Automated Clinker Detection Eliminated Daily Crusher Damage at a Soda Ash Manufacturing Plant

Problem Statement

THE CHALLENGE

The limestone conveyor belt carried raw material to the crusher continuously. Mixed within this material were clinkers - oversized limestone chunks that caused severe equipment damage and required part replacement every time they reached the crusher. This was happening daily. A person was permanently stationed at the belt to visually inspect material and manually stop the conveyor when a clinker was spotted. Human attention cannot be sustained across full shifts without lapses - and any momentary distraction meant a clinker passed through undetected, triggering equipment damage, replacement costs, and unplanned production stoppage.

Challenges

Clinker reaching crusher daily

No automated detection meant oversized chunks reached the crusher every day, causing damage requiring part replacement.
Manual inspection unsustainable

Fatigue and momentary distraction across full shifts were enough for a clinker to pass through undetected.
High equipment replacement costs

Each missed clinker caused physical crusher damage resulting in unplanned maintenance and production downtime.
Manpower tied to single task

A skilled worker permanently stationed at the belt could not be redeployed to higher value tasks.

Solution

THE SOLUTION

We deployed a computer vision system on the existing conveyor belt camera infrastructure that continuously monitors material flow. The moment a clinker is detected, the system automatically triggers a conveyor stoppage via relay integration - preventing it from reaching the crusher. The stationed person is alerted and attends the belt only when needed.
Flow: Live conveyor feed -> Clinker detected -> Conveyor stoppage triggered via relay -> Operator alerted -> Clinker removed -> Conveyor resumed -> Incident logged

Continuous real-time monitoring of conveyor belt material flow via existing camera infrastructure.
AI model trained to identify clinker size and shape against normal limestone material on the belt.
Automatic conveyor stoppage triggered via relay the moment a clinker is detected - no human action required.
Full incident log with timestamp, image, and stoppage duration for every detected clinker.

WHAT CHANGED AFTER