Cementos Inka Peru commissions new Christian Pfeiffer grinding plant

The new facility is located in Pisco, Peru, and marks a significant step forward in Cementos Inka’s mission to meet growing market demands while maintaining its high standards of quality.

This new grinding plant complements Cementos Inka’s integrated cement production facility in Lima, which focuses on the production of Portland cements such as type 1 CO, type HS, and type GU. By honouring its commitment to quality, Cementos Inka prioritises customer satisfaction and product excellence, values that were central to the execution of the ambitious project.

Christian Pfeiffer has been a trusted partner of Cementos Inka even prior to this project, having supplied mill internals for the existing plant in Lima. The decision to include Christian Pfeiffer in the tender process for the new grinding plant was driven by Christian Pfeiffer's reputation for delivering high-quality equipment and reliable solutions. Additionally, the shared commitment to adhering to strict time schedules and budgets played a crucial role, especially as the project faced unexpected challenges stemming from the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The global health crisis posed unprecedented difficulties for the project’s timeline and logistics. Supply chain disruptions and rising transportation costs tested the resilience and adaptability of both Cementos Inka and Christian Pfeiffer. However, thanks to their close collaboration, transparent communication, and commitment to excellence, these obstacles were effectively overcome.

“By working closely with Cementos Inka, we were able to overcome all the hurdles that Sars Cov-19 presented to us. They are an outstanding team who value an honest handshake more than paper, so we have always been happy to give our best for this valued partnership and continue to support them with every challenge,” said Francisco Canepa, Head of Sales at Christian Pfeiffer.

Despite the surge in logistics prices, Christian Pfeiffer ensured the seamless delivery of equipment sourced from around the globe. This not only demonstrated the company’s global reach but also underscored its ability to coordinate complex supply chains for projects of this magnitude. The newly commissioned grinding plant is a testament to modern engineering and technological innovation. Christian Pfeiffer delivered the project as a complete solution, covering raw material handling, steel structures, electrical engineering, equipment supply, and material transport to the finished product silos.

The heart of the grinding plant is the ball mill, with dimensions of Ø 4.2m x 13m, equipped with a state-of-the-art DMG2 gearbox and slide shoe bearings. With an installed power of 3500 kW, this ball mill is paired with the latest-generation high-performance separator QDK 143-Z with filter technology to ensure efficient collection of fines, designed to produce 100 tph of type 1 CO 42.5 cement with a fineness of 2% residue on 45 µm.

In their projects, Christian Pfeiffer not only ensures a seamlessly delivery despite the challenging conditions, but also provides the supervision of assembly activities and plant startup. Assembly supervisors meticulously verify that all equipment is correctly installed, proactively identifying and resolving any issues to prevent delays that could impact the cement plant’s customers. As the assemble nears completion, commissioning engineers step in to conduct the system checks. Christian Pfeiffer ensure that all motors, interlocks, and startup sequences are correctly implemented for a safe and efficient machine startup. When the plant is ready, they continue providing full support during the startup phase, optimising material feed and process conditions. This includes airflow measurements, separator samplings, and a mill crash stop and axial sampling to collect data for fine-tuning of the operational parameters. These efforts guarantee that the required production rates and product quality are consistently met. Additionally, Christian Pfeiffer provides in-depth training to operators and supporting staff to ensure they are fully prepared to run the plant independently.

Leveraging its engineers’ expertise in process optimisation, Christian Pfeiffer ensures smooth operations even after the achievement of contract guarantees, by offering continuous follow-up and support to address any new challenges. Following a well-executed commissioning phase, Cementos Inka has actively pursued increasing the clinker substitution by incorporating alternative cementitious materials such as slag, which offer comparable strength development in concrete and mortar, to achieve lower production costs and align with sustainable manufacturing practices. Cementos Inka has proven the new plant’s capabilities by increasing the slag ratio from an initial 5% to 20% in its primary product, 1 CO, and reaching up to 40% in its secondary product, HS, while also incorporating limestone as a secondary additive in both formulations.

Achieving these levels of clinker substitution presents specific technical challenges, including increased moisture content in the feed material from the wet slag and limestone and higher specific energy consumption due to both the hardness of slag, which makes it more difficult to grind, and the need for finer grinding to maintain the product performance standards. While the ball mill naturally generates heat through media friction - making it particularly well-suited for handling high-moisture materials - the circuit’s robust design provides a wide range of resources to efficiently cope with several operation conditions. For the case in hand, excess heated air from the separator circuit can be redirected to the mill inlet, acting as a booster to the drying process and minimizing energy waste.

Cementos Inka was never alone in optimising the process to accommodate said changes. Christian Pfeiffer remained closely involved, working alongside Cementos Inka to ensure the transition toward more sustainable products was successful. Through regular online meetings, calls, and site visits, their experts provided ongoing support. During a key site visit, all operational challenges related to high-moisture material handling were successfully addressed along with a 5% production increase for both products - achieved solely through thorough process analysis, optimisation, and strategic adjustments without the need for additional resources. Furthermore, Christian Pfeiffer developed comprehensive additional operational guidelines and training to allow the plant to sustain the new process conditions and effectively manage any future challenges.

Carlos Choy, Director of Cementos Inka, expressed his satisfaction with the project, highlighting the strong alignment of values and vision between the two companies: “As a family-run company, Cementos Inka Peru is striving to become one of the mainstays in Peru's cement industry. This vision is being realized through the continuous improvement of processes and the development of strong relationships with both customers and suppliers. That’s why we chose a grinding plant from Christian Pfeiffer. The pandemic presented major challenges throughout the project, but Christian Pfeiffer demonstrated remarkable flexibility and proved to be a reliable partner in every aspect."

This successful collaboration not only highlights the technical expertise of Christian Pfeiffer but also reinforces Cementos Inka’s commitment to innovation, quality, and sustainability. The new grinding plant in Pisco represents a significant milestone in Peru’s cement industry, setting new benchmarks for efficiency and performance. Cementos Inka’s confidence in Christian Pfeiffer was further reinforced by its decision to select the company for its next project a separator upgrade at the Lima plant. This new project, already underway, is scheduled for commissioning in 2025, further extending the cooperation between the two companies.

As Cementos Inka continues to expand its market presence, Cementos Inka's focus on long-term partnerships and cutting-edge technology ensures it remains a key player in meeting the evolving needs of its customers.

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Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/31012025/cementos-inka-peru-commissions-new-christian-pfeiffer-grinding-plant/