Cachapuz was featured in the Cementreview of July with an article “Driving innovations in logitics”, focused on the SLV Cement solution, which has been implemented in several areas of the globe, including the African market.

Like many areas within the cement production process, logistics have been transformed by digitalisation. Embracing these developments, Cachapuz Bilanciai Group’s SLV Cement smart logistics solution continues to help producers across the world upgrade procedures 30 years after its launch, with promising developments in the north African market.

SLV Cement – Cachapuz’s advanced IT logistics solution – has been helping cement companies improve global logistics operations for 30 years since its launch in the early 1990s. Operational procedures for the inbound arrival of raw materials and the outbound delivery of cement dispatches have been automated and optimised, ensuring greater efficiency and lowering costs. As a result, this smart logistics solution has been successfully deployed in cement plants, quarries and aggregates units around the world.

Digital transformation and system implementation

SLV Cement is a state-of-the-art solution that takes advantage of the main paradigms of digitalisation and industry 4.0 and leverages the use of related technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, computer vision, augmented reality, mobility and cloud computing. Using these technologies, SLV Cement helps cement producers reduce operation and turnaround times, as well as lower fixed operating costs, ensuring asset security and improving the quality of service to customers.
Through its scalable and modular architecture, SLV Cement enables unmanned operations that are seamlessly integrated with SAP software in online and offline mode. In addition, the solution provides information to all those involved in the logistics process, which means that the entire logistics chain can be significantly improved.

Adapting to local requirements

Over the years, Cachapuz has been able to adapt its SLV Cement solution to take into account local operating conditions. The solution is now active in many cement plants worldwide, including the growing African market, where the first installation took place in 2007. The company has partnered with major cement producers in Egypt, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Mozambique and Morocco. In each case Cachapuz has been able to adapt its solution to local needs and offer its customers efficient support. One of the key partnerships in the region, established in 2019, is with
Votorantim Cimentos Europe, Africa and Asia (VCEAA), one of the top global cement and aggregate producers. As part of Votorantim Cimentos’ global customer centric strategy focussed  on the excellence of service, VCEAA implemented its digital transformation strategy, including a new dispatch system for north African operations.

In Morocco and Tunisia, VCEAA opted for the SLV Cement solution. The implemented solution provides unmanned operations seamlessly integrated with SAP in online and offline working modes and was deployed at cement plants, quarries and aggregates units of VCEAA’s Moroccan and Tunisian business units. In VCEAA’s Moroccan operations the implementation of SLV Cement is currently being extended to a new aggregates unit in Meknes. The optimisation of the inbound flow of raw material trucks at Asment Temara cement plant is also underway. At Granulats Jbel Oust in Tunisia, noptimisation of processes and operational procedures are ongoing.

Growing north African market

The north African construction and infrastructure market is currently undergoing rapid development, with significant potential for growth in the coming years. North African countries are investing in infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, railways, ports, airports, as well as the construction of commercial, residential and industrial buildings. Meanwhile, demand for cement is on the rise across the region, driven by rapid population growth, urbanisation and increasedinfrastructure investment.

To keep pace with growing demand, and supported by the region’s wealth in terms of natural resources (such as limestone and clay), a number of producers are expanding capacities and
making use of advanced production technologies. As a result, the region has become a key market for the SLV Cement solution.

Customised process flow

The SLV Cement system guides drivers through a customised process flow. It standardises and automates material flow, enabling operational improvements as
well as optimising inbound and outbound processes. SLV Cement is a vertical and integrated solution with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and other existing information and automation systems that promotes complete visibility and transparency during operations. It also provides operational indicators that are available in real-time as well as the continuous monitoring of business performance. SLV Cement has enabled cement companies across Africa implement technologically-advanced dispatchsystems to improve the efficiency, quality, and safety of logistics processes and follow market developments. For local producers, this means reduced operating costs, improved efficiency and better visibility across the supply chain. Therefore, cement companies that implement SLV Cement can look forward to improving their competitive edge. (…) 

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The application of Logistics 4.0 solutions is providing significant benefits to clinker dispatch, resulting in a seamless loading operation with minimised environmental impact.

In the realm of construction and infrastructure development, cement stands as a fundamental element, and at the heart of cement production lies the crucial ingredient – clinker. Several nations stand out in clinker production capacity, with China, India and the USA leading the charge in 2022, followed by Vietnam, Turkey, Iran, Russia and Indonesia. These countries collectively produce a significant share of the world’s clinker supply, catering to both domestic demand and exports. The USA, Philippines and China are the main clinker-importing countries, followed by the United Kingdom, France, The Netherlands and Bangladesh. Therefore, the dynamics of clinker trade witness various nations importing and exporting these nodules based on their production capacities and demands.

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An IT Logistics solution, highly advanced and process driven such as SLV Cement, addresses logistical challenges by standardising and automating material flows. It actively contributes to enhancing
both logistical and operational efficiency, ensuring greater flexibility, optimisation and heightened productivity. The digitisation of operational processes and their integration with ERP, MES and automation systems fosters
interoperability, connectivity and seamless data sharing among all stakeholders. This integration significantly improves resource efficiency and enables real-time responsiveness to critical decisions. Within this context, the previously manual and operator-dependent reception and dispatch processes for clinker have been automated. This automation reduces cycle times, operation duration, errors, and failures, thereby enhancing visibility, security, traceability, precision, logistical efficiency, and operational effectiveness. Ultimately, this results in improved planning capabilities and substantial gains in productivity while cutting down transportation costs.

The automation of these processes involves the deployment of kiosks and intelligent devices at different stages of the workflow. This set-up empowers drivers equipped with identifying devices to independently execute various operations. Specifically concerning clinker loading, the kiosk seamlessly integrates with the weighing and loading automation system. This integration streamlines operations, ensuring a controlled and secure loading process for drivers. Coordinating gates and access control devices helps isolate the loading operation, minimising its environmental impact. The automation of clinker loading, an integral part of SLV Cement’s comprehensive logistics management, initially started at cement factories in Portugal and has since been implemented in diverse geographical locations.

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