Belin Güngör, Head of Metals & Minerals for North America at ANYbotics, leads AI-driven robotic inspection solutions for heavy industries. ANYmal robots are transforming routine inspections and predictive maintenance in metals and mining through autonomy, agility, and real-time data insights, boosting safety and efficiency while addressing labour gaps. In an interview for Advanced Industrial Technologies in the Aluminium Industry (Part II) e-Magazine, Belin Güngör emphasised the growing demand for robotics in hazardous aluminium environments and how ANYmal enables proactive maintenance and operational continuity.

AL Circle: Can you outline ANYmal robots, four-legged autonomy, and the sensor suite (visual, thermal, gas, and acoustic) and address the operational challenges in aluminium smelting or extrusion lines?

Belin Güngör: ANYmal, ANYbotics’ fourlegged robot, is built for autonomous inspection. This means it operates without human intervention, making it ideal for hazardous environments like aluminium mills. Typically, ANYmal is deployed in midstream processing lines, in areas such as hot mills, cold mills, coating lines, finishing lines, and cap holes. So, most of the production lines you would find in a typical mill. We haven’t currently assessed ANYmal’s application in smelting or extrusion, but we have multiple deployments in midstream aluminium production.

AL Circle: Which analogue instruments or gauges in aluminium processing—e.g., mould temperature controls, hydraulic presses, cranes—could ANYmal reliably digitise through computer vision or sensor-based reads? 

Belin Güngör: We typically operate where there›s a lot of auxiliary equipment, like motors, pumps, bearings, valves, and gauges - which are common in areas like hot mills, cold mills, coating lines, even refractory linings on furnaces. Beyond that, we also deploy ANYmal in high-voltage areas. While not exclusive to aluminium plants, many of our customers in the metals industry have these zones. ANYmal can detect issues like partial discharge and air leaks—tasks which are typically handled by human inspection teams. Though critical equipment often has sensors, people are still needed for checks, and many companies are experimenting with vibration analysis. Currently, many companies rely on third parties or in-house teams for vibration analysis. ANYmal offers a smart alternative; instead of adding more sensors to every piece of equipment or relying solely on manual checks, ANYmal acts as a mobile sensor platform. It carries the necessary sensors and navigates these areas, inspecting equipment without constant human presence. 

AL Circle: Deployment of robotics should complement, not replace, human workers. What workflows or safeguards are in place to ensure safe collaboration between ANYmal and on-site personnel?

Belin Güngör: Think of ANYmal as a data collection tool that is designed to support your existing teams, not replace them entirely. ANYmal operates daily alongside hundreds, even thousands, of people on massive sites worldwide. Because of this, advanced safety features are built in to ensure safe operation. ANYmal has onboard detection for both static and dynamic obstacles, meaning it can recognise everything from scattered pellets on the ground to moving machinery or people in its path, and it adapts its movements based on these detections. Beyond that, we’ve included various other controls. These include onboard systems for when ANYmal gets stuck and software-based safety features. Every ANYmal deployed onsite undergoes extensive screening by Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) teams to ensure it meets all their standards and site-specific requirements. 

To explore the full interview and gain deeper insights into the implication of AI robotics in the aluminium industry, click here.