Automated wire rod tagging system for Hyundai Steel

As part of its smart manufacturing strategy, Hyundai Steel partnered with Polytec to automate one of the final stages of wire rod production: product identification and tagging before shipment. The project supports Hyundai Steel’s vision of increasing production efficiency, improving traceability, and enhancing operator safety through advanced industrial robotics.
Polytec designed and delivered a fully automated robotic system for wire rod tagging at Hyundai Steel’s specialty steel plant in Dangjin, South Korea, becoming the first automated solution of its kind implemented in the Korean steel industry.
The robotic cell automatically identifies each wire rod coil and applies the corresponding product tag containing manufacturing data, specifications, and traceability information. By replacing a previously manual operation, the system eliminates the risk of incorrect product identification while ensuring consistent and reliable labeling throughout the shipping process.
The solution integrates multiple robotic stations with dedicated handling equipment, conveyors, product fixtures, and advanced safety systems. Through intelligent vision and automation technologies, the robot detects the optimal tagging position and performs the operation with high precision and repeatability.
From the earliest engineering stages, Polytec worked closely with Hyundai Steel to develop a system that maximizes both productivity and workplace safety. Robot operating areas were carefully separated from operator access zones, allowing the entire process to run automatically while minimizing human exposure to moving equipment.
The automation of the tagging process has significantly reduced manual intervention, improved operational consistency, and increased production efficiency while supporting Hyundai Steel’s long-term objective of expanding robotics throughout its manufacturing facilities.