Southdown´s Victorville 97 plant expansion

This paper outlines the modifications undertaken at Southdown´s Victorville, California plant. The plant upgrade was projected to increase the production by 25%; the final production capacity was significantly more. The upgrade demonstrates how existing equipment can be fully utilized to obtain the maximum potential benefit at the lowest cost, while achieving efficiencies normally associated with new plant construction. The majority of the plant modernization was focused on the pyro-line and finish grinding facility. First of there kind technologies, at least for North America, were applied in both process areas. For the pyro-line the results proved out the theories and technical advances of modem pyro-technology, demonstrating remarkable kiln load factors and the resulting capacity benefit. The upgraded finish mill circuit gives some interesting insight to the potential of two-stage grinding and the operational, product quality and power benefits that result. The specific modifications undertaken and the subsequent results obtained are discussed, in both process areas some unusual and notable consequences are included in the outcome