Robotic furnace passage tapping and plugging machine

This robot was designed because of the need to remove persons from exposure to very high temperatures (>1.200 C°), a very contaminated atmosphere and the risk of burning with incandescent material.

The robot is capable to perform three functions without operator intervention:

• Tapping the tapholes using oxybar lances or a jackhammer;
• sampling the hot discharge;
• and plugging the taphole with clay using a mudgun.

This robot was commissioned in the Flash furnace of Codelco’s Chuquicamata smelter in 2007.