News

Information Security is Issue on World Scale

On 24-25 April there took place I International Forum “Information technologies and information security in mechanical engineering. Industry solutions. MEIT-2008” organized by KAMAZ Inc. jointly with the Information Systems Academy in Naberezhnye Chelny.

The main topics considered by the participants of the forum concerned the aspects of IT-management, schemes of suppliers and clients’ cooperation in the course of IT-outsourcing, the role of data processing centers by the use of IT, nuances of plans and policies of modern information security systems. The participants of the forum exchanged their experience and opinions during round tables.

As Ildar Shamilov, Deputy Director General of KAMAZ Inc. of Security, noted: “An effective information security system can’t be considered as a group of separate components. Information security of the state directly depends on effectiveness of security systems of all enterprises and organizations working on its territory. And information security of the world community is inseparably linked with development of this issue in each country. Breach of information security even at one enterprise inevitably causes a series of consequences which can have a pernicious effect on the work of the state machine on all levels. Consequently, it’s necessary to solve such problems together”.

That’s why the representatives of corresponding government services, CEO, CIO of the automobile enterprisers of Russia, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Japan, People’s Republic of China, Byelorussia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Russian and international companies – developers and suppliers in the sphere of information technologies and information security, managers and experts of the largest automotive enterprises of the Russian Federation – were invited to discuss IT- and information security issues.

According to the participants of the forum, the results obtained in the course of its work laid the foundation for the further study of informatization and information security in mechanical engineering of Russia and other countries. They identified promising lines of information technologies development in the system of Russian machine building enterprises.

Monday, 28 April 2008

There is Record!

KAMAZ Automobile Plant established production record.

On 24 April 252 vehicles came off the assembly line. Since the beginning of the year a plan has increased every month at the automobile plant. Valery Kolpakov, Director of Production Control Department (PCD), noted that 252 vehicles were not a limit. The management of the plant plans to achieve a stable pace of 260 vehicles a day by August 2008.

The undisturbed work of internal and outside OEM suppliers played an important role. Eduard Shigapov, Deputy Director of PCD, made special mention of the fact that organizational tasks of “Euro-3” panel deliveries had been successfully settled.

Monday, 28 April 2008

KAMAZ-Kazakhstan: Collaboration Continues

KAMAZ Inc. participates in the 6th International Exhibition “Auto World-2008” which opened on 24 April in Astana, Kazakhstan.

KAMAZ will represent several exhibits: a farm tractor KAMAZ T-215, an inclined-axis mixer 58146C on KAMAZ-53229 chassis, a garbage truck KO 440-5 on KAMAZ-53215 chassis, a bus NEFAZ-4208 on KAMAZ-43114 chassis and a truck tanker ATZ 66062 produced by NEFAZ on KAMAZ-43114 chassis.

The following figures indicate a great demand for KAMAZ vehicles in Kazakhstan. In 2007 KAMAZ exported 7 thousand trucks to the republic – more than half of the company’s total export. To add to this, the Russian auto giant not only sells its vehicles and buses, but also invests a considerable amount of money into development of automobile industry and automotive infrastructure of its Southern neighbor.

Last year the share of KAMAZ in mechanical engineering export from the RF to Kazakhstan made up 10.5%. This year KAMAZ plans to win 56% of the republic’s new trucks market and 76% of aftermarket realizing over 8 thousand vehicles in the republic. The show “Auto World-2008” will allow KAMAZ to demonstrate a high level of Kama trucks again.

Thursday, 24 April 2008

COMTRANS-2008: Large-Scale Application of KAMAZ

On 22 April the 9th International Specialized Trade Show Commercial Autotransport 2008 opened at the International Exhibition Center Crocus Expo in Moscow.

This event is the most important one on the commercial transport market in Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe countries. Realizing the defining value of automobile manufacturers and their partners’ traditional spring meetings at the International Exhibition Center Crocus Expo, KAMAZ formed an exposition representing several basic directions of its product development for COMTRANS-2008. For the first time the auto giant represents its production in the exhibition halls of Crocus Expo so widely – on the area of 700 square meters. And if we take into account the expositions of OAO NEFAZ and third-party producers of special equipment on the KAMAZ chassis, then KAMAZ can be confidently called the “largest” brand of COMTRANS 2008.

