COMMINUTION TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT

The comminution systems in a cement works include the systems for producing finished products and intermediate products. The fundamental production targets, such as quantities and types required, product quality, and achievable profit, are determined by the market. In a cement works the market requirements have to be translated into production engineering measures at minimum costs. Data acquisition and processing, evaluation of measurements and process optimization now play an important part. In recent years there has been a great deal of interest in the development of high-pressure grinding rolls and new high-efficiency classifiers, especially in their design and application for grinding cement raw meal and cement. Two-stage comminution, i.e. primary comminution in roller grinding mills or high-pressure grinding rolls and finish grinding in ball mills, is used quite extensively in the production of finished products. Many works are now introducing intermediate product grinding followed by mixing of the intermediate products to make cements and building materials containing cement. The new comminution machinery and methods have resulted in significant reduction in the use of electrical energy. However, part of the energy saved is consumed by the ever stricter environmental regulations.