Henan Hongke Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. has delivered a Φ3.0×48m active lime rotary kiln production line to a customer in Egypt. The line is configured for a nominal capacity of 250 tons per day of high-reactivity quicklime.
This article covers the full project: customer background, the original problem, equipment configuration, delivery timeline, commissioning results, and customer feedback.
1. Customer Background
Location: Egypt (industrial zone, Nile Delta region)
Industry: Metallurgical lime / water treatment lime
Egypt’s lime market serves steelmaking, water treatment, construction, and agriculture. The country has its own lime standards for drinking water and industrial water purification (ES 5:2007), and for building lime (ES 584:2003), which set requirements for purity, reactivity, and residue. Local lime suppliers range from shaft-kiln operations to rotary-kiln producers, with a growing focus on consistent quality for industrial buyers.
Our customer is an industrial lime producer in Egypt. They supply steel mills and water treatment plants in the Nile Delta region. Their existing shaft kilns could not consistently meet the reactivity and low-sulfur requirements of their steelmaking customers, and water treatment buyers were pressing for tighter quality control.
The selected model for this project was Φ3.0×48m, a configuration commonly associated with 250 TPD active lime lines.
2. The Original Problem
Before approaching Henan Hongke Machinery, the customer faced several practical constraints:
| Problem | Impact |
|---|---|
| Sulfur carryover from shaft kilns | Steel customers rejected high-sulfur lime; rotary kilns are known to scrub sulfur more effectively due to longer residence and material flow |
| Inconsistent reactivity | Water treatment plants required stable activity for pH control and softening |
| Limited fuel flexibility | Shaft kilns were restricted to gas or oil; solid fuel efficiency was poor |
| Capacity ceiling | Could not meet growing demand from Delta steel and water sectors |
| Dust and emissions | Tighter enforcement around industrial zones |
| Manual operation | Variable product quality and high labor demand |
The customer needed a rotary kiln line—new equipment, configured for their limestone and fuel—not a patch-up of existing shaft kilns.
3. Why the Customer Chose Henan Hongke Machinery
After evaluating several suppliers, the customer selected us for specific, practical reasons:
a) Rotary kiln advantages for their quality requirements
Rotary kilns handle smaller limestone lump sizes and provide longer, more uniform residence time than shaft kilns. This matters for sulfur scrubbing and for consistent reactivity—both critical for steel and water treatment customers.
b) Φ3.0×48m is a proven configuration for 250 TPD
The model is established in the industry for this capacity range, which reduced engineering risk for the customer.
c) Complete line responsibility
We supplied the vertical preheater, Φ3.0×48m rotary kiln, vertical cooler, burner system, dust collection, and PLC controls. The customer did not have to coordinate multiple suppliers.
d) Fuel flexibility
The burner was configured for dual-fuel operation (natural gas and pulverized coal), giving the customer flexibility as local fuel prices fluctuate.
e) Factory inspection and reference review
The customer reviewed our manufacturing facility and similar lime kiln projects before signing.
4. Equipment Configuration
The line is built around a Φ3.0×48m rotary kiln with a vertical preheater and vertical cooler.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Kiln diameter | 3.0 m |
| Kiln length | 48 m |
| Design capacity | 250 TPD active lime |
| Kiln slope | 3.5% |
| Rotation speed | Variable frequency drive |
| Calcination temperature | Up to 1,350°C |
| Preheater type | Vertical, multi-chamber |
| Cooler type | Vertical |
| Fuel | Natural gas / pulverized coal (dual-fuel) |
| Control | PLC-based with temperature, speed, and emission monitoring |
Scope of supply:
| System | Function |
|---|---|
| Vertical preheater | Preheats limestone using kiln exhaust gas; partial calcination before kiln entry |
| Φ3.0×48m rotary kiln | Main calcination unit; limestone decomposes to CaO + CO₂ |
| Vertical cooler | Cools lime; recovers hot air as secondary combustion air |
| Multi-channel burner | Heat input and flame control |
| Dust collection | Cyclone + bag filter; meets Egyptian emission requirements |
| Conveying system | Material transfer between stages |
| PLC control system | Process monitoring, data logging, interlock protection |
5. Delivery Timeline
| Stage | Status |
|---|---|
| Technical exchange and process design | Completed |
| Limestone testing and parameter definition | Completed |
| Manufacturing at Henan Hongke facility | Completed |
| Factory assembly and no-load testing | Completed |
| Shipment to Egypt | Completed |
| On-site installation | Completed |
| Commissioning and hot testing | Completed |
| Handover to customer | Completed |
6. Commissioning Results
| Performance Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Production capacity | 250 TPD achieved and sustained |
| Lime reactivity | Meeting target for steelmaking and water treatment applications |
| Sulfur content | Within steel customer limits; rotary kiln flow scrubbed sulfur as expected |
| Residual CO₂ | Within specification |
| Calcination temperature | Stable across operating shifts |
| Dust emissions | Within Egyptian regulatory limits |
| Operational stability | Continuous operation achieved |
7. Customer Feedback
“The rotary kiln gave us the sulfur control our steel customers needed, and the reactivity is consistent for our water treatment buyers. The dual-fuel burner lets us switch with fuel prices. The engineering team was responsive during installation and commissioning.” — Production Manager, Egyptian lime producer
8. What This Means for the Customer
| Benefit | Practical Value |
|---|---|
| Lower sulfur lime | Accepted by steel customers; fewer rejections |
| Consistent reactivity | Stable performance for water treatment |
| 250 TPD capacity | Meets Delta region demand |
| Fuel flexibility | Can switch between gas and coal |
| Environmental compliance | Meets Egyptian emission requirements |
| Full-scope supplier | Single point of responsibility |
9. Building Long-Term Partnerships
Our commitment to the Egyptian customer does not end at handover. We continue to provide:
Technical support on process optimization for different limestone sources
Spare parts availability for critical components
Maintenance guidance and preventive maintenance planning
Support for future capacity expansion or process adjustment
About Henan Hongke Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd.
Henan Hongke Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. (Henan Hongke Machinery) has been designing and manufacturing industrial processing equipment since 2006. Our product portfolio includes:
Rotary Kilns – for lime, dolomite, metallurgy, and mineral calcination
Rotary Dryers – for sludge, sand, gypsum, biomass, and industrial materials
Ball Mills – for ore, slag, cement, and chemical grinding
Crushers – for primary and secondary size reduction
We focus on one-stop solutions for mining and materials processing—complete systems, not just individual machines.
Let’s Talk About Your Lime Project
If you are planning an active lime production line in Egypt or the wider MENA region, we can discuss kiln sizing, preheater and cooler configuration, fuel selection, and expected performance based on your limestone data.
Contact Henan Hongke Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd.
Henan Hongke Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd.
Rotary Kilns | Rotary Dryers | Ball Mills | Crushers – Built for Reliability, Backed by Service