01 · Summary
A kiln control room simulator, built by a cement man.
CCR Academy is a kiln control room simulator that runs in a web browser. Operators sit a real shift on a live control screen. A problem hits. They read the trends, call what is wrong and make their moves. Then a coach explains what went well and what to work on, in plain words.
What it is
23 drills on the kiln, preheater, cooler, mills and utilities. A coach after every drill, by text or voice. English and Spanish. A readiness record for every operator.
Who it is for
New and developing control room operators, field operators moving up, kiln coaches and trainers, and the managers who sign people off.
How it is delivered
Any modern web browser. Nothing to install. It never connects to your DCS or plant network.
A mistake on the simulator costs nothing. The same mistake on a kiln can cost a trip and a day of clinker. CCR Academy lets operators make that mistake here first.
02 · How a drill works
Handover. Upset. Response. Debrief.
Every drill starts the way a real bad night starts: quietly, then all at once.
- The handoverThe operator gets a shift handover: what has been running rough, what the lab said, what to watch.
- The upsetAlarms sound, trends move, the field operator radios in. The kiln responds with real lags, noise and interlocks.
- Call it and actThe operator says what is wrong and moves fuel, feed, fans, kiln speed and dampers. Wrong moves have consequences.
- The debriefThe coach explains what happened and shows the operator's run next to an expert run of the same problem.
Standard drills take 10 to 20 minutes. Longer versions run up to 45 or 60 minutes, so a crew can fit a drill into the start of a shift or run a full session with a trainer.
03 · What the operator works with
The screens and tools of a real control room.
Process graphic
The kiln line from preheater to cooler. Click a piece of equipment to open its faceplate and make a move, the way you would on a DCS.
Alarms
Alarms by priority, with a horn that keeps sounding until acknowledged, and silence and acknowledge controls.
Trend screen
A separate trend page for a second monitor, with 2, 4 or 6 panels and 5 to 60 minute windows.
Field and Comms
The operator sends the field operator to check equipment by radio and reads the reply. A second trainee can join from a phone with a 4-digit code and play the field role.
Coach
Hints, a next move button, and a coach operators can ask questions by text or voice. Written in plain, simple words.
Language and units
One button switches the whole simulator, the coach and the voice to Spanish. US units by default, with a metric switch.
04 · Training modes
Practice, then prove it.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Practice | Help is there when the operator needs it: progressive hints, a next move button that points to the right control, and a show root cause button. Each one costs points, so leaning on help shows in the grade. |
| Test | No help, no alarm guide, no voice coach. The upset comes in stronger or weaker (0.85 to 1.2 times) and further along, different every run. A pass means the operator knows it, not just remembers it. |
| Shift run | 20 to 60 simulated minutes with 2 to 4 problems at random times. Operators learn to spot trouble without being told a drill has started. |
| Two-person drill | A board operator and a field operator on a phone work the same upset together over the radio. |
| Plant data replay | An instructor loads a historian CSV of a real event. Operators watch it unfold, call it, then see what really happened and what the crew did. |
| Expert overlay | After a run, the textbook run of the same drill is drawn over the operator's own trends. |
| Personal plan | Each operator gets a plan that repeats what they missed and spaces out reviews at 3, 7, 14 and 30 days so it sticks. |
05 · Drill library
23 drills. The problems that cost plants money.
Click any drill to see its shift handover, what the operator sees, the tags to watch and what it trains. Each drill has an answer key built from real operating practice: the ideal moves, the tempting wrong moves and the hard safety rules. The answer keys stay inside the simulator so tests stay honest.
No drills match. Try another word, or pick All.
Plus shift runs: 20 to 60 simulated minutes with 2 to 4 problems at random times. Plants can add custom drills for their own known trouble spots.
06 · Training courses
Courses for control room operators.
This is our standard catalog: eight courses run on the simulator and two are led by an instructor. We tailor each one to your sign-off levels, your plants and your procedures before a cohort starts. Click a course to open it; click a drill code to see that drill.
