simplified and improved the accuracy of inventory management. New measurement technologies benefit cement plants in the following ways:
- They improve inventory accuracy, eliminating costly write-offs and downtime.
- They provide a single platform for inventory management, so everyone refers to the same data.
- They save time by allowing technology to replace climbing ladders and minimise walking around.
- They keep people safer by reducing exposure to tasks and conditions where plant staff could be injured.
Sizing up silo contents
Cement operations are likely to find non-contact level sensors attractive for several reasons. As nothing contacts the material, there is no risk of equipment interfering with the process or parts breaking off and damaging equipment. Plus, non-contact sensors offer continuous level measurement for optimising inventory and preventing silos from running empty. No plant manager wants to risk ruining a batch of cement due to a missing ingredient.
Two of today’s most popular non-contact technologies are radar and 3D scanners. Factors that determine the best sensor for each silo include the material being measured, the amount of dust in the environment, the size of the silo, and the desired inventory accuracy.
About the author
Jenny Nielson Christensen is Vice President of Marketing for BinMaster, located in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. For over 10 years, her mission has been to help people and plants all over the world get a better understanding of their inventory, and the sensors and software that help make their jobs safer and easier.
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Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/special-reports/08102019/taking-stock/
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