UCIC Industrial Training Program Review

Trainee: Amaar (The ReAl AmmAr) - Plant Operations

United Cement Industrial Company - Tufail PlantIndustrial Training Program

UCIC Industrial Training Program Review

Trainee: Amaar (The ReAl AmmAr) - Plant Operations

United Cement Industrial Company - Tufail PlantIndustrial Training Program

Overview & Objectives

Plant Flow: Quarry Crushing Raw Grinding Preheater Kiln Cooler Cement Mill CF Silo
Key Equipment: Sinoma Rotary Kiln, Loesche Vertical Roller Mill, IKN Clinker Cooler
Target: Achieve A+ operational performance across all plant departments
Hands-on exposure to DCS control systems, plant instrumentation, and process optimization

Crushing & Raw Materials

Quarry Operations: The plant is supplied by a network of seven quarries in the region. Four key quarries include:

1‌محجر عثمان
Othman Quarry

2‌محجر شرق طفيل
East Tufail Quarry

3‌محجر يلملم
Yalamlam Quarry

4‌محجر الجموم
Al-Jamoum Quarry

HSI Crusher: Horizontal Shaft Impact - primary reduction to <75 mm at 600-800 TPH
Jaw Crusher: Alternative primary stage for harder limestone varieties
Hammer Crusher: Final size reduction to <25 mm for raw mill feed

Raw Grinding & Homogenization

Loesche VRM: Vertical Roller Mill grinding raw meal to 90% passing 90 microns
Air Sweep System: Hot gases from the preheater tower dry and transport material through the mill
CF Silo: Continuous Flow silo homogenizes raw meal via aeration pads ensuring consistent kiln feed
Blending efficiency >10:1 reduces LSF variation to <1.0% at kiln feed

Preheating & Calcination

Preheater Tower: 4-6 stage cyclone suspension preheater maximizes heat recovery from exhaust gases
Precalciner: Fires 60% of total fuel before the kiln, achieving 90% calcination by the time material enters the rotary kiln
Reaction: CaCO₃ + Heat → CaO + CO₂ (endothermic, ~830°C)
Reduces thermal load on the kiln, increasing production capacity by up to 60%

Pyroprocessing in the Rotary Kiln

Sinoma Rotary Kiln: 4.8m x 72m, 3-5 RPM, refractory-lined rotating cylinder at a 3-4% slope
Thermal Zones: Drying (<200°C) → Preheating (200-750°C) → Calcining (750-1000°C) → Sintering (1450°C)
Clinkering: Liquid phase formation (25-30%) enables C₃S nucleation at 1450°C peak temperature
Cooling: IKN grate cooler quenches clinker from 1400°C to <100°C, recovering heat for combustion air

Clinker Chemistry & Mineralogy

Alite - C₃S

Primary strength contributor (50-70%). Reacts fast with water, responsible for early strength development within 7-28 days.

Belite - C₂S

Hydrates slowly (15-30%). Contributes to long-term strength gain beyond 28 days. More energy-efficient to form.

Aluminate - C₃A

Reacts instantly with water (5-10%). Causes flash set if not controlled by gypsum addition. High sulfate resistance requires low C₃A.

Ferrite - C₄AF

Acts as flux lowering clinkering temperature (5-15%). Gives cement its grey color. Hydrates at a moderate rate.

Finish Grinding & Cement Mills

Ball Mill: Steel media cascading grinds clinker + gypsum to <45 microns. Robust, well-understood, higher power draw.
VRM: Vertical Roller Mill offers 30-40% lower energy consumption vs ball mill with easier fineness adjustment.
Gypsum: 3-5% CaSO₄·2H₂O addition regulates C₃A hydration, preventing flash set and optimizing setting time.
Dynamic Separator: High-efficiency cage rotor returns coarse particles to mill, ensures steep Blaine (3200-3800 cm²/g) distribution.

QC & Safety/EHSS

Sampling Loops: Automated samplers at crusher, raw mill feed, kiln feed, clinker, and cement dispatch ensure process control.
XRF Analyzer: X-Ray Fluorescence provides elemental analysis (CaO, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃) within minutes for real-time quality adjustment.
LSF Monitoring: Lime Saturation Factor (93-102%) ensures correct clinker mineral formation and prevents free lime issues.
Safety: SHEM compliance, PTW system, LOTO procedures, H2S/CO monitoring, and heat stress management in Tufail's extreme summer (44°C+ / 110°F+).

Conclusion & Takeaways

This industrial training at UCIC's Tufail plant provided deep, hands-on exposure to every stage of cement manufacturing - from quarry operations through to finished product dispatch. Beyond technical skills in process control, equipment operation, and quality management, the experience reinforced the discipline of industrial safety and the value of teamwork under demanding conditions.