Mecfor unveils prototype automated guided vehicle (AGV) for aluminium smelters

Mecfor unveiled one of its most innovative projects to date, the first automated guided vehicle for aluminium smelters on August 16 in Quebec.  The AGV designed and manufactured in North America, will serve the global primary aluminium industry. Based in Saguenay, Quebec, Mecfor specializes in equipment design and manufacture for the global aluminium, mining and metals, and rail industries.

The vehicle is able to manoeuvre itself automatically with the help of artificial intelligence.  The ability to move automatically within a smelter that has strong magnetic fields, dust, wide temperature variations and constant interactions with workers and other equipment, was a challenge that has been handled successfully by the team.

“With this technological investment, Mecfor is positioning itself for the aluminium refinery of the future while opening the door to other, similar equipment tailored for different industries in which operations are conducted in hostile environments,” said Éloise Harvey, president of Mecfor. “At the same time, we are reaffirming our position as a leader in our sector and contribute to Quebec’s position as a trailblazer in new technologies.”

This is a major step toward realization of a green and sustainable aluminium plant. The prototype automated guided vehicle (AGV) is designed to carry crucibles of molten metal weighing up to 34 tonnes, but can also be used for carrying various other loads. The innovative technology behind the prototype is taking automated vehicles to a new level, changing the way the vehicles maneuver but also how operations are conducted inside aluminium plants.

The vehicle conforms to Mecfor’s goal of reducing the industry’s ecological footprint helping its customers achieve zero-emission objectives and produce environmentally responsible ingots. This new, cutting-edge vehicle will also provide a solution to the dire shortage of qualified labour in the aluminium industry.

“The industry is ready for this new approach to logistics and transport,” said Ms. Harvey.

The development of AGV TEAM was supported in part by the federal government through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council Canada.

“The Quebec government is proud to have partnered with Mecfor through a financial support of US$520,000 to fund the development of this new generation of automated guided transport systems…this vehicle is a concrete response to industry needs and demonstrates yet again that innovation is one of our core priorities,” said André Fortin, minister of Transports. 

Mecfor collaborated with AMERDEN, a world-renowned supplier with exhaustive expertise in automated guidance technology and with Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI) for the electric propulsion and batteries.