Press-centre

11 december 2023

Following the strategic course of stable development, import replacement plan implementation and strengthening the technological sovereignty, today’s BELAZ actively realizes a large-scale investment program. It is aimed at solving a number of issues concerning systematic production renovation, creation of new high-technology facilities, and the growth of machinery and export volumes.

The key directions of BELAZ investment program are the following large-scale projects:

1. “Modernization of OJSC “BELAZ”-Management Company of Holding BELAZ-HOLDING” production in 2020-2025”;; 2. “Organization of ring-rolling production; reconstruction of the production facilities block”; 3. “Organization of wheel rims production for dump trucks”.

Mr. Lesin, Deputy General Director – Technical Director told us in detail about the projects implementation procedure and the key points while choosing the required technical equipment for reaching the objectives.

The first above-mentioned project with the total investment amount of 527,3 million BYN for the operating capacities modernization started in summer 2020 and is planned to be completed by 2025. By the Decree of Mr. Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister, it was listed as one of the most perspective import replacement investment projects of our country. As a result of the project implementation the technical possibilities of dump trucks and special machinery manufacture shall be considerably expanded, and the goods marketability shall be upgraded, too.

Investments are directed for technical re-equipment of the production lines and the machine tool installations, as well as for construction of a number of facilities and integration of latest equipment at BELAZ in Zhodino and at MoAZ - an affiliated branch in Mogilev. For these purposes it is planned to purchase 173 units of new equipment as well as to modernize 43 units of the available equipment. The investment project envisages both replacement of worn and outdated equipment and organization of units and spares manufacture, applying new technological solutions.

“The project for production modernization concerned the workshops as of the main production line as of the auxiliary one” Mr. Lesin notes.”Here is the list of workshops where new equipment was introduced in 2023: the workshop for assembly and testing of the machinery and tractors, the main assembly line workshop, blank production shop and welding shop, workshop for production of the machinery of extra-high load capacity, weld assemblies workshop, pressing and tooling workshop, machine assembly shop No.2, spare parts and consumer goods workshop, hydraulic transmissions shop and finished goods shipment workshop.

The current tasks considerably differ in terms of scale and degree of complexity. Starting fr om replacement of one unit of technological equipment as, for example, an impactor for placing identification numbers on the machinery, - to the full modernization of the main assembly line workshop involving a large volume of construction works, utilities replacement, conveyor line modernization, full re-equipment with new samples of industrial furniture, filling equipment replacement, development of information systems for production control.

Surely, a preparatory phase is the most important one as it implies working out the requirements for the purchased equipment, and we should understand that its characteristics shall determine our technological possibilities and economic efficiency in the nearest ten years. High productivity, precision characteristics, and technical reliability - are the main criteria while choosing the equipment, with automation and robotics being preferential.”

Over the period of January-October 2023 we have purchased in total 103 units of welding, painting, thermal processing, forging and pressing machinery and other technological equipment, plus 51 units of hoist and lifting equipment. 75 welding machines and 14 units of other specialized equipment were modernized. Such re-equipment shall let enhance productivity, upgrading the products quality at the account of application of more precise and reliable technologies. All this makes a constituent part of the issues that impact the enterprise marketability growth.

In the thermal-galvanizing workshop, a new automation line for galvanized zinc-covering was opened, which made it possible to enhance the processing capacity and increase the corrosion-resistance practically by one third.

The main assembly line workshop was reconstructed, redistributing the production capacities. Modernization allowed serial production of the dump trucks at the assembly line with the payload capacity of up to 90 tons, which are in high demand among the consumers. Also thanks to the workshop modernization, the working conditions were improved, the labor coefficient was diminished and the trucks assembly quality was upgraded.

At the final stage of a new copper-coating line commissioning in the thermal processing and galvanizing workshop, a new painting line is being assembled at the site of an affiliated branch in Mogilev.

Within 10 months of 2023 the investment sum of 104,8 thousand BYN has been sustained. On the whole, the sum of 49,8 million BYN has been invested into production process modernization since the initial stage of the project implementation.

In 2024 BELAZ shall continue realizing the most ambitious projects for manufacturing innovative machinery, thereat planning more large-scale investments into the renovation of production capacities. In particular, the workshop for assembly and testing of machinery and tractors is to be overhauled in the nearest future.

“Talking about the main production site of our enterprise - the workshop for the machinery and tractors assembly and testing - we should highlight, that the most large-scale and technically complicated works are to be made here in 2024”, says Mr. Lesin. ”We are expecting to assemble and commission a new automation and robotized painting complex, which shall mean that we completely reached the point wh ere modern technological solutions are applied for protective and decorative coating. To re-equip the area for loading, introducing new stand equipment, to replace all the lifting cranes, filing stations, to modernize the conveyor line, to enlarge the exit gateways, extending the vestibule zone, and to introduce information system - these are the main issues which we are to tackle while implementing the project”.

Reconstruction of the zone for mechanical processing of body parts and rotation body parts of 90-360-ton dump trucks shall be the main target to reach in the workshop of programmed machine tools. It shall allow to react promptly to any changes of the product and technologies nomenclature.

“At the programmed machine tools workshop six new turning machines and ten horizontal and boring mills shall be assembled. We have placed an order for the equipment and it is already in manufacturing process. Besides, this year we should determine the supplier of a new coordinate and measuring machine as well as the supplier of 22 units of turning machines which are to be introduced into operation in 2024-2025. This program shall be the most large-scale one in terms of the development of production capacities for the latest decades”, highlights Mr. Lesin, Deputy General Director.

It is also planned to modernize and tool up the experimental base of the science and technical center in the name of A.N. Egorov of the main Design Engineering department.

“Here I would like to single out the short-term objectives, i.e. purchasing stands for endurance testing of hydro-mechanical transmissions, hydraulic units, brake systems, the main axles, and tooth gears - at present we are working at choosing the suitable suppliers. The supplies of new equipment shall be started in 2024-2025”, highlights Mr. Lesin. “Not to speak of strategic objectives connected with construction of a testing center, the concept of which we shall confirm this year. The current challenges regarding the increasing demand in import replacement require appropriate solutions from us, and we deem the investments into science and research activity being the appropriate one”.

The foreseeable volume of investments at the main enterprise in 2024 shall amount to 191,5 million BYN. Herewith, 167,1 million BYN shall be funneled for purchasing more than 60 new units of equipment next year.