Robotic Systems in the European Steel Industry: State-of-Art and Use Cases

Abstract

The current digital and technological transformation affecting the European steel industry is carried out through the continuous and progressive application of Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) according to the Industry 4.0 paradigm. Among these technologies, robotic systems and autonomous vehicles (UAV/UGV), are increasingly applied in steel plants with the aim of improving health and safety in workplaces. Dangerous operations related to monitoring, maintenance and safety are often performed by using such systems in order to avoid workers’ exposure to accidents and injuries. Therefore, robotic applications and autonomous vehicles, which are suitably equipped with artificial vision and innovative sensors, are integrated in the daily operations by supporting humans and interacting with them according to well defined procedures, in order to minimise potential and dangerous events. The present chapter assesses the state-of-art for this technology, by analysing both the literature and European-funded projects, and investigates two specific use-cases related to different applications in steel plants with specific focus on the workforce impact in terms of implications in work organisation and operational procedure. Moreover, changed work patterns (e.g., behaviours, tasks, decision-making, training, skills, etc.) are also discussed considering human experience as a fundamental aspect.