One would think cement manufacturing would be a fairly straightforward procedure, though in fact, it is a very complex process requiring precise temperature controls and airflow patterns. Because of this, both fuel and product lines must flow freely. The process also requires temperatures above 2000 degrees Fahrenheit requiring refractory lining in the mill chutes and vessels. Remote Visual Inspection (RVI) can be used to check for product build-up or blockages in the lines due to massive build-up or broken dampers in the mill chute. The fuel piping and coal nozzles can be inspected as well. There are also large vessels and cyclones that where borescope inspection can be used to look for missing or damaged refractory. In short, there are many applications in a cement plant for video inspection and borescoping requiring a broad range of cameras to perform. For the Mill Chutes, a push-camera or pipe inspection camera is likely what will be needed. In the larger vessels a pan tilt and zoom (PTZ) camera can be used to light up the vessel and inspect from distances over 30’ away. Videoscopes are good for small diameter accesses, heat exchangers and rotating equipment and CCTV inspection crawlers can be used for long lengths of piping up to several hundred feet.
Look Technologies can also perform inspections in high temperatures under the right parameters. Call us anytime or email us if you have an application that you would like to discuss.