In the cooling bed process of metallurgical bar production, manual sampling has long been a persistent industry pain point: the harsh high-temperature working environment poses severe safety risks for on-site operators; human operation leads to unstable sampling accuracy and inconsistent testing data; intermittent manual sampling also disrupts the normal production rhythm, hindering enterprises from achieving safer production and higher operational efficiency.
Our Cooling Bed Robotic Automatic Sampling and Testing System features full-process automation, superior adaptability to harsh working conditions and intelligent data management as its core strengths. It fully replaces manual sampling in high-temperature areas, realizing unmanned closed-loop operation covering the entire process of bar sampling, cooling, sample preparation, testing and labeling. We provide metallurgical enterprises with a safe, efficient and precise sampling and testing solution, empowering the intelligent upgrade of the cooling bed process and driving the high-quality development of steel production.
I. Robust Adaptability, Tailored for Metallurgical Production Scenarios
1. Extreme Condition Resilience
Custom-designed for the high-temperature, heavy-dust and high-vibration characteristics of metallurgical operations, the system is built with a full-dimensional protection system. It withstands the extreme temperature fluctuations of metallurgical production and adapts to special on-site conditions such as tropical desert arid climates, ensuring stable and reliable operation in various harsh working environments without additional on-site modification.
2. Full-Spec Compatibility & Process Adaptation
Supporting the sampling needs of Φ10+ full-spec bars and rebars, the system is fully compatible with various production processes including multi-slitting and single-line rolling. It achieves intelligent linkage and synchronous follow-up with the walking cooling bed for sampling operations, without interrupting the normal production line operation. The system perfectly fits the existing production rhythm of enterprises and ensures uncompromised production capacity output.
3. Customizable Sampling for Diverse Testing Needs
Sampling length can be customized on demand according to enterprises’ production and testing standards, adapting to the sampling requirements of different specification bars. It also enables automatic splitting and single-bar precise testing for multi-slitting bars, meeting the diversified and refined quality testing needs of metallurgical enterprises.
II. Integrated System Design, Building a Full-Process Unmanned Operation System
1. Scientific Design for Easy On-Site Implementation
Following the four core principles of maximized space utilization, humanized operation and maintenance, standardized safety protection and minimized on-site modification, the system layout is fully tailored to the on-site working conditions and production line layout of enterprises. It requires no major modification of existing production facilities, supports both automatic continuous operation and emergency manual operation, and reduces the cost of on-site implementation and commissioning.
2. Full-Module Integration for Closed-Loop Operation
As an integrated turnkey solution, the system integrates ten core modules: sampling manipulator, handling robot, cooling water tank, material splitting system, fixed-length sawing system, high-precision testing system, visual positioning and tracking system, waste conveying system, intelligent control system and high-temperature protection system. All modules collaborate efficiently to realize a full-process unmanned closed-loop operation from sampling trigger to testing archiving, with no manual intervention required throughout the process.
3. World-Class Component Configuration for Reliable Operation
The core hardware is all equipped with world-renowned brand products with IP67 protection grade. From six-axis industrial robots to intelligent control systems, all adopt high-spec and high-reliability configurations. Combined with fully sealed servo ground rails and special high-temperature protection accessories, the system comprehensively guarantees the long-term stable operation of equipment in complex metallurgical working conditions and significantly reduces equipment failure rates.
III. Full-Process Intelligent Operation, Achieving Unmanned High-Efficiency Linkage
Deeply linked with the production line, the system realizes real-time tracking and synchronous operation with the cooling bed movement, with no manual operation required throughout the process. The standardized operation process ensures efficient and precise progress of sampling and testing, with the core operation links as follows:
- Intelligent Trigger & Precise Positioning: The control system starts automatically upon receiving the sampling signal or reaching the set time. The visual positioning and tracking system identifies the bar position in real time and accurately guides the robot to the optimal sampling point.
- Synchronous Cutting & Stable Gripping: The robot moves synchronously with the cooling bed to complete precise bar cutting and one-time stable gripping, effectively avoiding sampling quality issues caused by bar offset and crossing.
- Rapid Cooling & Automatic Splitting: Sampled bars are transferred to the cooling water tank for rapid cooling. Multi-slitting bars are automatically split into single bars and centered by the material splitting system, preparing for subsequent testing.
- Fixed-Length Sawing & Automatic Waste Disposal: Sampled bars are cut to fixed lengths according to testing requirements. Cutting waste is automatically collected and uniformly processed through special pipelines without manual cleaning, keeping the operation site neat and tidy.
- Precise Testing & Real-Time Data Upload: Sampled bars are transferred to the testing system for a full range of index testing. Test data is collected and transmitted in real time, realizing intelligent and data-driven testing process.
- Automatic Labeling & Cyclic Operation: After testing, sampled bars are automatically labeled with complete information including specification, batch number and testing data. Upon completion of labeling, the robot automatically returns to the original position and enters the next operation cycle.
