Live Monitoring, Drop-In Technology and Safety

Live monitoring has become a key focus for cement plants, particularly for maintenance teams striving to enhance safety and prevention. Thanks to advances in digital technologies, it is now possible to monitor an entire plant’s equipment in real time directly from a control room. Even the slightest variations in vibration or temperature can be detected instantly, allowing for early intervention that protects equipment integrity and prevents costly unplanned downtime.

As a supplier of drive components for critical cement equipment (kilns and mills) FCMD places special emphasis on monitoring solutions.

“To address these needs, we have developed the Connected Pinion, an innovative system designed to detect misalignment, lubrication disturbances, and abnormal operating conditions that can lead to scuffing, pitting, or even cracks. The Connected Pinion is equipped with embedded temperature sensors located near the active flank of the tooth, providing operators with precise, real-time temperature data. When irregularities are detected, the system emits immediate alerts, allowing for rapid corrective action before any damage occurs,” Manoury said.

In addition, FCMD partners with specialized monitoring experts who provide comprehensive live-monitoring capabilities for position and temperature, for all drive components- ring gears, gearboxes (planetary, parallel, etc.), and complete drivetrains. These systems integrate alarm signals, predictive analytics, and continuous data collection, ensuring quick diagnostics and expert analysis to determine the right corrective actions and prevent unplanned downtime.

Unlike the mining industry, which often drives innovation through new projects and disruptive technologies, the cement sector focuses primarily on maintaining and upgrading existing equipment. Most investments involve modernizing older systems rather than building entirely new ones. This is where drop-in replacement systems play a crucial role. They allow operators to repair or replace aging components while simultaneously upgrading performance. Thanks to modern manufacturing techniques and advanced heat treatment processes, today’s gears offer significantly higher durability and resistance than those produced decades ago.

“As an engineering-driven company specialized in gear systems, FCMD views every retrofit or replacement project as an opportunity to enhance reliability and optimize design. For example, our engineers can redesign a gearbox to serve multiple applications through smart modular design—allowing the same unit to fit two types of equipment. This approach not only reduces spare parts inventory but also improves overall system reliability and efficiency.”

Safety continues to be a focal point in cement production. There’s an increase in safety across all the market segments. From torque-limiting couplings that protect not only the equipment but also the maintenance personnel in the factory to hydraulic inching drives systems used to perform maintenance on horizontal mills.

These hydraulic systems are also highly adaptable and can be customized to suit mills of different sizes and configurations. 

Service and Support: The Work Continues
Manoury said FCMA’s commitment extends far beyond manufacturing and delivery. The company believes true reliability comes from long-term partnership with each cement producer. “The goal is to ensure continuous technical support, spare-part availability and on-site expertise throughout the full life cycle of every piece of equipment. Each project adds to our knowledge base, informing the next, refining our designs, and deepening our understanding of how our equipment performs in the field. We don’t just manufacture parts; we engineer complete solutions grounded in real-world performance data and customer feedback,” Manoury said.

A horizontal mill gearbox will never face the same thermal and mechanical constraints as a kiln drive. That’s why every FCMD solution begins with the right questions: What are the site conditions? How often is the equipment cycled? What temperatures, humidity, and altitude will it operate under? These details matter and they shape every design decision.

The Evolution of Cement Production
Maintenance is vital in cement production. Manoury said the mechanical drive components that keep a kiln or mill turning operate under extreme conditions—high loads, constant solicitations and heat. When those systems stop, production stops. Most cement facilities have at least one outage per year. It is critical to swap the bearings and inspect the gears.

“It’s very easy to get to a point where you’re damaging the equipment in cement applications. Do we see any wear or tear on the tooth surface? Are we using the right amount of lubrication? Is the lubricant the right quality? The plant itself sometimes has stricter MRO policies in place than the provider of the components and equipment. It’s also critical to have the right amount of spare parts on hand at every cement plant,” he added.

They’re putting AI and automation into everything today, so Manoury said he assumes this will eventually take place in these heavy industrial applications as well.

“We’re already seeing automated drones for inspections on cable lines, terrain analysis, etc. I could see that being integrated within the heavy industry too… I mean we touch based on it previously, sensor-embedded gearboxes and pinions will make it possible to continuously monitor temperature, vibration, and torque in real time. These systems will feed data directly into AI-based models capable of predicting failures with remarkable accuracy.”

However, technology alone won’t replace human expertise, it will only enhance it. The interpretation of the data, the understanding of gear contact patterns, and the ability to connect field observations with design intent will still depend on experienced engineers.

There will come a point in time when complete smart factories will be used in heavy industry. This digital transformation will make cement plants more responsive, more reliable, and ultimately more efficient. In the longer term, true disruption could come from a breakthrough in how cement itself is made.

“Eventually everything in cement plants will be monitored. The core components and processes themselves may not change dramatically—they’ve remained largely the same for decades. What will change is how we operate and maintain them. The industry is moving toward smarter, more connected equipment. We can expect a steady rise in automation, sensors and real-time monitoring systems that provide live insight into performance, wear and efficiency.”

If engineers ever discovered a carbon-free, cost-effective alternative to traditional cement production, Manoury said this would fundamentally reshape the industry.

“Until then, the evolution will focus on making today’s systems smarter, cleaner and more connected.”