Usage of a robot to service slide gates of casting ladles

The up-to-date robotic cell has been installed in a steelmaking workshop, which facilitates the work of operators when inspecting, cleaning and replacing lined elements of ladle gates. With full coordination, workshop workers interact with the robot in a safe and ergonomic way. The most time-consuming operations are performed by the robot, and the capabilities of operators to monitor and control the process as a whole are expanded compared to conventional manual methods through the use of vision systems and an intelligent human-machine interface (HMI). Thus, the system contributes to improving the protection of health and ensuring the safety of workers, as well as the quality and reproducibility of operations. The described robotic cell allows to save workers from labor-intensive operations, greatly contributing to improving the health and safety of workers in metallurgical workshops. Corresponding positive effects are also expected due to better reproducibility and traceability of the entire maintenance procedure. The aim of the further work will be to increase the degree of automation due to the specialized design of the slide gate, which allows to fully utilize the capabilities of the robot.