EPIQ Machinery and DTA formed a team agreement for close collaboration aimed at bringing an array of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to the aluminum market.
“Our approach and our corporate values come together,” said Éloïse Harvey, CEO of EPIQ Machinery. “Our unique expertise and know-how complement each other and allow us to offer much more than AGVs. We will be able to support our clients and evaluate their entire process and provide fixed and mobile equipment. We will thus have the capacity to act as an integrator of global turnkey solutions and to continue to offer full after-sales service and technical support.”
With over 20 years of experience in designing and supplying heavy-duty vehicles, EPIQ Machinery has an in-depth knowledge of the aluminum industry and its challenges. Since 2016, the company has been investing in research and development to design the safest and the most reliable electric AGVs for operation in aluminum smelter potrooms. Following the launch of the AGV TEAM prototype in 2018, the first North American electrical auto-guided molten metal hauler, EPIQ Machinery began looking for a partner to better support all requests coming from the larger aluminum industry.
Founded in 1972, DTA seemed a good fit for this goals, as the company specializes in designing and manufacturing of self-propelled vehicles and transporters capable of carrying 1–1.2 tons. These machines have been used in a variety of heavy industries.
In the aluminum industry, facilities need to carry a variety of heavy loads between different areas of the plant (such as ladles of molten metal, anodes, coil, ingots, etc.). Each of these loads requires a rigorous analysis of inputs regarding how and where the vehicle should moves to ensure safe travel in all conditions, whether indoor and outdoor or winter and summer.
The partnership between EPIQ Machinery and DTA offers the aluminum producers proven AGV solutions backed by DTA’s technology for advanced auto-guided solutions. EPIQ Machinery will act as solution integrator and provide after-sale technical support. The goal is to make the AGV technology accessible in accordance with the specific needs of the client, enabling the two companies to provide the global international market of aluminum producers (primary and secondary) with a wider range of AGV equipment under the EPIQ AGV brand.
The two companies plan to embrace the aluminum producers’ shift toward Industry 4.0 by offering global material handling system integration into plants. As the AGV market is booming, the cooperation between EPIQ Machinery and DTA is timely.
“At a turning point of a new industrial era, DTA is capable to offer scalable guidance systems from wire-guided AGV up to complete artificial vision,” said Miguel de Sebastian Merello, CEO of DTA. “We’ve gained extreme valuable experience in a variety of sectors. Introducing our technology into aluminium smelters will not only strengthen our position, but add to our AGV equipment offer. We look forward to our first joint project; EPIQ Machinery has developed a great knowledge in electrification of specialized equipment for heavy industries which will be an asset towards global decarbonization efforts.”