Industry 4.0 in action: practical benefits in cement plants - presentation by Anders Noe Dam

Industry 4.0 in cement manufacturing integrates digital technologies, enhanced connectivity, and AI-driven analytics into traditional production processes. It combines four key elements: mobility (bringing information to people anywhere), connectivity (linking plant systems to cloud computing), AI (algorithms for process optimization and predictive maintenance), and open standards (replacing proprietary systems). When implemented correctly, Industry 4.0 delivers tangible benefits including reduced environmental footprint (up to 2% CO2 reduction), quality improvements, increased uptime, greater productivity (4-7% production increases), and significant cost savings through energy efficiency.

Five critical barriers hinder Industry 4.0 implementation in cement plants. Poor data quality is the most significant - many facilities lack the structured, high-resolution data required for advanced analytics. Additional barriers include lack of awareness about available technologies, insufficient priority given to digital initiatives, perception of immature technology (particularly regarding transferability between sites), and cost concerns. Many plants have not fully maximized their Industry 3.0 capabilities, creating a fundamental gap that must be addressed before moving to more advanced Industry 4.0 solutions.

The cement industry remains in Stage 1 of digital adoption, alongside construction and oil & gas. This stage is characterized by "digital impact mostly in operations and cost reductions, still limited digital disruption." More advanced industries like pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and automotive have reached Stage 2 (using digital for customer engagement and advanced analytics), while banking, telecommunications, retail, and media have achieved Stage 3 (consistently deploying advanced technologies for competitive advantage). This comparison highlights significant potential for cement producers to learn from and adopt strategies from more digitally mature sectors.

Effective AI and analytics implementation typically requires at least one year of time-series data at 1-10 second resolution. Many plants store data in historians but often at insufficient resolution (>10 seconds). Quality data is equally important, requiring structured database storage with appropriate metadata for all samples, including both automated and manual lab results. Without this foundation, even well-collected data becomes difficult for AI to interpret, limiting its ability to predict process behavior and optimize operations. ECS/ControlCenter systems from the last decade automatically store one year of data at one-second resolution, providing a solid foundation for analytics.

ECS/ProcessExpert V9.1 delivers substantial performance improvements across all key metrics compared to previous versions. Kiln specific heat consumption and production improvements increase from 2-5% to 4-7%. Process and quality variation reduction improves from 30% to up to 40%. CO2 footprint reduction increases from up to 1.5% to up to 2%, and green fuel use capability expands from 5% to 5-10%. Most importantly, the new self-adaptive controllers achieve higher utilization rates, meaning plants keep the optimization systems running more consistently, which is crucial for realizing these benefits in practice.

The self-adaptive controllers in ProcessExpert V9.1 offer four critical advantages over previous model predictive control (MPC) technology. They adapt dynamically to time-variable process dynamics that are common in cement production. They achieve better long-term process stability. They deliver more consistency in implementation across different plants. And they significantly reduce implementation time. This technology was developed in collaboration with Lin & Associates, leveraging their patented DELTUM adaptive control technology that has proven successful in other industries.

Quality data forms the foundation for all "green cement" initiatives that reduce environmental impact. Comprehensive quality data enables optimization of the clinker factor, which directly reduces CO2 emissions. Without proper control of raw materials' chemical properties, effectively optimizing blending for lower clinker content becomes impossible. Advanced technologies like XRD analysis provide deeper material understanding that supports clinker substitution while maintaining quality standards. This data foundation becomes particularly critical when implementing alternative materials such as calcined clay.

Open standards accelerate innovation and reduce costs in cement automation. While the IT world has embraced open, standards-based approaches, operational technology remains largely proprietary and subject to vendor lock-in. This difference significantly impacts innovation speed—mobile phones have evolved rapidly compared to industrial control systems. Open standards enable lower costs through increased competition, greater flexibility through easier integration, and enhanced cybersecurity through wider scrutiny. FLSmidth Cement actively participates in the Open Process Automation Forum and UniversalAutomation.org to bring these benefits to cement through control systems that implement open IEC 61131 libraries.

Subscription models align better with the rapid pace of innovation in Industry 4.0 technologies. Features are released at a much faster pace than traditional upgrade cycles allow, giving subscribers immediate access to innovations. Maintaining older systems prevents realizing the benefits of newer technologies and creates cybersecurity risks as systems fall behind the latest security updates. Subscription models offer lower initial costs while ensuring continuous access to latest technologies, making it easier for plants to adopt and benefit from innovations. This approach supports continuous improvement rather than periodic major upgrades.

Secure connectivity requires proper cybersecurity measures between the plant and cloud solutions. Most AI providers structure their analytics in the cloud—extracting plant data, processing it, and returning setpoints or predictions. Many cement plants face challenges with both extracting data for cloud processing and returning optimization setpoints to the plant, which requires careful planning and proper architecture. FLSmidth Cement has integrated MQTT protocol directly into control systems to facilitate cloud connectivity, but comprehensive cyber assessments remain essential to identify vulnerabilities and implement appropriate security measures.

Plantline service agreements include an Essential Core Module that provides comprehensive support for all agreements. This essential package lays the foundation for more advanced offerings: Proactive services (focused maintenance and optimization to minimize downtime), Lifecycle management (ensuring access to latest software features), Cybersecurity (providing managed protection through whitelisting and system hardening), and Remote Technologies (including mobile apps and secure connections). This structure offers a fully flexible package ensuring plants have foundational support, protection, and access to current technology as part of their service agreement.

Cement plants should start with comprehensive assessments to understand their current situation and develop a tailored implementation plan. Three specific audit services are recommended: Cyber Audits to evaluate security risks and vulnerabilities essential for safe connectivity; Sampling & Lab Audits to verify equipment and procedures provide quality data needed for optimization; and Data Audits to assess collection methods, accessibility, and overall data quality. Based on these assessments, plants can develop an implementation strategy that addresses their specific barriers and priorities while ensuring the foundational elements for Industry 4.0 success.

Industry 4.0 implementation does not necessarily require complete system replacement. Many existing systems can remain with adaptations to support new services. The approach focuses on augmenting existing control systems with new capabilities. For instance, ECS/ControlCenter from the last decade already provides one-year of data at one-second resolution, establishing a foundation for analytics. Modern systems now support distributed data access, MQTT protocols for cloud connectivity, and can execute AI scripts directly or connect to cloud endpoints. This hybrid architecture enables a practical, incremental approach to digital transformation.

FLSmidth Cements's product roadmap extends through 2028 with planned capabilities that progressively enhance cement plant performance. Near-term developments include clay calcination modules, hot air distribution control, and kiln bypass NOx control (2025); kiln startup automation, soft sensors for quality parameters like Free lime and Blaine, and simplified user interfaces (2026); advanced multifuel applications and auto-retraining models (2027); and ultimately cloud-based ProcessExpert, AI "copilot" process evolution, and plant-wide optimization systems (2028). This structured development approach ensures continuous innovation in cement automation technologies.

Industry 4.0 technologies deliver quantifiable benefits across multiple operational areas. Process optimization yields 4-7% production increases and equivalent energy savings. Quality improvement systems enable better cement with reduced clinker factor, contributing to up to 2% CO2 footprint reduction. Condition-based monitoring delivers the highest maturity level among Industry 4.0 applications, increasing equipment uptime and reducing maintenance costs. Plants utilizing comprehensive digital solutions have experienced up to a 20% increase in overall production efficiency, 15% reduction in energy consumption, and 10% decrease in raw material wastage through real-time analytics and predictive maintenance.