IV. Four Core Technical Strengths, Forging Industry Competitive Advantages
1. Intelligent Visual Positioning, Leading Sampling Accuracy in the Industry
Based on machine vision and deep learning technologies, the system builds an intelligent positioning and tracking system, realizing four core functions: real-time bar tracking, optimal sampling point identification, dynamic cutting process detection and real-time cutting result verification. It can automatically judge sampling feasibility and switch to adaptive sampling multiple lengths, achieving industry-leading one-time success rate for sampling and gripping and guaranteeing sampling quality and operation efficiency from the source.
2. Multi-Layer High-Temperature Protection, Comprehensive Guarantee for Equipment Stability
A full-dimensional, multi-layer thermal insulation and protection system is built for the high-temperature working environment of metallurgy: core executive components adopt heat-resistant design with special thermal insulation sleeves; accessories such as lead screws, cables and air pipes are all treated with high-temperature protection; servo motors and robot bodies are equipped with customized high-temperature insulation devices; key moving parts adopt fully sealed structures for dust, high-temperature and vibration resistance, greatly improving the service life and operational reliability of the equipment.
3. Dual-Mode Operation + Intelligent Diagnosis, Safe and Convenient O&M
- Flexible Dual-Mode Switching: Supporting one-click switching between automatic and manual modes, the automatic mode realizes full-process unmanned operation, while the manual mode allows independent operation of each unit to meet various needs such as equipment commissioning, daily maintenance and emergency handling.
- Intelligent Fault Self-Diagnosis: The system is equipped with a complete self-diagnosis function, displaying equipment operation status and operation records in real time. In case of faults, it triggers real-time sound and light alarms and pushes fault location, causes and recommended solutions, significantly improving fault handling efficiency.
- Multi-Level Safety Interlock Protection: Protective fences and safety door locks are installed around the equipment, and the opening of the safety door triggers an immediate robot shutdown command; emergency stop buttons adopt hard and soft dual-connection design, comprehensively avoiding operational risks and ensuring the safety of on-site personnel and equipment.
4. Interconnected Data, Realizing Full-Process Quality Traceability
Test data is displayed in real time on the production line operation screen and uploaded to the enterprise’s Level 2 system via Ethernet, realizing real-time data sharing, historical data storage and dynamic quality monitoring. The automatic bar labeling function achieves full-process information traceability from sampling, cutting and testing to archiving. Every sample can be accurately traced to relevant production and testing data, providing reliable data support for enterprise quality control.
V. Five Core Values, Empowering the High-Quality Development of Metallurgical Enterprises
1. Safety Upgrade: Eliminating High-Temperature Operation Risks Thoroughly
Fully replacing manual sampling in high-temperature areas, the system completely eradicates safety accidents such as operator scalds and mechanical injuries, solving the safety pain point of sampling in metallurgical production from the source and building a solid safety line for enterprise production.
2. Efficiency Upgrade: Over 50% Improvement in Sampling Efficiency Compared with Manual Operation
Replacing manual operation with unmanned full-process operation, combined with intelligent visual positioning and high-speed synchronous cutting technology, the system achieves more than 50% improvement in sampling efficiency compared with manual operation. Sampling operations are linked synchronously with the production line without interrupting the production rhythm, helping enterprises improve overall production efficiency.
3. Quality Upgrade: Realizing Data-Driven and Visualized Quality Control
Replacing manual measurement with automatic testing, the system effectively avoids human errors and significantly improves the consistency and accuracy of testing data. Real-time collection, upload and analysis of testing data break the information island of manual recording, driving the transformation of enterprise quality control from experience-based judgment to data-driven decision-making.
4. Cost Reduction: Reducing Dual Losses of Labor and Materials
Unmanned full-process operation greatly reduces labor costs in the sampling link; the precise cutting and automatic waste disposal system effectively reduces bar loss and improves raw material utilization rate; the high-reliability design of the equipment significantly cuts down later maintenance and replacement costs, helping enterprises achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement.
5. Adaptability Upgrade: Meeting the Diversified Development Needs of Enterprises
The system is adaptable to full-spec bars and various production processes with customizable sampling parameters. It also has excellent expandability and can be upgraded and modified according to enterprises’ capacity expansion and process optimization needs, continuously matching the development rhythm of enterprises and providing technical support for their long-term development.
VI. Proven Project Implementation Experience, Validated by Large-Scale Special Steel Enterprises
The system has been large-scale applied in many domestic large special steel enterprises, covering various metallurgical production scenarios such as section steel plants, long product divisions, bar and coil workshops and medium rolling workshops, and successfully adapted to bar production lines of different specifications and processes.
Validated by rigorous actual production, the equipment can achieve 72-hour continuous operation at full load without abnormalities with an excellent normal operation rate, fully meeting the continuous, efficient and stable production needs of steel enterprises. We provide full-process professional services from customized solution design, on-site implementation to commissioning, operation and maintenance and after-sales support, ensuring rapid commissioning and high-efficiency operation of the equipment. It has become a benchmark solution for the intelligent upgrade of the cooling bed sampling link in the metallurgical industry.
