Tailored Foundations

Every successful cement plant is built on a foundation of trust, reliability, and long-term performance. thyssenkrupp Polysius understands the complexities of adding new capacity, as well as upgrading existing plants, and the challenges of constructing and supporting plants that meet the highest operational standards and customer needs. The success of these projects relies on the teamwork and expertise of the individuals driving them forward, with engineering excellence playing a role as crucial as the equipment itself.

thyssenkrupp Polysius’ Grey Build approach is centred around highly qualified teams and proven, reliable equipment. This combination aims to build strong and long-term partnerships that support profitability from day one. thyssenkrupp Polysius deliver field-tested equipment and a partnership that extends far beyond commissioning. The goals are:

• To ensure the plant ramps up quickly.
• To enable teams to operate safely and profitably.
• To ensure the equipment remains a reliable asset for years to come.

How can these goals be guaranteed? The answer is more straightforward than one might think. Olivier Terver, CEO of thyssenkrupp Polysius North America, explains: “Grey Build refers to executing large projects based solely on equipment that has already been successfully deployed in the past, as well as execution practices that have been proven to work. By mitigating the technological risk, thyssenkrupp Polysius improve its customers’ profitability and accelerate project timelines. Simply put, it’s about using what we know works so our customers can hit the ground running.”

For decades, thyssenkrupp Polysius has installed a large portfolio of equipment designed for a wide range of operational and design parameters. It is time to leverage that know-how even further.

By clearly understanding the factors that made a design successful in the past, it is possible to establish guidelines that will shape the technical configuration, replicating those positive results and optimising performance.

This approach represents a fundamental shift from past practices. The focus is no longer on standardising layouts and implementing new equipment designs, but on promoting best practices and customer experience.

A refined approach

Some may ask, ‘is this just copying what has already been done?’ – The short answer is: no.

The Grey Build concept does not simply copy the equipment; it adapts relevant solutions to specific plant needs. While the foundation of Grey Build is based on existing equipment, it is not a simple replication of past projects. Each project is unique. Every cement plant operates under specific conditions – elevation, temperature, chemistry, and existing infrastructure all play significant roles in determining the best project configuration.

"We don't just copy equipment," says Olivier Terver. "We share our past experiences with our customers to collaborate towards the most relevant decisions for the project. Switching our OEM focus on the end results rather than the technology, we can adapt the set-up to meet the specific needs of each project, while maintaining the configuration that made the equipment operation successful. The operational performance of our equipment is largely independent of layout specifics, which is not the case for the operational teams of our customers. Our goal is to lay out workplaces that will support our customers' operations more than just our equipment footprint."

To maximise the benefits of the Grey Build approach, a systematic process is followed that prioritises equipment relevance and universality while allowing for site-specific adjustments when necessary. This is not a one-size-fits-all template, but rather a tailored solution that is expected to work for both parties.

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Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/special-reports/25042025/tailored-foundations/