Dynamic Concept and EPIQ Machinery enters into a partnership to promote an advanced robotic solution for aluminium casthouses

Dynamic Concept and EPIQ Machinery have announced a breakthrough in robotic solutions. Indeed, the two Quebec-based equipment manufacturers have combined their forces to co-create a robotic equipment that will improve the maintenance operations of molten metal furnaces for primary and secondary aluminium smelters.

The key elements of the complete system, for which the technology is patent pending, were developed and manufactured by Dynamic Concept. The company has enlisted the help of the EPIQ MECFOR team, a brand known in the industry for its mobile equipment and its Smart Casthouse Solutions. EPIQ MECFOR contributed to the engineering and manufacturing of the components providing the equipment’s required mobility and tools for working in molten aluminium.

This innovative, energy-efficient robot will automate furnace tending operations such as: skimming, dry cleaning and stirring through programmed sequences. With its geometry and its ability to produce different movement patterns, the robot will improve the quality of operations. Battery-powered, the mainstay of an autonomous system, it will undoubtedly offer great adaptability to any environment and will have unparalleled flexibility, thanks to the integration of an artificial vision system.
The automated robotic furnace tending (ARFT) equipment, which has already been tested in real operational conditions, will undergo full operation at a major world-class aluminium producer’s site in the coming months.

This partnership between Dynamic Concept and EPIQ Machinery is a concrete example of dynamic industrial symbiosis aimed at accelerating the development of high-quality equipment. The co-creation of new state-of-the-art equipment such as ARFT, the furnace tending robot, makes it possible to potentiate the expertise and know-how of each party. This is clearly a win/win situation: better equipment readily available quicker.

'It is a pleasure for EPIQ Machinery to participate in the co-creation of a sophisticated and powerful equipment. It is a first step towards greater robotization for the execution of complex and high-risk tasks. We are convinced that ARFT, the automated furnace tending robot, fits with Industry 4.0 trends and will meet our customers’ demands. In a near future, it can be moved, in the plant, from one furnace to another using an EPIQ AGV. - Éloïse Harvey, Chief Executive Officer, EPIQ Machinery

'This partnership is for us a great example that Equipment manufacturers can collaborate not only in the exchange of services, but also in the development of advanced technologies by combining their strengths to increase global competitiveness and commercialization efforts and thus increase our offer of innovative equipment.' - Patrice Côté, President, Dynamic Concept