Choose a robot for the exact task and the measured hazards at its base, arm, wrist, tooling, and cables—not simply because it is sold as a “foundry robot.” Define the load, reach, cycle, heat and contamination exposure, then verify the limits of the complete robot configuration and engineered cell with the manufacturer and integrator. Foundry and steel-mill work can range from washdown and machine tending to molten-metal handling; one robot or protection rating cannot be assumed suitable for all of them.
How do I choose a robot for a foundry or steel mill?
Start with the operation, not the plant label. Ladling, die-casting tending, skimming, forging, inspection, cleaning, and material removal impose different loads, access requirements, tooling, cycle demands, and hazards. A robot selected for one of these tasks is not automatically suitable for another, even when both take place in a foundry.
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Before requesting proposals, create a task sheet that describes the work and the environment at the robot and wrist. Include the tool, cables, workpiece, and any off-center load in the payload calculation. Record the operating sequence and exposure duration as well as peak conditions: a brief radiant-heat exposure is different from continuous high ambient temperature, just as occasional splash differs from repeated washdown.
Build a task and environment specification
- Operation and material: Define the process—such as inspection, machine tending, ladling, skimming, casting, forging, cleaning, or another specific task—and describe the part or material being handled.
- Payload and inertia: State the mass and load distribution of the workpiece, gripper or other end effector, cables, and attachments. Include expected off-center loads and how they change during the motion. Payload is not just the part’s weight; the robot must move the complete tool-and-load arrangement within the selected model’s limits.
- Reach and access: Map the working envelope, approach angles, mounting position, fixtures, and any need for a linear or gantry axis. Reach is the distance and usable workspace needed to perform the task, not a guarantee that the robot can reach every point with the required load or orientation.
- Exposure: Measure or establish ambient temperature, radiant and contact heat, splash, dust, scale, steam, water jets, oils, chemicals, corrosion, and exposure duration and frequency. Specify where the exposure occurs, especially at the wrist, dress pack, cables, and end effector.
- Performance and duty: State cycle time, operating hours per shift, required repeatability or process tolerance, acceleration needs, and planned availability. Duty cycle describes how often and how long the robot works; confirm the selected configuration is suitable for that duty and environment.
- Cell and people: Identify process hazards, guarding, operator and maintenance access, safety functions, controls, utilities, and service access. A robot cell is the complete application around the robot, including its tool, fixtures, guarding, controls, safety systems, and integration.
- Support and recovery: Ask about spares, maintenance intervals, local manufacturer and integrator coverage, commissioning, training, and how the plant will recover from a fault.
Compare complete configurations, not brand labels
Use the same task sheet for each proposal. Compare payload with the tool and workpiece included, reach and mounting, stated environmental limits and protection configuration, suitability of the end effector, process performance, integration and safety scope, and service support. Ask vendors to identify the precise robot variant and accessories covered by each limit, and to state the permitted exposure duration and conditions. Manufacturer specifications and standards-body pages provide useful boundaries, but the available examples here do not establish an independent head-to-head performance or total-cost ranking.
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What does a foundry configuration protect against?
“Foundry robot” is a manufacturer configuration category, not a universal process rating. It may refer to features such as enhanced sealing, corrosion-resistant coatings, protected cables and electronics, heat-resistant components, or a compatible gripper. Confirm which features are included on the exact model and whether they address the exposure in your process.
An IP rating describes an enclosure-protection classification; it does not, by itself, establish a permissible operating temperature, continuous radiant-heat tolerance, or safety for molten-metal exposure. Likewise, a claim about a protected wrist should not be treated as a rating for the whole robot, its cables, tooling, or cell. Ask for limits for the complete configuration and exposure conditions.
ABB Foundry Plus 2
ABB’s Foundry Plus 2 brochure, dated November 2011, describes an optional foundry-protection system for applications including die casting, sand casting, forging, machining, ladling, and skimming. The brochure says the whole robot is IP67 compliant and can withstand high-pressure steam washing; it also describes improved sealing, cable and electronics protection, corrosion-resistant coatings, and an optional cable guard.
The brochure lists compatible models including IRB 140, IRB 1600, IRB 2400, IRB 2600, IRB 4400, IRB 4600, IRB 6620, IRB 6640, IRB 6650S, IRB 6660-205/1.9, and IRB 7600. Because the brochure is old, confirm current availability, model compatibility, and limits directly with ABB before specifying a system.
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KUKA describes foundry variants with IP67-protected wrists, heat- and corrosion-resistant features, special seals, and heat-resistant special-steel gripper tooling. Its foundry offerings span stated payloads from 3 to 1,300 kg across a family of variants; those endpoints are not specifications for every model. For the KR 1000 titan F example, KUKA’s foundry product page lists payload up to 1,300 kg and reach up to 6.5 m. Confirm the chosen variant’s current datasheet, tool and load conditions, and application envelope.
