VALID PRACTICE

FOR THE
PRODUCTION PROCESS

#10 – BALL CEMENT MILL

MONITORING, INSPECTION & EVALUATION

Athens, December 2007

 Valid Practice #10

16/10/2007 Page 2 of 8
 Valid Practice #10

BALL CEMENT MILL

MONITORING, INSPECTION & EVALUATION
1. ALL CEMENT MILL MONITORING
1.1. Flow sheet
Separator Sep.
Filter Filter
Fan

3 CM Filter

High efficiency
Dynamic 2
Clinker Gypsum Separator
Additives
CM
Filter
Fan
4
6

1 Air
CM compressor

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 Valid Practice #10

1.2. Performance
Monitoring the Cement Mill (CM) performance is considered the most critical
aspect of a CM evaluation. The performance monitoring procedure for each
cement type produced should include:
i. Checking the weigh feeders on regular basis.
ii. Operating the mill at the recommended fineness (Blaine) target set by
quality control.
iii. Collecting representative spot sample of each raw material used (~30 Kg)
after any change at the feeding of raw materials. All samples should be
safely kept for further analysis (Moisture, XRF, wet chemical analyses &
LOI).
iv. Collecting samples of the cement produced, as well as from certain
locations of the grinding circuit (mill outlet, filter outlet, separator inlet,
separator rejects and separator fines). All samples should be safely kept
for further analysis (Moisture, fineness (Blaine & sieves), XRF/wet
chemical analysis, LOI, strength analysis, Water Demand, Setting time
(early & late), and Granulometry (laser) analysis)
v. Perform gas measurements (flows & temperatures). Repeat the
measurements after every permanent change at the process parameters.
vi. Perform temperature measurements at the mill shell in order to calculate
the heat loss due to radiation & convection. In case there is necessity to
implement heat balance with boundaries that include the separator,
include the separator to the shell temperature measurements for losses
calculation.
vii. Record the operating parameters.
viii. Record the specific electrical energy consumption.
The following table is submitted as template in case of a mill inspection, while
part of it could be also used in daily operation logging, for the recording of the
CM operating parameters, specific electrical energy consumption data, gas
measurements data as well as quality parameters.

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 Valid Practice #10

Technical Details  
Plant   ……….
Mill
Mill Supplier
Mill Type  
Operating hours since installation  
Operating hours since last ball charge refill  
Operating hours since last inspection  
Operating Parameter Unit  
Cement Type  
Date dd/mm/yy  
Time hh:mm  
Production rate (wet) t/h  
Composition (wet)
Clinker t/h  
Natural Gypsum t/h  
Limestone t/h  
Pozzolana t/h  
Other t/h
Water content %  
Water injection lt / min  
Grinding aid g/t  
Iron Sulfate Heptahydrate (FeSO4.7H2O) g/t  
Production rate (dry) t/h  
Composition (dry)
Clinker %
Natural Gypsum %
Limestone %
Pozzolana %
Other %
Grinding aid %
Iron Sulfate Heptahydrate (FeSO4.7H2O) %
Temperature    
Mill inlet temperature °C  
Mill outlet temperature °C  
Mill filter outlet temperature °C  
Pressure    
Mill inlet pressure mbar  
Mill outlet pressure mbar  
Mill delta P mbar  
Mill filter delta P mbar  
Separator filter delta P mbar
Gas Measurement    
Flow at mill filter stack (wet) Nm3/h  
Flow after mill (wet) Nm3/h  
Flow at separator filter stack (wet) Nm3/h  
Flow after separator (wet) Nm3/h
Flow fresh air (wet) Nm3/h  
Flow hot gas (wet) Nm3/h
Operational Parameters    
Folafon %  
Separator speed %
Mill fan speed %  
Separator fan speed %
Recirculation elevator %  
Mill fan damper %  
Recirculation damper %  
Fresh air damper %  
Energy Consumption    
Mill motor KW  
Mill separator KW  
Mill fan KW  
Separator fan kW
Mill bucket elevator KW
Specific Electrical Energy Consumption (SEEC)
Mill motor kWh / t  
Mill classifier kWh / t  
Mill fan kWh / t  
Separator fan kWh / t
Mill bucket elevator kWh / t
Mill motor, separator, mill fan & separator fan kWh / t  
Total kWh / t