A combination on the basis of an improved artic KAMAZ-5460-036-63 has already attracted a great interest of specialists and attendees of the exhibition. It includes a refrigerated semitrailer C-350. The rig can haul freight up to 24.5 tonnes on the roads designed for vehicles with axial load of 13 tonnes.

Other exhibits of KAMAZ also deserve serious attention. They offer examples of further development of KAMAZ vehicles with account of market requirements and customer expectations. This is a dumper KAMAZ-65115 with a wheelbase of 3190 mm, a tipper KAMAZ-43255 with a side unloading and a medium tonnage side vehicle KAMAZ-4308 with a wheelbase of 4800 mm and an air suspension. Two partially low-floor buses of the “Olympus” class in an urban and suburban versions made at OAO NEFAZ – a subsidiary of KAMAZ – are demonstrated at the show.

Besides the exhibits KAMAZ has quite a few nice surprises in store for the visitors of its stand. The guests will taste traditional Tatar dainties – “chuk-chuk”, and the gamblers will be able to participate in competitions of radio-controlled models – little copies of legendary “KAMAZ-master” trucks.

Thursday, 24 April 2008

Two Audits are Better than One!

At OAO KAMAZ-Metallurgy there was successfully completed a certification audit of the Integrated management system (IMS) for meeting the requirements of OHSAS: 18001 and ISO: 14001 international standards.

IMS including the labor protection and security management system and the ecological management system for the first time became the object of experts’ evaluation. The auditors of Russian Register Association positively appreciated the work of KAMAZ metallurgists and a high readiness of IMS for certification.

At the same time the experts of Russian Register in tandem with the representatives of the German certification agency TUV evaluated the Quality management system (QMS) of OAO KAMAZ-Metallurgy and affirmed the compliance of QMS with ISO 9001:2000 requirements. It will be recalled that the certification audit of QMS took place at the enterprise in 2007. This year the experts demonstrated improvement of the Quality management system of OAO KAMAZ-Metallurgy and its focus on the customer’s needs.

Wednesday, 23 April 2008

KAMAZ for Chelny, just like Old Times!

KAMAZ renewed the municipal vehicle fleet of Naberezhnye Chelny.

For the first time during the last ten years the municipal services of the city received new equipment. Under conditions of a keen demand for production of KAMAZ Inc. the top management of the enterprise found an opportunity to give the municipal unitary enterprise MUP Chelnykommunkhoz ten new garbage trucks equipped with engines corresponding to Euro-3 ecological standards on terms of leasing.

Ildar Khalikov – Mayor of Naberezhnye Chelny, Vasil Shaikhraziyev – Chairman of the City Executive Committee, Minefanis Khabibullin – Director of MUP Chelnykommunkhoz, and other officials participated in the event. Sergey Kogoghin – Director General of KAMAZ Inc. handed the keys of the vehicles over to the drivers of Chelnykommunkhoz.

The renewal of the municipal vehicle fleet is timely, because a two-month campaign of beautification and planting of greenery is currently conducted in the city. Naberezhnye Chelny was built as a part of the KAMAZ infrastructure and that’s why care for cleanness of the city and the townsmen’s health continue to be an integral part of the policy of the KAMAZ top management.

Wednesday, 23 April 2008

KAMAZ Received ZUBR!

KAMAZ became the Laureate of the Award for contribution into development of the field and for the best organizational achievements.

The decision about it was made at the Fifth ceremony of the National Security Award ZUBR-2008 “For strengthening of Russia’s security”. When choosing the winners there were taken into account opinions of 28 regional experts and 1213 market participants.

