22.03.2010 | TOS KUŘIM – “In accordance with our ideas”

A milling centre with a sliding column and exchangeable heads supplied by the Czech company TOS KURIM was handed over in the engineering plant OOO “Norilskij obespechivajushtchij complex”. Assembly and setting up works and training of the operators of the machine that complies with all EU Directives took more than a month. The representatives of the plant have considered the procurement of a machine of a new generation already since 2007.

A milling two-spindle machine manufactured in 1961 that has been in operation till the present time, was substituted by the new milling centre. “The milling centre from TOS KURIM – it is one of the best machines manufactured throughout Europe,” said Maxim Rykov, the machining plant manager. “Maybe it is the best machine of this type in the complete Krasnojarsk region. The machine is provided with a Siemens control system. The delivery of the machine includes also three exchangeable heads and an automatic tool replacement system including a magazine with capacity of 40 tools. In this way equipped machine allows carrying out a number of operations during single workpiece clamping. Workpieces with weight of up to 15 tons can be machined on the milling centre with a table with dimensions of 5,000 x 1,250 mm. A wide range of operations can be made on the machine: milling, drilling, roughing, thread cutting. And we will achieve higher time savings, improvement of quality and extension of the range of the produced components.”

The machine was accepted by a commission in the presence of the technical director, Andrej Akulinkin and the engineering plant director, Sergej Volodko. The chief engineer of the holding company, Vladimir Sushko, also participated in the acceptance inspection.

“New machine acceptance inspection – this is a significant event not only for the engineering plant, but also for the entire holding company,“ says the chief engineer of the holding company. The engineering plant or, in better words, a repair-engineering workshop of the plant, it is a facility of quick response. For that reason, the engineering plant has been provided with the latest machinery. The director of the plant, Sergej Volodko, is satisfied with the progress of modernization that is in process in the plant: “The management of the holding and “Norilskij obespechivajushtchij complex” adopted a significant and timely decision about machinery modernization. The plant lives and develops and we will extend production volume in 2010.” The technical director of the engineering plant, Andrej Akulinkin informed of already completed processes and presented the plans of the plant for the closest period: “Works on recovery of the fixed assets of the engineering plant proceed in an active way, two machines for plasma cutting have been commissioned, the machinery of the forging and pressing shops has been renewed and a forging manipulator with the capacity of 2.5 ton and a Japanese bending machine have been put into operation. The plant has received nine lifting cranes at present. We plan to purchase a laser system for sheet metal processing, a heavy carousel and a system for anti-corrosion treatment of metallic components in the future.

We must modernize the equipment used in the engineering plant. After all, most of the American machines that were manufactured in the 40s of the last century have been in operation till now. Regardless of their durability, they have become obsolete not only morally, but also physically.”

Jaroslav Kolařík, the manager of the sales department of the Czech ALTA company, the supplier of the milling centre, is also expressing his satisfaction. “In my opinion, our technicians made very good job. I wish the cooperation of our companies to continue.”

Zapoljarnyj vestnik, December 21, 2009 (editorially modified)