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 Valid Practice #10

Quality Parameters Unit  

Gypsum moisture %  
Limestone moisture %  
Pozzolana moisture %  
Other moisture %
Blaine
Mill outlet cm² / gr
CM Filter outlet cm² / gr
Separator Filter outlet cm² / gr
Separator inlet cm² / gr
Separator rejects cm² / gr
Separator fines cm² / gr  
Final product cm² / gr
Corrected Final product Blaine (w/o effect of additives) cm² / gr
Fineness (Residue at 90μm) %  
Fineness (Residue at 45μm) %  
Water Demand (WD) %  
Setting Time (initial) min  
Setting Time (Final) min  
1day  
2days  
Strength (N/mm²)
7days  
28days  
LOI %  
IR %  
SO3 %  
Free CaO %  
SiO2 %  
Al2O3 %  
Fe2O3 %  
CaO %  
MgO %  
K2O %  
Na2O %  
Granulometry Analysis, Sieve    
Cumulative Passing, %
1 %  
1,5 %  
2 %  
3 %  
4 %  
6 %  
8 %  
12 %  
16 %  
24 %  
32 %  
48 %  
64 %  
96 %  
128 %  
192 %  
Rosin - Rammler  
Slope, n #  
d‘ μm  
Production between 3 - 32 μm %  
Tromp curve  
Separator efficiency as recovery of fines, Uf %
Circulation load based on laser #
d50 %
d75 %
Kappa (k), slope of the curve in the interval 50%-75% #
Cut size, particle size corresponding to the Tromp value
50% %
By-pass, Tromp value at the lowest point of curve %
Separator efficiency as reduction in power consumption, Vs (32 μm
sieve)  
Circulation load #
As reduction in power consumption, Vs %

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 Valid Practice #10

Apart from the above, on monthly basis the following tables should be completed:
 regarding operation:
Mills Stoppages    
Available hours h  
Actual operating hours h
Duration of Annual Maintenance h  
Duration of Strategic stoppages
(for example Saturation etc.) h  
Duration of stoppages because of Other external reasons
(for example Power failure etc.) h  
Downtime    
Downtime because of Operational reasons h  
Downtime because of Mechanical reasons h  
Downtime because of Electrical reasons h  
Downtime because of Planned maintenance
(excluding annual maintenance) h  
Total Downtime h  
Grinding media consumption
(including refilling and new load)    
5 year history g/tCement produced  
1 year history g/tCement produced  

 regarding quality:
Quality Parameters Unit MONTHLY AVERAGE 
CEMENT TYPE
Composition (dry)
Clinker %
Natural Gypsum %
Limestone %
Pozzolana %
Other %
Grinding aid %
Iron Sulfate Heptahydrate (FeSO4.7H2O) %
Blaine
Fineness (Residue at 90μm) %  
Fineness (Residue at 45μm) %  
Water Demand (WD) %  
Setting Time (initial) min  
Setting Time (Final) min  
Strength (N/mm²) 1day  
2days  
7days  
28days  
LOI %  
IR %  
SO3 %  
Free CaO %  
SiO2 %  
Al2O3 %  
Fe2O3 %  
CaO %  
MgO %  
K2O %  
Na2O %  

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 Valid Practice #10

 regarding ball charge management:

Ball charge    
1st compartment 2nd compartment
Amount t
Specific weight t/m3
Composition
90 mm
80 mm
70 mm
60 mm
50 mm
40 mm
30 mm
20 mm
Ball charge compensation
Last date
Amount t

 regarding maintenance cost:

The maintenance cost (including spare parts and man-hours cost) should be
calculated and attributed per mill.
The logging of the parameters as well as the data warehouse management
should be automated and implemented in the Plant everyday procedures.

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