With its gleaming malls and artistic residences, the Dubai skyline is one of the most iconic skylines in the world. The city’s architectural wonders are fine examples of Dubai’s highly sophisticated real estate industry.
This industry has not only lived up to Dubai’s love for pushing the limits of human ingenuity, but also met its constant requirement for construction materials to feed the high demand. One such material is cement, the lifeblood of the real estate and construction industry.
To power this journey, one of the largest producers of cement in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been at the forefront of this sector fulfilling heavy demand, and making heavy investments in technology including state-of-the-art air compressors.
Cementing its presence
Real estate is often a barometer of the economic growth of a country. Sliding oil prices, geopolitical turmoil, and slowing global trade have impacted Dubai real estate. Hence, factors like efficiency, cost reduction, and survival have been important for the industry. The company in this case study has served the sector through both trying and booming times - A prominent name with the likes of Burj Khalifa and Dubai airport under its belt.
Compressed air in cement production
A walk across the company’s production plant in UAE demonstrates the criticality of compressed air at every step in the production process. Air compressors move raw materials on conveyor belts that mix the ingredients in the correct proportion to produce clinker.
“A big chunk of our total power is consumed by air compressors, so it is mandated for us to source air compressors that offer better power savings. Hence, ELGi compressors have been the preferred choice for our organisation.” said a maintenance manager at the company.
A long tryst with ELGi
Since compressed air is critical for production, the company has specifically selected ELGi’s equipment to meet its manufacturing requirements, dating back to 2006 when the company acquired its first ELGi air compressor. Over the years, it is a proud owner of over 13 ELGi’s range of compressed air systems.
These are both oil-lubricated and oil-free screw air compressors of capacities ranging between 37 kW and 200 kW. Some of the older compressors installed at the facility have clocked over 60,000 hours and continue to perform without a hitch.
One of the most important factors for the selection of a compressor is its air quality. “The moisture content needs to be controlled during production. Excessive moisture impacts the quality of cement adversely and also affects the performance of instruments like solenoid valves. The solenoid valves are predominantly used inapplications to enable process automation. ELGi air compressors make sure the moisture content is maintained well within the acceptable limits,” explains the maintenance manager.
In the days ahead, ELGi compressors will continue to not only lend power to the giant machinery churning out bags of cement for construction companies in the UAE but also power its booming real estate sector.
