Fast – Fair – Flexible

1 From second-hand machines to turnkey projects

Intercem has been in the cement industry since the 1970s. It all started with the sale of second-hand machines for the cement industry. These were professionally overhauled and then sold worldwide, in almost good as new condition. In 2003, Intercem Engineering GmbH was founded and in 2007, Intercem Installation GmbH followed.

Today the Intercem Group consists of the system manufacturers Intercem Engineering GmbH, Intercem Installation GmbH, both based in Oelde/Germany, and Intercem Cement AG, in Zug/Switzerland. The production facility is located in Oelde/Germany. The three companies are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Switzerland-based Intercem Holding AG in Zug. The group currently employs around 45 people, mainly engineers and technicians.

Thanks to decades of experience and an international network, Intercem – working within the group constellation – offers its customers a comprehensive range of services in cement plant construction from a single source. The available tailor-made spectrum ranges from the individual components to the entire system. Intercem’s guiding principle is: Good organization and clear agreements guarantee quick success. The company’s concept focuses on adapting flexibly to the diverse challenges that arise when working in many different countries. With an export ratio of approx. 80%, the main sales markets are currently in West Africa, France, Sweden, Russia and Germany. Intercem’s range of services extends from the dismantling and preparation of machines and systems, through their assembly and transport, to project management, assembly, commissioning and after-sales service. The company not only works with well-known manufacturers and suppliers of machines and components, but has also cooperated closely for many years with globally active logistics and procurement companies.

2 Company philosophy

The three companies under the management of Olaf Michelswirth, General Manager Intercem Engineering GmbH, and Marc File, General Manager Intercem Installation GmbH and CEO Intercem Cement AG, work according to their company philosophy: “Presence guarantees speed – tailor-made solutions ensure success – efficiency creates freedom”. The individual companies rely on a good exchange of information with each other and with the customer. All departments are networked with one another and the customer has one contact person who looks after the entire project. With this approach, Intercem creates closeness and trust and, above all, ensures rapid progress through direct transfer of information. This direct customer contact is of paramount importance to the Intercem team. At trade fairs and events, company representatives seek direct dialogue and gear communication towards the transfer of information between the Intercem group members, customers and everyone with whom the company comes into contact during the course of work.

For Intercem, the cultural responsibility that results from working in different countries is extremely important and cooperation with the local population is always in the foreground.

3 Optimally equipped

At the Oelde location, Intercem has optimal storage and movement areas on premises measuring 10000 m². The production and assembly hall can also handle very large components and individual machines. A 50 t weighbridge enables precise determination of the weight of trucks and containers.

For the manufacturing of own and third-party products in the machinery and plant engineering sector, as well as in the field of materials handling technology, the facility is equipped with a sandblast chamber, CNC edging and turning machines, roll bending machines, a paint shop and an indoor crane system with a hook load of 32 t.

In addition to these installations, Intercem also continuously invests in the latest IT technology in order to be optimally equipped for future developments, such as digitization. In 2018, the office building was extended by an additional floor with spacious and well-equipped rooms, creating optimum working conditions. These are an important prer­equisite for success. In addition to the company’s familiar atmosphere, its clear structures and its opportunities for further training ensure a good working atmosphere and well-motivated skilled employees. 

4 A wide range of products and services

While Intercem’s clear focus is on the cement industry, the company has also already optimized the expansion of a port operation. Intercem’s main products include grinding plants and systems for pyro processes.

The company delivers tailor-made solutions for operators and investors of cement plants all over the world, starting with the planning and ranging through the detailed engineering, the project management of greenfield projects right up to the conversion and modernization of production plants. Under a 3-level system, both used and modernized products are offered. New solutions are put together incorporating used and new components, or else completely new systems are planned and executed.

Intercem is particularly proud of the in-house development of its high-efficiency separators of the latest generation ICV and ICS. These enable energy-efficient size classification and are characterized by their flexibility and compactness. A low bypass rate ensures the highest possible degree of separation.

5 Key topics of energy saving and CO₂ reduction

Sustainability is one of Intercem’s main concerns. The company is, for example, currently working with a customer on a calcined clay project. The addition of calcined clays enables the development of cements that present a low-carbon alternative to Portland cement. The main components of LC3 are clinker, calcined clay, limestone and gypsum. The advantage of this material over clinker is the lower energy requirement of the production process, and thus a reduction in CO₂ emissions of approx. 30%. LC3 can be manufactured with the existing production facility, which leads to only slightly increased investments in the calcining systems. Production costs are reduced due to the lower clinker content and the lower fuel consumption for calcination compared to clinker. The calcination of clay naturally depends on the availability of extensive clay deposits. These are mainly located in the equatorial region, one of Intercem‘s most important markets.

6 Outlook

Intercem sees itself well prepared for the future, thanks to its strengths of flexibility, its decades of experience, a global network and its provision of customer-specific solutions and a tailor-made range of services.

The company intends to continuously develop its customer proximity, direct communication and continuous flow of information. Loyal customer relationships have meant that in many cases Intercem has already processed two or more orders for individual customers. Olaf Michelswirth, General Manager of Intercem Engineering GmbH, emphasizes: “We live from our reputation and the long-term and trusting partnership with our customers”.

The service portfolio offered by Intercem is also an essential factor for success. This means the company is very well prepared for follow-up orders. Whether before or during a project, or upon hand-over of the delivered plant or systems: the in-house testing technology and expert certification ensure high quality. A maintenance service ensures that the machines go into operation quickly and run smoothly after a project has been completed.

In the present difficult corona situation, the company‘s current agenda includes continuity in business activities, stabilizing its market presence, intensifying collaboration with cooperation partners and expanding its sales network. In the medium and long term, it intends to expand its business activities, increase its product portfolio, become even more efficient and increase its presence in other markets.

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