Times are typical. Most upset drills take about 15 minutes per attempt. Plan on 2 to 3 practice attempts per drill, then a test.
Sample 12-week path for a new control room operator
This path sits inside your existing training program. It does not replace it. Click a block to open that course. After sign-off, operators keep skills fresh with their personal plan and CCR 210 replays.
Simulator courses
Instructor-led sessions
07 · Scoring and readiness
Graded the same way, every run, every plant.
- Every drill is graded on safety, economy (fuel and air used per ton) and production.
- Shift runs are graded on safety, steady running and speed of response.
- Hard safety gates. Break a hard safety rule and the run fails its safety gate, whatever else went right.
- Help costs points: a hint costs 0.5, next move 1.5, show root cause 3.
When an operator counts as Ready
Ready means all four
Every safety drill at B or better. Three or more tests passed. A shift run at B or better. No safety gates in the last 30 days.
Three states
ReadyCloseNeeds work
Shown for every operator, by crew. We can set the rule to match your sign-off levels.
Training records print and export to CSV to support an MSHA Part 46 training program. They do not by themselves show compliance. Your competent person signs.
08 · Instructor and manager tools
Know who is ready before the kiln finds out.
Instructor console
Every operator's progress, with a crew filter.
Readiness board
Ready, Close or Needs work per operator, plus a weekly trend.
Training records
Printable records and CSV export for each operator.
Plant settings
Plant profiles, screen style per plant, and the replay loader for historian data.
09 · Tailoring to your plants
Tuned to your kiln lines, reviewed by your people.
The simulator ships with a standard kiln line. For your company we set it up like your plants, and your training lead reviews it before any cohort starts.
What the model covers
4, 5 or 6-stage preheaters. In-line or downdraft calciners. Alternative fuels at the burner or calciner, including whole tires. Your screen colors.
What we need from you
Which plants come first. Preheater stages and calciner type. The cooler. Fuels and alternative fuels. Screenshots of your control screens. Optionally, one historian case from a real upset.
Who checks it
Your training lead runs the drills on your kiln and checks the trends look like home. We adjust until they sign off.
10 · Requirements
What you need to start.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Computer | Any computer with a modern web browser and internet access. A large screen works best. |
| Second monitor | Optional, for the trend screen, so it feels like the real control room. |
| Phone | Only for the field role in two-person drills. |
| Installation | None. Nothing is installed. |
| Plant systems | It never connects to your DCS or plant network. Replays use a CSV file you choose to export. |
| Data stored | Operator names, drill results and training records. |
| Sign-in | Single sign-on with your identity provider is planned. |
11 · Questions
Common questions.
Does it replace our trainers or the simulator we already have?
No. It gives your trainers a better tool and adds daily practice and readiness evidence between classes. Simulators deliver the most inside a structured program with clear goals and evaluation, and we help you set that up.
How realistic is the kiln model?
The model is built around how real kilns behave: time lags between a move and its effect, noisy readings, equipment limits and burner safety interlocks. It is a training model built around the drills, not a digital twin. For your plants we tune it to your preheater, calciner, cooler and fuels so the trends look like home.
Can we add our own drills?
Yes. Plants can add custom drills for their own known trouble spots, and you can replay real events from your historian.
Does it work in Spanish?
Yes. One button switches the whole simulator, the coach and the voice to Spanish.
How long does a drill take?
Most drills run 10 to 20 minutes, with longer options up to 45 or 60 minutes. Shift runs are 20 to 60 simulated minutes.
What do we need to get started?
A computer with a browser, the list of plants to start with, and the plant details in section 09. We tune the first plant profile and your training lead reviews it.
12 · Contact
Talk to the people who built it.
Gerry McKervey, Owner, McK Cement
Gerry managed five cement plants over a 40-year career, including Essroc's Speed, Indiana plant from 1998 to 2005 and Lehigh Cement's Mason City, Iowa plant from 2005 to 2008. CCR Academy puts that experience in front of every operator, on every shift.