KUKA’s January 2020 KR QUANTEC announcement specifies ambient temperatures up to 55 °C for the described Foundry variants and a maximum wrist temperature of 180 °C for ten seconds per minute. The wrist figure is a bounded exposure, not a continuous operating temperature for the whole robot. Wolfgang Bildl, KUKA product manager, described the variants as offering greater application flexibility; that is the manufacturer’s statement, not independent comparative evidence.
ABB IRB 6790 Foundry Prime
ABB lists the IRB 6790 Foundry Prime for high-pressure water-jet cleaning, washing, and similar harsh, high-humidity work, with IP69 protection. ABB’s product page gives two variants: 205 kg payload at 2.80 m reach, or 235 kg payload at 2.65 m reach. These are product-page specifications for the stated cleaning application. Check the current datasheet, tool and load conditions, and application envelope before comparing either variant with another robot.
Which example fits which kind of work?
| Example | Published scope or figures | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| ABB Foundry Plus 2 | Optional foundry protection described for casting, forging, machining, ladling, skimming, and related work; the November 2011 brochure states IP67 for the whole robot and resistance to high-pressure steam washing. | Current availability, exact model compatibility, exposure limits, and what protection is included in the proposed configuration. |
| KUKA foundry variants | KUKA describes foundry and forging configurations. The KR 1000 titan F example is listed at up to 1,300 kg payload and up to 6.5 m reach; a January 2020 announcement gives specific bounded temperature claims for KR QUANTEC Foundry variants. | The specifications of the selected model, wrist and ambient exposure limits, load and tooling, and whether the cited variant is available for the intended application. |
| ABB IRB 6790 Foundry Prime | ABB lists IP69 protection for high-pressure water-jet cleaning and washing; its product page gives 205 kg at 2.80 m reach or 235 kg at 2.65 m reach. | Current datasheet, payload calculation including tooling, exact cleaning exposure, and usable application envelope. |
| Boston Dynamics Spot at POSCO | Boston Dynamics’ case study says POSCO began using Spot for blast-furnace inspections in 2023. It describes radiant heat and furnace gas as hazards and mobile inspections as a way to reduce time spent in one place. | Whether a mobile inspection robot addresses the task; this example does not establish suitability for handling molten steel or replacing a fixed process manipulator. |
These examples show why the task matters: a cleaning robot, a high-payload foundry arm, and a mobile inspection robot solve different problems. The published figures are not a common test under matched conditions, so they do not establish which manufacturer is faster, more reliable, or less costly for a particular plant.
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Can an industrial robot work near molten metal?
Do not treat a foundry label, an IP rating, or a general robot safety standard as proof that a robot can safely handle molten metal. ISO’s published scope pages for ISO 10218-1:2025 and ISO 10218-2:2025 identify molten-metal handling or hazards related to loads such as molten metals among exclusions, along with severe conditions outside manufacturer specifications. That makes application-specific hazard assessment and evidence for the exact engineered system essential.
For a proposed molten-metal task, require the manufacturer and integrator to address the actual process, robot and tooling configuration, exposure profile, safeguards, and foreseeable failure conditions. Determine what is covered by the robot specification, what is covered by cell integration, and what remains a plant-level process hazard. Check applicable local law and the full standards; the ISO scope descriptions are not a substitute for either.
How do ISO 10218-1:2025 and ISO 10218-2:2025 apply?
ISO 10218-1:2025, edition 3, was published in February 2025. ISO describes it as addressing safety requirements for an industrial robot as a machine before integration into a complete system. ISO 10218-2:2025, edition 2, also published in February 2025, addresses integration of robot applications and cells, including design, commissioning, operation, maintenance, decommissioning, and disposal.
In ISO’s explanatory wording, “ISO 10218-1 provides the safety requirements for the robot as a machine itself, while ISO 10218-2 focuses on the integration of robots into complete systems, ensuring comprehensive safety coverage from individual components to fully operational cells.” The practical distinction is important: a robot specification is not a complete assessment of the installed application. Consider the robot and its cell, including the task hazards, guarding, controls, and life cycle, and verify the requirements that apply in the plant’s jurisdiction.
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Yes, when the defined task is inspection that benefits from moving between locations rather than manipulating process loads. Boston Dynamics’ POSCO case study reports that the steelmaker began using Spot for blast-furnace inspections in 2023. It describes radiant heat and furnace gas as hazards and explains that the robot moves between locations to reduce the time spent in one place. This is an example of a mobile inspection approach, not evidence of a general high-temperature rating or a substitute for a fixed arm used in process handling.
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