Tokuyama reports productivity and efficiency gains with ABB's Expert Optimizer

Since initial test deployment on one finish mill in 2024, the solution has been delivered and commissioned on another six; four cement ball mills and two vertical mills (pre-grinding and slag). Tokuyama had already seen successful results from the kiln optimisation in 2022, including a three percent reduction in specific heat consumption and a 70% reduction in manual operator actions on the cement kiln.

ABB Ability Expert Optimizer has also helped establish an efficient production framework by improving grinding throughput by three percent and reducing specific power consumption by three percent, while maintaining stable operations.

"When we first introduced ABB Ability Expert Optimizer for test purposes, results were clear and the project completed smoothly," said Junya Doi, engineering section, Cement Manufacturing Department at Tokuyama. "We decided to extend the use of the solution to the entire cement mill process. ABB has been a reliable partner, collaborating effectively to fit the operating schedules. We believe ABB Ability Expert Optimizer has delivered exactly the results we expected."

By enabling finish mills to achieve a high automatic operation rate, ABB’s APC solution has also reduced operator workload, standardised operating practices and minimised manual intervention, providing a strong foundation for future operational improvements.

"ABB Ability Expert Optimizer has delivered a level of control at Nanyo plant that can not only emulate operator actions but enable process stabilisation and optimisation at the same time," said Hiromichi Yoda, local division manager for Japan, ABB’s Process Industries division. "The continued implementation of advanced digital solutions for Japanese industries supports a desirable pathway to autonomous operations."

ABB Ability Expert Optimizer’s model predictive control (MPC) and AI continuously predict process behavior and automatically adjust operating parameters such as feed rate and mill power. By maintaining optimal mill load and throughput, the system supports stable, efficient operations. As part of ABB’s wider digital portfolio, it helps cement producers use real-time data to optimize processes, maintenance and production performance.

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