Inspection from the air - drone operation in the cement plant
Digitalization is one of today’s big buzzwords. But what does it mean in practical terms for the cement industry? Can digital tools and services contribute to enhancing efficiency, raising profitability and improving sustainability? At thyssenkrupp, we believe that our polysius® digital solutions can provide cement producers with tailored solutions to the specific challenges they face. We do this by combining our decades of experience in cement plant engineering and process know-how with our state-of-the-art digital tools and technologies. One example is the use of drones to inspect cement plants.
polysius® digital solutions - Drone inspection is fast, cost-efficient and safe
Drones are increasingly used in the cement industry for plant inspections. Their sophisticated technology allows them to work very economically and efficiently. Thanks to their range and flexibility, they can fly over large areas in a short time, even reaching areas that are difficult or impossible for humans to access. The advantages are obvious: the time required for an inspection is reduced, industrial climbers or expensive scaffolding are not needed, and the safety risk for the inspection teams is minimized - all cost benefits for the plant operator.
Service experts of thyssenkrupp specializing in drone inspections first plan the flight route on the computer, and special software calculates the exact flight path. The latest generation of drones can document the condition of a plant both from the outside and the inside. In the cement sector thyssenkrupp uses drones from various manufacturers.
These drones are equipped with RGB and thermal imaging camera. They have a powerful zoom and provide high-resolution image material. The customer then receives the captured data as raw images for further processing. Upon request, the acquired data can be immediately evaluated by our plant experts.
Fully automated drone inspections are possible
The service specialists at thyssenkrupp are working intensively to be able to offer fully automated drone inspections in cement plants. In principle, this involves a drone flying independently at certain intervals along a predefined route without a direct operator. Thanks to the latest technology and appropriate safety equipment (emergency landing pads / parachutes / redundant electronics), this is already technically possible and legally permissible today.
Shorter downtimes reduce costs for production losses
thyssenkrupp Cement Technologies offers a portfolio of digital tools and services aimed at increasing the efficiency of customers’ cement plants and tackling the challenges they face, both now and in the future. For cement plant operators, the use of drones for plant inspections offers numerous advantages. Possible damage can be detected at an early stage and quickly repaired. This reduces downtimes and the resulting costs for production losses. The use of drones increases occupational safety and does not require any complex and cost-intensive preparatory work. Overall, inspection by drone is an important component in the digitization of a cement plant.
