The truck assembly plant summed up the results of 2022 and set goals for 2023. The plans include reengineering of aggregate production.
Speaking about the results of the team’s work in 2022, director of the truck assembly plant Anton Saraykin noted that after the events in February, which led to a change in the economic situation and reshaping of supply chains, it was necessary to actively increase the assembly of trucks of the K3 generation. The load on aggregate production has increased significantly. Despite difficult conditions, the plant finished the year with good results. “In 2022, the demand for all-wheel drive vehicles increased sharply, but the team reached record results – the production of 105 vehicle kits per day – only by December. In particular, in order to level the problems of logistics, the conveyors had to work in a 24-hour uneven mode,” the director noted. “Now there is a new task – by April we must increase the rate of assembly of all-wheel drive vehicles to 120 vehicle kits per day.”
In addition, now for the assembly of the KAMAZ-54901 truck, a part of the brackets, tubes, and other parts are being manufactured at the truck assembly plant. In the future, heavy trucks of the K5 class will be equipped with drive axles assembled at an automobile plant. According to Anton Saraykin, the Axles project has successfully passed the defense at the Industrial Development Fund, and money has been allocated for its financing.
It is planned to purchase equipment, some of it is already in the process of contracting. The processing of the cast beam, axle parts and a new axle assembly line are being prepared. The line will feature smart joint tightening control systems. This project will change the manufacturing technology for a number of parts and assemblies for K3 generation trucks. The processing of parts such as the steering knuckle housing, ball joint, axle housing, axle shaft will be transferred from worn-out automatic lines to flexible modern equipment – CNC machining centers. It is planned to organize a workshop, which will be equipped only with new equipment: in the second quarter of this year, the preparation of areas for its installation will begin.
In January, the main assembly line worked at an assembly rate of 190 vehicles per day, in February the assembly rate was higher. “In March, the figure will rise to 210, by the fall we need to accelerate to the delivery of 220 heavy trucks. The conveyors are already ready to increase the pace, the question is the timely supply of all the necessary components, including units of aggregate production,” said Anton Saraykin. “My team and me, our command center, discuss this topic daily. We have already gone through the entire chain of manufacturing axles, balancer suspension, transfer cases, singled out the production of all parts that are lagging behind this pace, developed measures to clear bottlenecks and monitor their implementation.”
As for the strategic development of the truck assembly plant, the main long-term project is Axles, its implementation is planned until 2025. “Further on, the project smoothly flows into the project of reengineering of aggregate production. The replacement of bulky automatic lines with machining centers will continue, and production areas will be optimized. The road map is scheduled until 2030,” Anton Saraykin explained.
In the future, modernization is also waiting for the assembly line for the cabs of the new model range. Now it is designed for the production capacity of 20 thousand cabs of the K5 generation. In KAMAZ’s strategy, new generation vehicles are the main point of growth, and an increase in their assembly will require an increase in capacity.
Production development is under way at KAMAZ. Under the sanctions regime, the importance of such traditional issues for the company as the modernization of production sites and import substitution has increased. By solving priority tasks in a timely manner, KAMAZ employees contribute to the achievement of a strategic goal common to all Russian enterprises – meeting demand through domestic products and strengthening the country’s technological sovereignty. The production indicators achieved to date are the result of the work of highly qualified specialists and workers who work in the interests of the security and economic stability of Russia.