Kirovsky Zavod completes first stage of investment programme to upgrade Kirov Energomash Plant production site

 “The first stage of the investment programme to upgrade production assets at the Kirov Energomash Plant (part of the Kirovsky Zavod group) is now complete,” said Director Oleg Bukharin.
 
The final stage of the upgrade, which has taken two years, was the commissioning of the ŠKODA HCW3-262 programmed horizontal milling and boring machine. In terms of its size and specifications, it is practically one of a kind in Russia.
 
The machine was manufactured by the Czech company ŠKODA MACHINE TOOL. It is a major engineering structure weighing about 250 metric tons; together with its communication systems, it occupies an area of 800 m2. The machine is designed for high-precision processing of large, complex items up to 14 metres long and 8 metres high. Its rotary table can withstand loads of up to 100 tons. The machine can be used for milling, drilling, boring, and threading.
 
The ŠKODA HCW3-262 was supplied ready for operation and cost the company EUR 5.95 million.

“We plan to use the Škoda to manufacture frames and casings for turbines, generators, compressors, and other large units,” said Konstantin Burylov, Chief Engineer at Kirov Energomash. “We will soon be putting the casing of the high-pressure cylinder for the main port-side turbine generator for the Ural nuclear-powered icebreaker onto the machine. We have taken on and trained five operators to ensure that the Škoda can operate around the clock. Using the new machine will increase automation and reduce production timeframes.”
 
In addition, over the past two years, eight high-tech processing centres and modern control and measurement units have also been purchased and put into operation. This is enabling Kirov Energomash to expand its product range, increase its production volumes, and enter promising new sales markets.