On April 24, 2024, as part of the International Exhibition Kazakhstan Machinery Fair in Astana, a round table was held on the topic of welding technologies “The new generation chooses Safety. Modern solutions in the field of welding and cutting at industrial enterprises of the country.” It was organized by ESAB, the world's largest manufacturer of welding products.
The main goal of the event was to draw attention to the need for safe welding work. Unfortunately, the statistics of accidents at enterprises still remains deplorable. According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in 2023, more than 1,200 of our compatriots were injured at work, of which more than 180 people died.
The speakers were leading companies that are united by a responsible attitude towards the safety of their employees and the creation of a high production culture in general. Experts shared successful cases with colleagues and also proposed new product and technological solutions.
The discussion was opened by Ekaterina Tatarinova, Director of ESAB Kazakhstan LLP, Head of the ESAB Central Asia region. In her welcoming remarks, she shared with those present her vision of trends and current issues in the country's welding industry and emphasized the importance of safety and adherence to correct welding practices.
Evgeniy Gauf, welding process engineer at Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering LLP (KPE), the largest enterprise in Central Asia producing modern armored wheeled vehicles, shared with his colleagues his experience in carrying out modern welding work. The company uses innovative technologies for welding armored sheets and other techniques, has spacious workshops, carries out quality control at all stages of work, including attaching great importance to safety. The main value of the plant is its highly qualified technical specialists.
The safety practices of Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty (LKZ), the leading locomotive manufacturer in the country, were presented by Doskhan Ospanov, welding coordinator and leading engineer of the enterprise. The plant employs 836 workers and has produced 555 locomotives that are operated in our country and abroad.
Igor Polomar, head of the product group at ESAB Kazakhstan LLP, introduced his colleagues to the latest product solutions for safe welding and cutting. According to the speaker, modern equipment has become more powerful, safer, and smaller. The company's assortment includes equipment that helps, for example, introduce an additional measure of protection against electric shock, lower voltage and reduce smoke emissions. And Stanislav Martyanov, an engineer at the Rezka product group of ESAB Kazakhstan LLP, spoke about technologies that help protect workers from injuries in processes such as machine plasma and laser cutting. The following come to the rescue: safety light barriers, emergency stop buttons, as well as protection against UV radiation and fumes. ESAB is always ready to offer these and other solutions to responsible companies.
Johan Weibender, sales manager at TECA, a company specializing in the production of filter ventilation systems, once again emphasized that the focus of any enterprise should be on caring for people. This is especially true for welding and cutting processes, with their heavy loads. For its part, TECA offers automated ventilation systems that can efficiently clean the air in production areas.
Director of the Polytechnic College of the Kazakhmys Corporation Aigul Syzdykova spoke about the training of young welders at Kazakhmys enterprises. The program includes: WorldSkills Kazakhstan championships in the “Welding” competency with training according to WorldSkills International standards, safety briefings, etc. The company also uses modern technology and provides each employee with a full set of PPE. This approach helps to instill a culture of safe production in the first stages of a specialist’s work.
The chief welder of Maker KLMZ LLP, Kalizhar Serkebaev, fascinatingly told the round table participants about the modernization of production with modern welding solutions. In 2016–2019 In addition to the complete replacement of old equipment with modern equipment, engineering and technological personnel were trained to unlock the capabilities of new welding equipment and thermal cutting equipment. In subsequent years, improvement did not stop. Thus, in 2023, an ESAB PHOENIX PXE 3000 portal thermal cutting machine was purchased, and the latest work tools are constantly being mastered.
Iskander Nuranbekov, executive director of Quant Robotics LLP, shared his experience of increasing operator safety by automating welding processes using industrial robots at Karasai Machine-Building Plant LLP. The company is one of the first integrators
