Crucible handling assist manipulator (also called crucible handling balance crane or high temperature assist manipulator) is an industrial auxiliary equipment designed for safe, efficient and labor-saving handling of high-temperature, heavy-loaded or fragile crucibles. It combines the zero-gravity balancing principle of traditional assist manipulators (balance cranes) with special high-temperature resistance and precise clamping technology for crucible operation.
Core working principle
The core of the crucible handling assist manipulator is its ability to balance the weight of the crucible, allowing the operator to move the crucible freely in three-dimensional space with only a small amount of force, and is equipped with specially designed high-temperature resistant clamps to safely grasp and release the crucible.
Advantages of crucible handling assist manipulator
Greatly improve safety:
Isolate high temperature: The operator does not need to directly contact the high-temperature crucible and molten metal, which significantly reduces the risk of work-related injuries such as scalds and burns.
Avoid heavy load fatigue: It eliminates occupational diseases such as muscle strain, sprains, and lumbar injuries that may be caused by workers carrying heavy objects.
Stable and non-slip: The manipulator has a stable grip, reducing the risk of the crucible slipping or tipping during handling.
Human-machine separation: Keep workers away from dangerous areas and focus on operations.
Significantly improve production efficiency:
Labor-saving and efficient: Operators can easily and quickly move crucibles, which speeds up material flow and shortens production cycles.
Single-person operation: Heavy crucibles that originally required multiple workers to move together can now be easily completed by one person, saving manpower.
Reduced auxiliary time: Fast and accurate positioning reduces alignment and adjustment time.
Improve product quality and consistency:
Precise pouring/placing: Operators can better control the pouring angle and speed of the crucible in a “zero gravity” state, ensuring stable pouring of molten materials, reducing splashing and unevenness, which is especially important in high-demand occasions such as precision casting and crystal growth.
Reduced pollution: Reduce the risk of pollution caused by manual operation.
Improve working environment: Reduced operating intensity, improved workers’ work experience, and helped to improve employee satisfaction and loyalty.
High precision and flexibility:
Combining the power of the machine and human intelligence, it can achieve millimeter-level precise positioning while retaining the flexibility of manual operation to cope with complex furnace or mold alignment.
Typical application scenarios
The crucible handling assist manipulator plays an important role in the following industries that have strict requirements for crucible operation:
Metallurgy and casting industry:
Precision casting: Take the molten metal out of the melting furnace and accurately pour it into the ceramic shell or mold.
Non-ferrous metal smelting: Handle crucibles of non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, copper, and zinc.
Alloy preparation: Accurately add different alloy elements in front of the furnace.
Semiconductor material production:
Single crystal silicon, sapphire crystal growth: Handle, place and take out quartz crucibles containing molten silicon or alumina, which are usually fragile and high value.
Preparation of high-purity materials: Crucible operations that require precise control and avoid contamination.
Powder metallurgy and ceramic sintering:
The crucible filled with powder or ceramic green body is sent into a high-temperature sintering furnace.
Specialty Glass Manufacturing: Crucibles for handling molten specialty glass.
Laboratory and Research: Safe and efficient handling of crucibles when conducting material experiments at high temperatures, in a vacuum or in special atmospheres.
