Five years ago, in December 2017, KAMAZ solemnly launched the production of the family of six-cylinder in-line KAMAZ R6 engines. The first KAMAZ 910.10 engines were put to the assembly line.
If we refer to history, the project with the working title “Tibet” to organize the production of a promising family of in-line six-cylinder engines was opened on June 10, 2014. Over the next three years, a large-scale work was carried out at the engine plant: sites were built and equipment for the production of blocks and cylinder heads was installed, lines for assembling engines, painting R6 power units were installed. With the commissioning of a new conveyor and the launch of industrial production in 2018, the production capabilities of KAMAZ PTC have significantly expanded. Today, KAMAZ vehicles of the K5 generation are equipped with these engines.
The new conveyor of the company where R6 engines are produced is equipped up to the state of the art. Much attention is paid to technology compliance and detailed quality control – each operation is 100% traceable. Thus, a high level of quality of the power unit for KAMAZ-54901 vehicles and other models of the K5 line is ensured.
“In the current 2022, we continued to modernize this line. We have increased the length of the conveyor. If initially we had the technological capability to assemble 12,000 engines a year, now we can assemble up to 30,000 engines a year. In addition, a lot of work has been done on import phasing-out. Imported components of the new motor were replaced with domestic ones. Work with Russian suppliers went on for a year,” said Oleg Zakharov, Head of the Reliability Department of the Engine Plant of KAMAZ PTC.
The R6 engine conveyor is a vivid example of successfully implemented projects of the company. Straight-6 engines significantly improved the technical and consumer characteristics of vehicles, made KAMAZ trucks more efficient for business, more reliable and safer for people and the environment.
By this moment, the line has assembled about 40 different sets of engines for the mainline, transport and heavy lines of KAMAZ vehicles of the K5 generation, as well as for third-party consumers. These are Euro 5 environmental class engines with a working volume of 12 liters, the engine power range is from 380 to 630 liters.
Now the motors of model 910.15 with increased torque (2300 Nm) are shipped to the truck assembly plant. At the end of December, an experimental assembly of the engine with new fuel equipment and an electronic control unit will take place. In addition, in the first half of 2023, it is planned to switch to 910.50 engines with an increased displacement of up to 13 liters which enables to reduce operating fuel consumption by about 1.8 liters / 100 km. The development of the R6 engine line continues.