POSCO targets robotic automation solutions for new growth

SEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province -- POSCO DX Co., the IT services subsidiary of South Korea’s largest steelmaker POSCO Group, aims to enter the robotic automation solution business in 2025 as the conglomerate actively utilizes robots in production to increase safety and productivity in the workplace.

POSCO DX, formerly POSCO ICT Co., is improving its robot capabilities in the group’s core businesses such as steel and electric vehicle battery materials to accomplish the goal.

“Companies are accelerating the introduction of robots to ensure the safety of workplaces and cope with the declining working population,” said POSCO DX CEO Jung Dukkyoon during a conference at its office in Pangyo, Seongnam, Korea's so-called Silicon Valley.

“POSCO DX aims to foster the robot business as a new growth engine while leading the expansion of robots across industries through cooperation with group companies.”

More than 100 plants of affiliates including POSCO’s steel mills and POSCO Future M Co.'s cathode factories use or have used robots, Jung said.

ROBOTS HANDLE DANGEROUS JOBS

POSCO’s steel mill in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, introduced robots, which remove dross rom the zinc plating process by recognizing the unwanted material through artificial intelligence, last month. The machines are handling dangerous work previously done by employees, who had to regularly stir the liquid zinc boiling at 419 degree Celsius or higher.

Pohang Steel Works has been using robots that cut cold-rolled steel plates to prevent accidents caused by the bouncing of steel plates in the process of cutting and binding. The robots are capable of cutting 400 coils per hour.

The steelmaker is also actively utilizing robots for its logistics sector. The two steel mills are operating more than 20 automated guided vehicles (AGVs), which can move two cold-rolled coils weighing 25 tons each and a pallet weighing 10 tons at once.

POSCO E&C, the group’s construction unit, is using robots for safety checks, welding and construction automation in a rare move for the local industry.

Write to Jin-Won Kim at jin1@hankyung.com
 
Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.