Stainless steelmaker first in the industry to use robotics for safety

Outokumpu will start to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and safety inspection robots to improve and digitize the company’s facilities’ health and safety monitoring.

The company signed a deal with a Swiss robotics company ANYbotics on autonomous robotics solutions and, in June 2023, the first ANYmal robot arrived to Outokumpu’s site in Krefeld, Germany.

“[The] use of AI and robotics for safety management is one of the cornerstones of our safety strategy. ANYbotics’ robotics technology will help us to increase safety by reducing employee exposure to hazardous substances and environments, optimize production through preventive maintenance, and decrease environmental impacts. In 2022, we started to research the possibilities to utilize AI in safety management. Safety robotics emerged as the best alternative and ANYbotics as the best supplier for the robotics. We are pleased to collaborate with ANYbotics to support our safety journey onwards”, said Thorsten Piniek, vice president, health and safety at Outokumpu.

“Outokumpu is an excellent partner to pioneer the deployment of ANYmal in the metals sector. Outokumpu’s site in Krefeld poses particular challenges in dealing with its tough environmental conditions and hazardous substances where the robot can prove its industrial ruggedness, autonomy, and end-to-end integration", commented Luca Niccolini, lead metals at ANYbotics.

According to Outokumpu, the use of robotics could reduce human exposure to hazardous substances by 80%, with the company having already deployed one robot at its site in Krefeld, Germany.