Control system upgrade according to the latest EU directives
In the northwest of Spain, Cementos Tudela Veguín is dedicated to the production of cement and other building materials. In addition to the production of cement, its business activities include, among other things, quicklime, hydrated lime, slag, gravel, mortar and fresh concrete. Cementos Tudela Veguín has been a customer of Maerz for many years and has now decided to carry out a control system upgrade according to the latest EU guidelines on two of its four kilns. In 1990 and 2001, Cementos Tudela Veguín placed orders with Maerz Ofenbau AG for four Maerz PFR lime shaft kilns, to be built in its cement and lime plant in Tudela Veguín. In 2006 another order was placed for the retrofitting of a new firing system for coal dust and petroleum coke dust for a Maerz PFR lime shaft kiln.
After more than 30 years of operation, the existing control system had reached its limits. Cementos Tudela Veguín therefore decided to breathe new life into the kilns. The upgrade includes replacing the existing Siemens S5 with separate Siemens S7 PLC systems and installing a new virtual server system. In addition, to increase safety, new field instruments and an automatic pilot burner for kiln start-up will be installed.
With the renewal of the entire control and instrumentation system, the operating lifespan of the kilns will be increased by many years. By using the latest hardware, the availability of spare parts is ensured and with a new software too, productivity is increased. The virtual server technology sets the course for the future. Hardware and operating systems are separated and independent of one another. System maintenance is minimised and future upgrades can be carried out without modifying the hardware. Cementos Tudela Veguín thereby has more room to manoeuver and increased flexibility. In addition, IT security is brought up to date - a central topic in today’s world.
The operation of the kilns is simplified by using Maerz’ continuously developed control system software. The degree of automation, the safety, as well as the availability of the plant are increased. Modernising these kilns is therefore ecologically and economically sensible. After all, sustainability also means improving what has been tried and tested.