There were the members of the Council of Experts, the jury and the Council of Award (including the representatives of Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Emergency Situations, OAO Gazprom, OAO LUKOIL, OAO Russian Railways (RZD), Transneft, etc.) and guests of honour – the executives of the leading companies of the security sector, the representatives of the federal executive authorities, the Federal Assembly, the chief safety officers of the largest organizations – at the award presentation ceremony.

The work of KAMAZ Inc. was highly appreciated by the Council of Experts and the jury. And the guests of the ceremony didn’t stint their praise. For the second time running the stable development of KAMAZ brought it the award ZUBR having proved its status of one of the leaders of the home industry.

Tuesday, 22 April 2008

KAMAZ Invites IT-Technologists

MEIT-2008 – the first International Forum “Information technologies and information security in mechanical engineering. Industry solutions” – will be held at KAMAZ Inc. on 24 and 25 April.

In the International forum there will participate the representatives of the RF Ministry of Industry and Energy, the Federal Agency of Information Technologies, the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control, the Federal Security Service, the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Ministry of Informatization and Communications of the RT, the RT Security Council, the Administration of Naberezhnye Chelny, the Russian Automobile Manufacturers Association, Russia’s Engineering Workers Guild, the Association of Computer and Information Technology Enterprises, Russia’s Association of Information Technologies Standardization.

To the forum there were invited the representatives of CEO, CIO of the automobile enterprisers of Russia, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Japan, People’s Republic of China, Byelorussia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – developers and suppliers in the sphere of information technologies and information security, managers and experts of the largest automotive enterprises of the Russian Federation.

Within the bounds of the forum there will be discussed such issues as information technologies management, outsourcing of information technologies, data processing centers serving information technologies and also information security.

It’s planned to lead a round-table discussion where there will be considered problems of unification of users’ interface by integration of different IT-systems in a large industrial enterprise with a ramified infrastructure.

KAMAZ Inc. and the Information Systems Academy (tel.: 8 (495) 231-30-49, e-mail: conf@infosystem.ru) participate in organization of the event. The sponsors of the Forum are the companies CITRIX, IBM, NOVELL.

An information support is provided by the magazine “Information Security. Inside”, FineStreet Media Group, the editions IT News, IT Manager, “Express Electronica”, CNews, the Business Center of the RT – the Internet-portal TatCenter.ru, IA “Tatar-inform”, world mechanical engineering Allmash.ru, the information and analytical portal www.safeprom.ru, the mechanical engineering portal www.mashportal.ru.

Within the bounds of the forum there will be held a press conference to which there were invited the representatives of mass media. You can find more detailed information about the forum and fill the application form here.

Monday, 21 April 2008

Awaiting KAMAZ

At the annual exhibition “Biotrucks-2008” which took place in Serbia a dump truck KAMAZ-65201 attracted a serious interest of potential customers.

Besides KAMAZ 550 enterprises from 33 countries including such acknowledged producers as Volvo, DAF, SCANIA, TATRA, etc. displayed their production at the automobile show which took place in Zagreb and Belgrade in turn.

Serbia is under construction that’s why demand for special equipment is considerable. But since this October Serbia will be “closed” for vehicles with engines not corresponding to the Euro-4 standard. Thus, if there is demand truck producers will be able to offer Serbian customers exclusively new generation production.

KAMAZ vehicles proved to be good for decades of running in Serbia. An adequate level of service, unpretentiousness during operation, obtainable prices ensured the reputation of a safe partner for KAMAZ. It’s proved by the fact that KAMAZ received an award “For developing of market” during the last exhibition.

KAMAZ has a difficult task: to organize deliveries of vehicles with Euro-4 engines to Serbia depriving competitors of a chance to win this market. In Serbia KAMAZ vehicles are awaited: construction is increasing, and it means that there will always be work for quality KAMAZ equipment.

Monday, 21 April 2008

Exhibited KAMAZ Vehicles are Left in Armenia

At the international exhibition “StroyExpo-2008” which took place in Yerevan there was reached an agreement to realize all exhibited KAMAZ vehicles.

