Hanil Cement Introduces AI to Bucheon Ready-Mixed Concrete Plant, Expects Improved Production Efficiency

Selected for the 'Autonomous Plant Construction Support Project' by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups
6 Billion KRW in Government Funding Provided Over Two Years

Hanil Cement announced on August 8 that it will establish an artificial intelligence (AI)-based autonomous plant at its Bucheon ready-mixed concrete plant as early as this year.

Panoramic view of Hanil Cement Bucheon Plant. Hanil Cement

An autonomous plant is a facility that minimizes human intervention and is operated based on AI's independent decision-making. In conventional automated plants, humans control machines based on their own judgments. In contrast, autonomous plants utilize AI to analyze data collected by sensors, assess situations, adjust production plans, or detect and address issues in advance. With this implementation, Hanil Cement expects to improve production efficiency and reduce both quality variation and the risk of safety accidents.

The core technology of autonomous plants is the Digital Twin. A Digital Twin is a virtual replica of a real-world plant created within a computer, allowing for experiments and predictions to be conducted in a virtual space. This makes it possible to detect risk factors or identify ways to improve processes.

The Hanil Cement Bucheon ready-mixed concrete plant was recently selected for the 'Autonomous Plant Construction Support Project' promoted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs. As a result, the Bucheon plant will receive 600 million KRW in government funding over two years, which accounts for 50% of the total project cost of 1.2 billion KRW, to support the establishment of the autonomous plant.

A Hanil Cement official stated, "Based on the establishment of this autonomous plant, we will further accelerate process automation and the advancement of quality control," adding, "After measuring the results, we plan to consider expanding the application to other plants as well."