Modernization of Dacotah Cement´s Rapid City Plant

In the early 1990s Dacotah Cement undertook an evaluation of the plant´s long-term needs and direction. Capacity, fuel and electrical efficiencies, manpower, and regulatory issues were contributing factors. In 1993 a series of projects began that would keep the company in a competitive posture by the millenium. Included were automation and a central control facility, an indirect coal system, modifications to the suspension preheater kiln that would increase its capacity by over 30%, upgrading of the power distribution system, laboratory automation, improvement of the blend silo system, and some environmental improvement projects. A large portion of the improvements were completed in 1995 and are the main subject of this paper. The entire scope of improvements is scheduled for completion by the end of 1999