Four models were presented by KAMAZ Inc. at the exhibition: an inclined-axis mixer 581453 on KAMAZ-6520 (6x4) chassis, an autoconcrete pump 581532 on KAMAZ-53229 (6x4) chassis, a dump truck KAMAZ-6520 and a truck crane MKTB (carrying capacity of 30 tonnes) on KAMAZ-53229 chassis.

All attendees of the exhibition showed a great interest in the exposition of KAMAZ Inc. KAMAZ vehicles have a good record in Armenia. The country is developing construction, mineral resource and metallurgical industries. And quality special equipment is necessary for this. Demand for KAMAZ vehicles in Armenia is so high that customers purchased even exhibited vehicles.

Friday, 18 April 2008

Through Serafimovich – to Saint-Petersburg and Beijing

The KAMAZ-master team will participate in the race named “Route-1000” which will be held from 16 to 19 April on the territory of the Serafimovich area of the Volgograd region.

KAMAZ sent a delegation record by number – 8 crews and 3 vehicles of technical support – to this competition which is at the same time the II stage of the Russian Championship and the Cup of the Russian Automotive Federation of rally-raids.

According to Semyon Yakubov, the leader of the team, the first three crews will test new vehicles under the conditions of a race before the rally “Saint-Petersburg – Beijing” which will be held in June. The crews include the leading racers, navigators, mechanics and such famous racers as Firdaus Kabirov, Aidar Belyayev, Vladimir Chaguin, Ilghizar Mardeyev.

The second three racing crews is “a backup membership” of the team. Here, as Semyon Yakubov stated, young racers, navigators and mechanics will train under the conditions of a competition. These crews include debutants as well as experienced racers. Sergey Reshetnikov and Andrey Mokeyev share their experience with Eduard Nikolayev and Andrey Karghinov who have already participated in competitions. And young Airat Mardeyev and Yevgeny Ivanov follow their fathers’ footsteps.

An experienced racer and businessman – Bulat Yanborisov – also wishes to participate in the Russia’s Championship as a member of the “KAMAZ-master” team. A fivefold “Dakar” winner Sergey Savostin will be a navigator of his crew.

Vasily Kvachyov, Deputy Director of testing of the KAMAZ Special Vehicles Department, was appointed to be in charge of the team during the race. Semyon Yakubov is as usual at the head of the whole team.

Friday, 18 April 2008

KAMAZ in Sochi!

The Kama automobile plant continues developing its service network. Sergey Kogoghin, Director General of KAMAZ Inc., made a decision to create a trade and service center in Sochi.

“Sochinsky auto center KAMAZ” – that will be the name of the joint project of the automobile plant and its official dealer OOO “RariTEK”. The new trade and service complex will realize modern conceptions of high-quality service of Kama heavy-duty vehicles.

Construction of the Sochi auto center started and its grand opening is planned for the nearest future. A large-scale advertising campaign is timed to creation of the new auto center in Sochi. Its purpose is to show all competitive advantages of KAMAZ vehicles on the Sochi truck market. “RariTEK” organizes an original exhibition of the model range of the automobile plant: over a long period of time more than 60 vehicles (!) will be exhibited on 6 areas along the federal highway near the place where the new service center will be located.

On the edge of Olympiad-2014 Sochi was announced an ecological zone. First of all, KAMAZ intends to deliver equipment with gas engines to this region. By the way, the Sochi service center will have the status mainly of a “gas” one. So, “RariTEK” – an owner of the only service production for KAMAZ bottle-gas driven vehicles – intends to develop a gas engine area of the automobile plant – in the Sochi region as well.

Wednesday, 16 April 2008

Work Injuries in Past

OAO KAMAZ-Metallurgy became the first enterprise among the subdivisions of KAMAZ which successfully underwent the certification of labor protection activity on accordance with the RF legislative requirements.

Within the bounds of certification working places at the foundry and the forge plant were evaluated. To date the metallurgic block of KAMAZ prepares for certification of the Labor protection and security system, as well as the Ecological management system on accordance with the international requirements OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001.

