TITAN Kamari’s SYMETRO gears - fit for the future

TITAN and FLSmidth

TITAN Cement Company S.A. is Greece’s leading cement producer, with a current annual production capacity of about 12 million tons. TITAN Kamari is one of its four plants located in Greece. The relationship between TITAN and FLSmidth dates back to the 1930s, with FLSmidth having delivered various equipment and services during the years. 

Fast SYMETRO upgrade

The SYMETRO gear, first manufactured in 1926, was commissioned at TITAN Kamari in 1980. After many years of satisfactory operation, TITAN Kamari decided in 2014 that the gear unit needed refurbishing. The original design of the gearbox remained unchanged. But to ensure even greater effectiveness and durability, all rotating parts, including the membrane coupling balance wheel side and lubrication unit, were replaced by parts based on the latest technology, all designed and supplied by FLSmidth MAAG Gear. Under the supervision of an FLSmidth gear specialist, installation of the new parts in the existing gear casing and foundation took less than two weeks.
  

TITAN and FLSmidth have entered into a comprehensive agreement ensuring preventive maintenance for several of TITAN Kamari’s SYMETRO gears. The principle behind the agreement is that regular maintenance of the gear equipment will improve its long-term performance and reduce the risk of breakdown. Over the next ten years, FLSmidth gear specialists will conduct regular inspections of several SYMETRO gears at the plant, including the one recently refurbished by FLSmidth. The agreement also covers remote vibration monitoring. 

“These preventive inspections will ensure that the TITAN Kamari’s SYMETRO gears operate at maximum availability and efficiency. It is an example of how an FLSmidth service agreement, which can cover all types of equipment and multiple equipment, can contribute to reducing the risk of breakdowns as well as cutting production downtime and spare-parts consumption,” says Jens Toftegaard Andersen, Department Manager at FLSmidth. Jacob Jørgensen, Head of FLSmidth’s Service Department explains that the aim of a service agreement is to reduce operational expenditure on equipment. He says: “We estimate that plants can save between 10 and 20 percent on service by pre-scheduling inspections, as it is easier to plan visits in good time. This is important as operation and maintenance costs over time often outweigh the capital expenditure costs for this type of equipment.” 

Extended warranty

Because of this agreement, FLSmidth can offer an extended warranty on the newly refurbished SYMETRO gear. Alexandros Papathanasiou, Manager at Titan Kamari is satisfied with the extended warranty, saying: “This service contract means, we have established a continuous close support relationship with FLSmidth regarding the SYMETRO gear units. Daily preventive maintenance will work together with FLSmidth specialists who will do regular inspections and we have great expectations for achieving a higher reliability factor of the gear units and increasing the productivity of the plant.” FLSmidth is currently expanding its warranty programme, introducing extended warranties on non-wear parts, including live rings and girth gears, as well as on other existing equipment.