ESAB and Volgaenergoprom Group: development of a unique installation for Mikhailovsky GOK

Volgaenergoprom Group in cooperation with ESAB, one of the leaders in the production of equipment and consumables for welding and cutting, has produced a unique installation for the Mikhailovsky GOK. The equipment is designed for surfacing the ridges of wheel sets of electric locomotives and has no analogues in Russia.
This is the first installation of its kind in the automated solutions market. The surfacing of the ridges of the wheel pairs of electric locomotives is now carried out without their direct removal from the car, which saves time and improves the quality of work.
"We appreciate cooperation with such a strong and competent partner as Volgaenergoprom Group, especially in the field of complex engineering projects. Working together allows us, accumulating our experience and technologies, to offer customers non-standard, or even unique solutions. This is also important from the point of view of understanding the needs and prospects for the development of Russian industrial enterprises," comments Nikolay Matyushenko, Head of the ESAB Standard Automation Department.
A large team of specialists from the automation department of Volgaenergoprom worked on the project for a year: design engineers, technologists, programmers, electronics and adjusters. Employees developed a model, prepared an experimental sample and conducted test tests at the customer's site.
"The main challenge for us was that the project had to be created from scratch. We independently developed the concept of the solution, designed the installation, made prototypes, conducted tests. The successful implementation of the project showed a high level of competence of both our employees and ESAB specialists. We are connected by long-term partnership and even, in my opinion, friendly relations. For all projects on automatic welding and surfacing under the flux layer, we use ESAB equipment as one of the most reliable, easily integrated into projects and easy to manage. ESAB equipment has a large number of additional options that are often needed by the customer," said Sergey Morshansky, Head of Automation at Volgaenergoprom GC LLC.