For the last four years the labor protection service of KAMAZ-Metallurgy managed to reduce an on-the-job injury rate by 40%. According to Marat Makhmutov, Deputy Director General of OAO KAMAZ-Metallurgy of labor protection and security, the measures carried out by the administration of KAMAZ-Metallurgy during the last year were of decisive importance for this achievement.

Wednesday, 16 April 2008

New Equipment for Production

KAMAZ-Metallurgy renews the third of a floor-level vehicle fleet: according to the leasing scheme there was purchased a batch of modern diesel loaders.

The last large-scale renewal of floor-level transport at the forge plant was carried out at the beginning of the 1990-ies. Now modern diesel loaders with good operating characteristics replace outdated models. Thus, a built-in swivel work head allows a loader of the latest pattern to turn over packages by 180 degrees that is necessary for the process of forging.

The foundry received eight new loaders; ten vehicles fell to the share of the forge plant. The renewal of the floor-level transport will increase efficiency of production tasks solving in the sphere of logistics and secure materials handling.

Tuesday, 15 April 2008

“Virtual Reality” for KAMAZ Metallurgists

OAO KAMAZ-Metallurgy purchased a ProCAST casting process simulation software by the French developer ESI group.

The main advantage of the program is an opportunity to simulate practically all casting processes and to send the results of the calculation to the R&D Center for a durability analysis of a component. Potential defects are seen already in a 3D-model of a casting that allows to eliminate defects in the first stage without costly blanking operation and full-scale tests.

The first casting on which the potential of ProCAST was tested was “a drive axis of a high-pressure fuel pump” (steel casting). According to Nail Gimadeyev, Production Manager of the Foundry, for the Foundry designed for mass production the program will allow to reduce the terms of preproduction when developing new castings, to supply experimental areas in production where short-run batches could be founded. Tests are carried out virtually without investments into equipment for test runs. And a suitable casting can be made with minimal improvement of equipment.

Tuesday, 15 April 2008

Learn Armenia’s Opinion

KAMAZ participated in International Exposition “StroyExpo-2008” which opened on 11 April in Yerevan.

The automobile plant represented three exhibits: an inclined-axis mixer 581453 on KAMAZ-6520 (6x4) chassis, an autoconcrete pump 581532 on KAMAZ-53229 (6x4) chassis and a truck crane MKTB (carrying capacity of 30 tonnes) on KAMAZ-53229 chassis.

Armenia’s car market is as before one of priority ones for KAMAZ, but yet a not completely developed outlet. According to IMF, the economic growth in the republic in 2008 will make up 10%. Production volumes in mineral resource and metallurgy industries of the country are expected to increase due to extra investments mobilization. KAMAZ expects to get an opportunity to actively participate in building of a new, economically developed and prosperous Armenia providing it with modern advanced equipment.

Production and manufacturing capabilities of KAMAZ make it possible to supply customers’ wants in vehicles of all types in a class of 16-40 tonnes GVW, and also in a class of medium tonnage vehicles of up to 16 tonnes GVW.

Monday, 14 April 2008

Appreciation

A group of specialists of “Hermann Rawema” which counsels on realization of a KAMAZ reengineering program continues to work at KAMAZ.

One of the main directions of this work is improvement of production control and, particularly, implementation of the “Make or Buy” module.

A couple of days ago Igor Medvedev, Chairman of the KAMAZ Manufacturing System Development Committee, met with Michael Maiss, one of the members of the German group, a world-class specialist in the sphere of production systems and supplier relationship management. He specializes in implementation of the Lean Production system module – MAKE or BUY – in automobile industry. Michael Maiss was one among those who formed and developed the production system of German, Chinese, Brazilian, Indian, Japanese automobile enterprises and, particularly, “Audi”.

“KAMAZ, - Maiss stated, - develops a new strategic development program till 2020 and tends to grasp and realize advanced methods of industrial engineering in accordance with the world experience. And I have already received evidence in that having got to know how progressive the implemented production system of KAMAZ Inc. is.

