Successful Silo Solutions
Published by Alfie Lloyd-Perks,
Editorial Assistant
World Cement,
Kearsten Huffman, Mole•Master Services Corporation, highlights the importance of proactive cement silo cleanout and inspection to prevent costly downtime, improve storage capacity, and ensure operational safety.
The professional cleanout and inspection of cement silos and storage bins can help maximise their operating capacity and minimise downtime. Many cement producers often find themselves so focused on meeting ever-increasing demand and maintaining uninterrupted production that they lose sight of the long-term implications of insufficient maintenance. Having to go completely offline for inspection or repairs can result in costly downtime and the loss of salvageable material. The vast difference between avoiding a shutdown and recovering from one underscores the ROI of silo cleanout and inspection.
Year after year, cement manufacturers are faced with increasing product demands, forcing an increase in output with limited downtime allowance. The global portland cement market size is valued at approximately US$4.5 billion and is expected to reach a valuation of nearly US$7 billion by 2033. Consequently, facilities are running longer, harder, and leaner than ever before to meet these growth trends. This can lead to shortcuts, failures, and compromised safety standards. Over time, storage vessels, material transfer equipment, and discharge systems buckle under the strain. Moisture intrusion and unplanned production upsets can lead to significant material buildup, the glazing over or ripping of air pads, and the malfunction of gates, valves, and air slides. A more proactive approach can negate or minimise many of these variables.
A case study in prevention
A major cement manufacturer in South Carolina opted to take a preemptive approach to avoid the detrimental effects of long-term, improperly maintained storage. Despite years of operation with no apparent major issues, the plant management introduced an initiative for the cleanout and inspection of their bulk storage vessels. Unknown variables were discussed during the project’s conception. Among these were the amount of material packed along the sidewalls and into the flat bottom silo, the integrity of the structure, and the condition of the air pad-lined bottom.
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Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/special-reports/14042025/successful-silo-solutions/
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