The R6 engine assembly line in Shop 417 at the engine plant of KAMAZ continues upgrading equipment. A new area was completely mounted. In the future, it will be connected with the existing line, which will expand it greatly.
According to Pavel Nedopyokin, Chief Specialist of the Tibet project of the engine plant, the whole mounting process is divided into two stages. The first one is coming to an end now. “Equipment was supplied for work in December-January, and installation was started on January 27. By the present time, mechanical installation is finished, the new part of the conveyor is ready, a conveyance system and new manual stations,” he told. “Next week we plan to finish programming and debugging.”
On holidays in May, the old and the new lines will be connected, new automatic and semi-automatic stations will be installed. By June, a trial launch will be carried out, a trial batch of engines will be assembled, and then the modernized area can be loaded. “During upgrading, the line will receive additional control systems, for example, automated measurement of liner projection after pressing, automatic valve adjustment, and much more,” explained Nedopyokin. “And FPMS and Atlas Copco systems will help us: electronic, fully controlled, regulated and excluding errors. This is important in our business.”
The main purpose of modernization is to increase performance of the line up to 30 thousand engines a year (now it is meant for 12 thousand). Moreover, the updated equipment by the German company ThyssenKrupp will give an opportunity to assemble new 13-litre gas and gas-diesel engines. The modernization will create new jobs. Now, 35 direct workers work per shift on the line, another 25 people will soon be needed.