A 3-day training event run by British Rema at the end of October was the ‘biggest and best’ yet according to the event organisation team. Some 26 delegates attended the sold-out course which focused on the mechanical maintenance of rotary kilns and vessels and was aimed at engineers and maintenance personnel working in cement, mineral, bio- and wood fuels, petrochemical and waste processingplants globally.
Held at the stunning venue of Aston Hall Hotel on the outskirts of Sheffield, participants from all over Europe including Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland and UK attended the event, whilst Engineering Manager, Jack llondo from Pretoria Portland Cement in the Democratic Republic of Congo flew several thousand miles to further develop his maintenance knowledge.
The interactive programme included classroom presentations, a site visit, as well as quizzes and practical demonstrations. The topics included just about every component on a rotary kiln and vessel that requires maintenance including rollers, gear and pinions, tyres, shells and best practice skills were shared on dynamic thrust balancing, also known as “thrust monitoring” and alignment, open gear lubrication, inspection and troubleshooting allowing the delegates to take home the latest knowledge and processes to take back into their roles.
On Day 1, guest speaker, Paul Lambert of Klüber Lubrication (GB) Ltd presented a technical paper on the optimal use of various fluid lubricants for various open gear lubrication applications which was a welcome addition to the programme.
Testament to the quality of the training was the attendance of delegates from major players in industry including Breedon Cement, Tarmac Cement, Irish Cement, Lhoist, EverZinc and Indaver. Other representatives from independent businesses included Vivergo Fuels, Essar Oil, CEMCOR, Puffin Wood Fuels and of course Pretoria Portland Cement, DRC.
Disu Daniel, Repairs Manager from British Rema, also attended the course as part of his ongoing CPD, and delivered an impromptu session outlining the best practice procedures he has put into place for British Rema technicians attending customer jobs. Delegates were invited to discuss their own experiences and situations to facilitate further learning in the group. The feedback from the course has been exceptional, with mostly 5 stars out of 5 ratings across the board.
Rob Fellows, Sales Manager – Process Equipment & Rotary Engineering, delivered a number of sessions and was impressed with the engagement from the delegates;
“We had a very diverse mix of attendees who were able to network and exchange their own experiences of working with rotary kilns and vessels. They have all taken a lot away from the training and I have no doubt they will put that learning into practice.”
Dejan Lazarevic has worked as an Alignment Supervisor for British Rema for 15 years. Originally from Serbia, he has been delivering modules on the annual training seminar for many years;
“We had the largest number of delegates ever this year and we are now looking to accommodate more next year due to this year’s demand. The content is continually being refreshed based on experience in the field and following feedback from customers. It’s a great few days for all involved.”
