A High-Efficiency Separator Upgrade: Threading a Separator Through the Eye of a Needle

Since 2007, the Nebraska Cement Market has been seeing increasing strength requirements. As a result, the blaine fineness of cement produced by first-generation separator finish mill systems has been slowly progressing beyond the capability of these units. Previously, at 3,800 blaine, the mills could easily outgrind the kilns and satisfy a highly seasonal market. However, the drive to produce Type I/II cement at 4,700 blaine to meet market demands reduced productivity such that finish mill capacity was quickly becoming a bottleneck to cement production.