Monday, 14 April 2008

Road Workers will be Satisfied

The KDM-316 complex road machine produced by the Bryansk plant “Irmash” was presented at KAMAZ on 8 April.

“Irmash” – one of the leading Russian developers and producers of road-building equipment – has cooperated with KAMAZ Inc. for a long time. The designers of “Irmash” used the KAMAZ-65115-62 automobile chassis with the Euro-3 engine in their new product.

The construction of the machine makes it possible to install a quick-change patching or winter road maintenance equipment on the chassis. Due to all-season application and multifunctionality KDM-316 will undoubtedly be a success with road workers.

KDM-316 with a summer equipment package gives an opportunity to patch all potholes and fill all cracks of an asphalt carpet quickly and well. In winter on the KAMAZ-65115-62 chassis there can be installed a winter road maintenance equipment with the help of which it is possible to clean roads from snow. For work in a city the machine can be completed with a front rotary mouldboard.

According to Aleksey Zaikin, CEO of “Irmash”, the Bryansk equipment is cheaper than its foreign analogs, but it is not inferior to them in quality. Not the least of the factors is the use of the KAMAZ chassis in the construction of KDM and access to the wide service network of the large Kama automobile plant.

Wednesday, 09 April 2008

Rates of KAMAZ

The enterprises of KAMAZ Group finished the first quarter of the year having overfulfilled the basic prognoses of the business-plan and considerably exceeded the analogous figures of 2007.

In total for 3 months there were shipped marketable products for RUB 22 billion 016 million (+15.2% in comparable prices) including:
– 13169 trucks (+19.0%);
– 16455 engines and power units (+23.5%);
– spare parts for RUB 2 billion 477 million (–0.5%);
– diversification products for RUB 2 billion 439 million (+10.5%).

In addition, there were rendered services for RUB 1 billion 210 million.

In March KAMAZ exceeded the production volumes of February by half a billion roubles. The automobile plant practically caught up with the backlog of the production timetable of vehicles and its main components which took place in the middle of the month. In the third ten-day period of March all productions and assembly conveyors of the enterprise came closely to the rhythm planned for the summer months.

There were realized 9971 trucks via the dealer network and direct deliveries on the home market (+17.2% to January-March 2007). The foreign customers received 3198 vehicles (+25.1%). There were modernized 425 KAMAZ vehicles. There were produced 840 assembly sets for foreign assembly enterprises.

For three months 1102 units of the basic production – trucks, buses and trailer equipment – were leased or delivered with payment by installments. This is by 31.8% more than for the same period of 2007. KAMAZ Group leased 257 NEFAZ buses on the basis of the special KAMAZ chassis (+9.8%).

The largest KAMAZ subsidiaries of a united technological cycle outside Tatarstan solidly improved production and realization volumes as compared to 2007:
– “Avtopritsep-KAMAZ” Inc. (Stavropol) – by 12.3%;
– “NEFAZ” Inc. (Neftekamsk) – by 7.3%;
– “Tuimazy Concrete Delivery Truck Works” – by 14.1%.

Tuesday, 08 April 2008

KAMAZ on Vietnam Market

KAMAZ Inc. plans to increase its share in the authorized capital of VMIC, KAMAZ assembly enterprise in Vietnam, from 12.5% to 36%.

This information came from Akhat Urmanov, Deputy Director General of KAMAZ Inc. of Sales and Service, who came back from a business trip to this Southeast Asia country. According to him, the KAMAZ share will increase already in April. The same share belongs to VINACOMIN, the Vietnam Corporation jointly with which KAMAZ organized the assembly of its trucks at VMIC plant in Kam Fa (the Kuang Nign province) in 2005. The rest 28% shares belong to the employees of VMIC Company.

KAMAZ obtained 12.5% of the authorized capital of the assembly enterprise this February.

