Modern cement works are equipped with control technology which enables
the operator to operate the machines and plant safely and to monitor
the quality of the product continuously. The plant is kept at a certai
n working point by the operator's empirical knowledge and by target va
lues given. by the process engineer In most cases this working point i
s not the optimum - e.g. with respect to the specific energy consumpti
on - and there is the question of what setpoint values should be input
into the control loops to bring the plant close to this point. This q
uestion. has to be answered by the process engineer This article descr
ibes an ''assistant'' in the form of a software solution, which uses s
uitable models adapted to suit the plant to hell, the process engineer
to determine the optimum working point, e. g. for a cement grinding c
ircuit.