Qdos chemical metering pump boosts production at Cementos Patriota through accurate additive dosing

Cementos Patriota, a cement producer based in Colombia, has significantly increased production following the installation of a Qdos 30 Universal+ chemical metering pump.
 
The improvement is down to the more accurate dosing of grinding aid additives by the Qdos peristaltic pump, which has led to a more consistent and higher-quality final product.

Cementos Patriota, located in Sogamoso, Boyacá, mainly produces a general-purpose hydraulic cement (Portland cement), manufactured in compliance with NTC 121 standards, certified by Icontec. The company promotes a sustainable development model, prioritising processes that minimise environmental impact and generate benefits for the Boyacá community.

Problems with diaphragm pumps

At its grinding plant, Cementos Patriota faced the challenge of improving the final cement quality through more precise additive dosing control.

Previously, the plant relied on diaphragm pumps, which presented several operational challenges:

• Unstable dosing: air accumulation in diaphragms interrupted the process
• Lack of control: the equipment was not integrated with the control room, making monitoring difficult
• Inconsistent consumption: without inventory control, additive usage fluctuated month by month
• Impact on production: low dosing accuracy led to reduced cement strength and inventory imbalances

More precise dosing

Cementos Patriota installed a Qdos 30 Universal+ dosing pump after selecting it for its ability to provide:

• High precision, daily dosing of grinding aid additive to the grinding line
• Seamless integration with the control room for real-time, bidirectional monitoring
• Reduced maintenance costs thanks to its easy-change pumphead and dry-running capability
• Built-in anti-siphon function, preventing additive backflow when the pump stops

In addition, the robust design of the Qdos 30 pump ensures reliable operation in dusty environments, typical of cement plants.

Increased production

Since adopting the Qdos pump, Cementos Patriota has benefited from consistency of dosing which leads to a higher-quality final product and greater stability in the production process.

During a one-week pilot trial, immediate improvements were recorded in dosing accuracy and grinding efficiency.
 
With the previous diaphragm pumps, if they failed, Cementos Patriota had to call the chemical supplier, which could take 1–3 days. With the Qdos, it ran for a year without failure for Cementos Patriota.

“Using the Qdos pump allowed us to stabilise additive dosing, improve grinding and increase production. In addition, maintenance is minimal, and operation is much simpler,” said the production engineer at Cementos Patriota.

Key benefits:

• Increased production: from 8 t/h to 12 t/h
• Greater dosing accuracy from the very first day of operation
• Reduced maintenance times, as no frequent adjustments or calibrations were required
• Improved inventory control, for both additives and cement 

Learn more about Qdos chemical metering pumps