Abstract
The tapping operation of a metal, matte, or slag at a non-ferrous smelting furnace has a number of common aspects from one facility to another. In simple terms, the tap-hole initially requires the safe opening, the molten phase is allowed to flow through the tap-hole, and then the tap-hole needs to be safely closed. Until now, tapping in non-ferrous smelting operations is largely performed by an operator. Safe operations around the tap-hole require proper process control of the smelting furnaces, the proper tap-hole design for the required duty, and high-quality, robust tapping equipment. The present paper describes the successful development of a robotic system for automating the slag tapping operation at a full commercial scale on a large copper flash furnace. The development of this robotic tapping machine is described, and the operating features and performance are discussed.KeywordsRobotAutomationMiningFurnaceSmelterTappingLancingPluggingMud gunTap-holeMIRS
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