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ROTARY KILN & ROTARY VESSEL SERVICES

DGC AFRICA provides specialist Rotary Kiln & Rotating Vessel Services. Our services include the installation of a new plant, rebuilds, and the planning, scheduling, and consulting for shutdowns and major works on all types of rotary vessels including kilns, dryers, coolers, calciners, ball mills and rod mills.

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Mechanical condition inspections and reports with recommendations for rectifying identified problems are also offered. Our precision onsite and offsite services coupled with our flexibility towards customers’ unique needs allow for significant reductions in equipment downtime.

  HOT KILN ALIGNMENT  

The majority of problems associated with rotary kilns and vessels can be attributed to misalignment. As such, comprehensive hot kiln alignment significantly contributes towards rotary kilns’ and vessels’ ability to achieve maximum efficiency throughout their service life, whilst eliminating unforeseen breakdowns.

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Our Hot Kiln Alignment Services in association with our Routine Inspection Services are tailored to increase plant availability, reduce maintenance-related costs and provide more optimal plant efficiency. Some of the consequences of not timeously doing routine or planned alignment are summarised below:​

  • Plant operating outside optimal conditions

  • Excessive and unnecessary forces on the vessel/kiln shell

  • Metal fatigue and cracking of tyre and shell

  • Deformation of vessel/kiln

  • Excessive stress on tyres and rollers

  • Undue wear on tyres and rollers

  • Unnecessary loads on the drive mechanism

  • Damage to end seals

  • Premature bearing failure

  • Frequent premature failure on the refractory lining

​DGC AFRICA has established a strategic alliance with GEOSERVEX (Poland), for the past 40 years the world leader in the development and implementation of the technology of kiln alignment in dynamic conditions (during normal operation). Geoservex are pioneers of the hot kiln alignment method and a worldwide leader of this service in the global market.

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Kiln alignment has to be carried out during the normal operation of the kiln in order to obtain the most realistic information and data on the condition of the kiln without disturbing the clinker production. As a part of preventative maintenance, kiln alignment identifies the actual cause of problems and provides recommendations for appropriate solutions.

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Our alignment approach is based on advanced measuring techniques and customised hardware and software. It is evaluated by experienced alignment specialists. Based on our experience and considering major root causes to all kiln failures, our alignment method aims to improve and ensure kiln availability by optimization of Kiln Axis, Kiln Shell Ovality, Kiln Crank and Kiln Axial Balance. The detailed scope of services is as follows:

  KILN    AXIS  

  • Measurement of kiln axis position in the horizontal and vertical plane by using advanced survey methods.

  • Measurement and calculation of tyre and supporting rollers diameter by using a special electronic instrument.

  • Measurement of base frame foundation settlement.

  • Preparation of optimal version of support roller adjustment program and schedule.

  KILN    SHELL OVALITY  

  • Kiln shell ovality test at all supports (direct survey of elastic deformation of the kiln shell).

  • Measurement of tyre migration and calculation of under-tyre clearance.

  KILN    CRANK  

  • Measurement of supporting rollers and shaft cyclical deflection.

  • Measurement of tyres wobbling.

  • Measurement of kiln shell profile at all shell sections.

  • Measurement of kiln shell permanent deformations.

  • Preparation of shell animation model (unique full 3D rotating shell). 

  • Measurement of kiln shell temperatures distribution (indication of shell temperature crank).

  KILN    AXIAL BALANCE  

  • Measurement of supporting rollers axis position, rollers skewing and operating angle.

  • Measurement of supporting rollers inclination and base frame axial slope.

  • Measurement of supporting rollers profiles (mechanical wear of running surface).

  • Evaluation of kiln thrust and mechanical balance. 

  SUPPLEMENTARY    MEASUREMENTS  

  • Measurement of girth gear wobbling.

  • Measurement of thrust rollers position in reference to the kiln axis.

  • Checking kiln drive alignment (option – the kiln must be stopped for a few hours due to safety reasons).

  • General mechanical inspection of drive mesh, support roller bearings and shaft condition, lubrication efficiency, inlet and outlet sealing, thrust unit, adjustment equipment, covers and housing.  

  COMPREHENSIVE    KILN INSPECTION  

Additional data are required from the plant to do an engineering study of the kiln. The following results have to be given by doing a comprehensive kiln inspection. 

  • Current loads on piers.

  • Pressure on bearings.

  • Hertz pressures on roller-tyre contact.

  • Bending stress in the kiln shell.

  • Stress in the tyres.

  • Stiffness matrix, optimization of kiln vertical axis position considering load distribution.

  • Preparation and submission of the completed report including results of a survey, short- and long-term recommendations for preventive maintenance actions.

  ADVANTAGES OF DOING  

  GEOSERVEX HKA METHOD  

  • After completion of kiln axis correction, we do cross-check of kiln axis measurement.

  • Diameter measurement and calculation of tyre and support roller by using electronic instrument.

  • Surface wear profile measurement of support roller at 4-5 locations.

  • Measurement of support roller axis position and roller skewing.

  • Measurement of roller operating angle.

  • Kiln shell animation model and submitting in pdf format (unique full 3D rotating shell).

  • Calculation of under tyre clearance.

  • Measurement of axial deviation on drive station (Pinion to Gearbox).

  • Measurement of thrust roller position with respect to kiln axis.

  • All the measured readings and their results are very high accuracy and manual error can be eliminated by using advanced survey instruments with software.

  • Output data can be cross-check and evaluated by calculations.