Headquarters
KHD Humboldt Wedag
International AG
Von-der-Wettern-Straße 4a
51149 Cologne
Germany
1856. That’s the date our journey began. Since then, we have continuously pushed to innovate and improve cement production, introducing many technologies that have become industry standards. In doing so, we have not only helped to change the landscape of the cement plant, we have also gained an unsurpassed knowledge of the cement-making process.
Let’s take a quick look back at some of those milestones. In 1952, we installed our first preheater tower, followed in 1965 by the first calciner, the PYROCLON®. This opened the door for the development of today’s short kilns (another KHD innovation) and dry process, dramatically improving the efficiency of the cement-making process.
On the grinding side, we were the first to commercialize high-pressure comminution with the introduction of the roller press in the mid-1980s. In the early 2000s, we pioneered low-cost grinding solutions with our COMFLEX® system. We have also led the push to reduce the cement industry’s environmental footprint, introducing our first low-NOX calciner in 1985.
Today, we are once again at the edge of history with technologies that lower emissions, reduce energy consumption, and improve utilization of alternative fuels. For example, the Pyroredox® is sustainably reducing NOX emissions around the world, including in the world’s largest cement market, China. Meanwhile, our latest hero product, the Pyrorotor®, is disrupting the market for alternative fuel processing solutions.
Being a market driver and technology leader was and will always be our aspiration. Our achievements in this area speak for themselves – but would not have been possible without a deep, holistic understanding of the complete cement-making process. You cannot do what we do without it. And after more than 160 years in the business, that process knowledge is now engrained in our core; it’s our DNA.
Staying competitive in any business requires continuous improvement. This is especially true when it comes to reducing emissions and cutting costs. Incremental gains can add up to big savings over time. But continuous improvement is only possible with a solid understanding of your process. Only with that understanding can you know what new technologies and solutions offer the best opportunities for improvement.
Which is where we come in. Our expert process engineers are your reliable partners. Their considerable experience in cement applications all of the world will help you identify, assess and implement the right opportunities to improve all aspects of your performance – whether in terms of quality, capacity, reliability or emissions reduction.
So, whether it’s a greenfield installation, a major upgrade or more minor tweak, we are ready to support you. Where else can you find expertise and experience gained over sixteen decades, hundreds of previous installations and many different environments? We’ve seen pretty much everything the cement industry can throw up. The bottom line: whatever your process-related challenge, you can count on us for a solution.