Primetals Technologies has received the Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC) for the successful installation and commissioning of TrimRob, the industry’s first foundry-rated robotic coil trimming and sampling system, at Hyundai Steel’s wire rod mill in Dangjin, South Korea. The project was executed in collaboration with Polytec, a global provider of robotic automation solutions.
The successful commissioning marks the completion of the robotic system’s deployment, introducing a fully automated solution for trimming and sampling wire rod coils. The installation is expected to improve workplace safety, increase operational efficiency and deliver consistent product quality by replacing labour-intensive manual processes with advanced robotic automation.
Traditionally, coil trimming and sampling in wire rod mills require two to four operators per shift to manually trim the head and tail of each coil using handheld cutting tools. Since wire rod coils are produced approximately every minute at temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius, the process exposes workers to demanding physical conditions, repetitive movements and significant safety risks while maintaining strict production quality requirements.
TrimRob has been developed to eliminate these challenges by automating the entire trimming and sampling operation. The system combines an advanced machine vision platform with a specially designed robotic trimming tool capable of carrying out the complete process without operator intervention.
The intelligent vision system can identify individual wire rings, detect tangles and overlapping sections, and automatically determine the correct cutting position using built-in processing logic. This enables precise and consistent trimming while maintaining production efficiency across different product sizes and grades.
Ravindra Goyal, Head of Process at Primetals Technologies USA, said automation is becoming increasingly important for the global steel industry as manufacturers focus on improving both productivity and workplace safety. He noted that the TrimRob system significantly reduces repetitive strain injuries by removing operators from hazardous work areas and allowing them to take on higher-value responsibilities within the production process.
The factory acceptance tests conducted at Hyundai Steel’s Dangjin facility confirmed that TrimRob met all agreed operational and performance requirements. The robotic system demonstrated consistent cycle-time performance while processing wire rods with diameters ranging from 5.5 millimetres to 20 millimetres across multiple steel grades and material strengths.
The system is designed to cut the exact sample length required for quality inspection or, where necessary for metallurgical reasons, one additional ring. It consistently delivers the required sample length without cutting below specification, helping improve quality control and process reliability.
The completion of the project highlights the growing adoption of intelligent automation in steel manufacturing. By integrating robotics, advanced vision technology and automated process control, Primetals Technologies and Hyundai Steel have introduced a solution that enhances worker safety, improves production consistency and supports higher operational efficiency. The successful implementation of TrimRob at Hyundai Steel’s Dangjin plant also demonstrates the increasing role of robotic technologies in modern steel production, enabling manufacturers to create safer workplaces while maintaining high standards of productivity and product quality.
