Use less energy to make better products
Qilianshan Cement: Customer Story Key Figures
€600,000 saved
99% online rate
Improved efficiency and stability
Discover how a digital transformation with EcoStruxure helps achieve smart manufacturing goals to improve quality and sustainability.
The Challenge
To improve its production, Qilianshan Cement needed to address:
- High energy usage and costs
- High labour intensity and skill requirements
- Poor process control stability due to human error
Plant operators at Gansu Qilianshan Cement Group Co., Ltd. could not tell exactly how much their equipment operation affects production and energy consumption. Achieving that visibility to create an energy-efficient process was one of the key challenges for the company to overcome.
The Solution
Apps, Analytics and Services: Energy Management System (EMS), AVEVA’s* Advanced Process Control (APC)
Edge Control: Modicon PLCs
Connected Products: Altivar Process drives, LV products
- The EMS at the Hongda Building Materials plant enables operators to visualize energy management and serves as the basis for improvement. It uses big data analysis technology to mine data through quality, production, and process parameters, allowing operators to understand energy consumption data in real-time and enabling lower energy consumption during normal operation of the equipment.
- AVEVA’s APC solution at the Zhangxian plant enables optimization of the cement kiln’s operational parameters, as well as boosting safety and reliability.
* The Schneider Electric industrial software business and AVEVA have merged to trade as AVEVA Group plc, a UK listed company. The Schneider Electric and Life is On trademarks are owned by Schneider Electric and are being licensed to AVEVA by Schneider Electric.
The Results
Schneider Electric process and energy optimisation solutions in the smart manufacturing pilot projects at two plants (Zhangxian and Hongda Building Materials) delivered:
- Almost €600,000 in electricity costs saved in one year at Hongda Building Materials
- Standard coal consumption at the Hongda plant reduced to less than 100kg/ton
- 99% online rate of APC system at Zhangxian
- Improved production stability and efficiency
- Reduced labour requirements
Chang Zhanxin, Deputy General Manager of Hongda Building Materials, Qilianshan Cement
Customer Testimonial
“The benefits of Schneider Electric’s Energy Management System at Hongda have been so significant that the Qilianshan Cement Group has decided to deploy this solution across the entire group.”
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Smart manufacturing at Gansu Qilianshan Cement Group
Qilianshan Cement partnered with Schneider Electric to improve quality and sustainability, and achieve its smart manufacturing goals. By implementing an upgrade and process optimisation with EcoStruxure, it cut energy consumption, created energy-efficient plants, saved costs, and optimised production. In light of the success of the energy management solution, Qilianshan decided to deploy it in all their cement manufacturing plants.