Heidelberg Materials North America recently hosted customers and other industry partners at its Mitchell, Indiana, cement plant to demonstrate the operation of its rotating packaging system. The bagging center and its packing system are the most recent innovations at the new facility, which is the second largest cement plant in North America and one of the most technologically advanced and sustainable ever built.
Like other aspects of the new plant, the bag packer—a Ventomatic GIROMAT EVO V12 Rotary Packer, pre-assembled in Italy—represents the latest technology. The 12-spout, automated rotating packaging system can fill a bag per second. In total, it can fill 3,600 bags per hour, resulting in greatly expedited service. Another technological advancement is the bagging center’s automated kiosk system, which will facilitate product loading, increasing the number of trucks served and improving safety.
The new Mitchell plant has enhanced the support of Heidelberg Materials’ existing customer base in the Midwest while also expanding the company’s reach in the growing cement market. It is helping ease construction supply chain issues by producing four times the amount of cement than was produced at the old facility.
The new plant’s primary product is EcoCemPLC™, a branded portland limestone cement, available in bulk and bag. The company’s popular Brixment Masonry Types N, S and M cements are also made at the facility, as well as Stone-Hold®, which is used for the installation of manufactured and natural stone, as well as thin brick. While first clinker was produced at the Mitchell plant in April of 2023, the bagging center was soft-opened in the fall, with startup and commissioning occurring in stages for various bag styles.
“Compared to earlier operations, when bags had to be put on spouts by hand, the increase in efficiency provides more opportunity,” said Toby M. Knott, Vice President – Cement Sales, for Heidelberg Materials North America’s Midwest Region. “Operations at Mitchell, including the bagging center, ensure that the same quality products we’ve always offered are available on an expanded scale.
“Plant-wide, the new Mitchell facility uses the latest technology and environmental controls, and the bagging center is no exception. As the rotary packer was not yet operational at the time of the grand opening event in 2023, today’s open house offered the first chance for our customers and partners to see the packing system and observe the improvement in efficiency it offers,” said Carl Applebaum, Sales Manager for Heidelberg Materials North America’s Midwest Region
Heidelberg Materials North America has also introduced new bag styles. The new bag designs reflect the company’s recent rebranding from Lehigh Cement to Heidelberg Materials. A new company logo was introduced at the time of the name change. The logo features two organically connected elements that represent the "h" in Heidelberg. The stem of the “h” was designed to evoke a construction element, symbolizing the technical strengths of Heidelberg Materials, whereas the curved shoulder of the “h” resembles a leaf and symbolizes the company’s future growth. These elements are echoed in the new bag designs for EcoCemPLC, Brixment, Stone-Hold, and Flamingo Custom Color Masonry Cement, and will reflect Heidelberg Materials’ commitment to nature positivity, its future growth and its products’ technical and structural strengths.
Visit heidelbergmaterials.us to learn more about the Mitchell, Indiana, cement plant.