Alpena Plant (Holcim) – Alpena, Michigan, USA (2022–2023) – AFS Technology delivered a turnkey, fully automated mid-kiln tire fuel feed system for the Holcim cement plant in Alpena, Michigan.
The system was engineered to feed whole passenger and truck tires to the mid-kiln in two of the plant’s five kilns at rates up to 4 tires per minute per kiln (an average of 8 tires per minute total, approximately 4.8 short tons per hour). At ground level, the system includes a trailer tipper, live-bottom hopper, tire separator, separation refinement/inspection station, and an automated rejection system. Tires are then conveyed via a 300-ft trussed, inclined belt conveyor to an elevated platform above the kilns.
On the kiln platform, a network of roller conveyors and a transfer conveyor routes tires to either kiln. Each kiln line is equipped with a tire weigh station, staging chutes, and a cam-actuated mid-kiln valve actuator. Mid-kiln valves mounted on each kiln open via the cam actuators to deliver tires into the kiln.
