Central Plains Cement — Alternative Fuel Pipe

For well over a century, Central Plains Cement Company has been supplying Portland cement of varying grades for industrial, civil, and personal concrete projects throughout the Midwest. Staying at the forefront of the cement industry, Central Plains has been pioneering the use of alternative fuel sources (ground solid waste) to fire their cement kilns. This innovative approach has not only reduced dependence on traditional fossil fuels but has also led to significant reductions in production costs.

Central Plains sought to reconfigure the alternative fuel pipe to a new inlet spout, aiming for a more efficient burn and greater heat recovery. In response to this need, the experts at Rogue Visual Design were called upon to employ our precision 3D laser scanning (LiDAR) to aid in the design of this new configuration. The challenge at hand involved obtaining precise location, alignment, and bolt orientation of both the existing flange connection and the new spout.

Documenting the pipe and spout configuration around a kiln, which can reach temperatures exceeding 1,450 degrees Celsius (2,640 degrees Fahrenheit), is a complex and potentially hazardous task. However, our highly skilled LiDAR scanning team was able to meticulously capture the entire pipe, spout configuration, and the intricate surrounding area without compromising on safety. The ability of our scanners to collect this data from a safe distance meant that the kiln did not need to be shut down, ensuring uninterrupted operations for Central Plains.

The detailed data acquired allowed Central Plains to minimize the kiln's downtime by prefabricating possible pipe configurations. With the pipe geometry meeting their expectations, Central Plains requested our team's expertise once again to scan the temporary pipe. Using the new LiDAR data, our team delivered a second registered point cloud and a 3D AutoCAD model of the approved pipe. The plant was then able to fabricate a new pipe using more durable material based on our detailed model. Central Plains Cement Company recognizes the value our experienced LiDAR scanning teams and advanced equipment bring to projects with challenging conditions such as this one.