At present VMIC assembles 500-600 KAMAZ vehicles a year using assembly sets produced at KAMAZ. Next year it’s planned to increase the yield at the assembly enterprise to 1 thousand units. A five-year development program of the enterprise is being prepared, and later on the plant capacity can be increased to 1.5-2 thousand vehicles a year. Thus, under the conditions of intense competition with world and Asian producers KAMAZ intends to occupy up to 15% of the sales market in its truck class in Vietnam.

We have already informed that for this purpose it was decided to create a KAMAZ trade and service company in Vietnam and trade and service complexes on its basis in the provinces of the company. The company created jointly with the enterprises of VINACOMIN Corporation is supposed to be registered till the end of 2008.

KAMAZ plans to invest development of VMIC technology and expansion of the KAMAZ vehicles family produced in Vietnam. It’s also planned to master special equipment assembly at the enterprise, in particular, truck tankers and inclined-axis mixers assembly.

Friday, 04 April 2008

Kurgan in Sphere of KAMAZ Service

A new company service center of KAMAZ created with the participation of its dealer – OOO AIH Shturman Credo+ (Naberezhnye Chelny) opened in the Kurgan region on 28 March.

Oleg Bogomolov, Governor of the Kurgan region, and Marat Islamov, Chairman of the Kurgan Regional Duma, participated in the inauguration. The KAMAZ delegation included Islamgarey Shigapov and Ildar Shamilov, Deputies Director General of KAMAZ Inc., Vladimir Samoylov, Director of Information Policy, Ilfas Gatiyatulin, Director General of OAO TFC KAMAZ, Andrey Kolesnikov, Director General of AIP Shturman Credo+.

Like all lately created facilities of KAMAZ equipment maintenance, the Kurgan dealer-service center will provide the customers with the whole complex of necessary services: tuning and sale of vehicles, spare parts, warranty, running and capital repair, diagnostics of components and vehicles in whole. There are over 5 thousand KAMAZ vehicles in the vehicle fleet of the region. And the new center with the total area of 1200 square meters will ensure their maintenance services during the whole operational life.

The center can service 7 vehicles simultaneously. The investment project costs made up RUB 50 million.

Tuesday, 01 April 2008

Quality in Each Casting

A flux cored wire production area was opened at the foundry within the bounds of the project “Flux cored wire ladle modification of cast iron”.

In the iron casting production there is a laboratory of flux cored wire development and production. Line speed is 2 thousand tonnes a year. All operations are unattended. Tests of the first bobbin of flux cored wire showed that the obtained castings are of high quality.

“Now we have the difficult task – to master the manufacture of one of flux cored wire components – a complex modifier “Premix” the fabrication technique of which only Japan producers are able to use, - said Semyon Shnaiderman, project manager. – The replacement of “Premix” by the Russian modifier will make it possible to cut production costs of wire and castings in whole.”

A great achievement of the project is a stable quality of iron castings and reduction of their production costs. It should be recalled that automated forming lines SPO-2 and SPO-4 are transferred to the new casting technique. 80 positions of KAMAZ and initiative nomenclature are found of high-duty cast iron there. Lately the technique was extended to vermicular graphite casting. A range of experimental castings, “cylinder blocks”, “transmission housings”, “splitter housings” are produced at SPO-1.

According to Semyon Shnaiderman, the given vermicular graphite castings are obtained in compliance with technical requirements and, above all, they have equally stable properties. To get the definitive result, in the short run there will be cast pilot batches of castings for mechanical operation.

In the world practice there is no mass production of vermicular graphite castings with the help of the automated process of flux cored wire modification. As specialists explain, the process should be exercised with extremely high precision. If there are the slightest deviations from metallurgical characteristics of the modification process castings are obtained either of gray cast iron or of high-duty cast iron.

Touching the prospects of this large-scale project, the immediate task will be the transfer of the automated forming line HWS-1 to ladle modification. Such castings as “a front axle” of the KAMAZ vehicle will be found of high-duty cast iron here.

The final step will be implementation of ladle modification at two DISAMATIC lines. Then it will be possible to say about the full transfer of high-duty casting at the KAMAZ foundry to the ladle modification technology.

Tuesday, 01 April 2008