Yaroslavl Motor Plant Avtodizel was founded in 1916 as a facility for assembly of passenger cars and medical vehicles for the fronts of World War I. Today, Avtodizel is part of GAZ Group, which is a major Russian manufacturer of commercial vehicles.
Avtodizel OJSC (YaMZ) specializes in the development and production of multipurpose diesel engines and power trains. Yaroslavl engines are fitted on more than 300 models of transportation facilities and
Yaroslavl Motor Plant is implementing a number of
A new production site with advanced equipment was constructed and launched as part of the project implementation in 2011. It employs an almost full cycle of engine production, including processing of body aluminum parts, cylinder blocks and heads, crankshafts and camshafts. After assembly, engines are tested, painted, and shipped to the customer. Six- and
Also, the contract assembly of
From high accuracy of measurements to quality assurance and partner confidence
Cylinder blocks, cylinder heads, crankshafts, camshafts, and other engine components require high measurement accuracy. The requirements for dimension tolerances are so high that universal measuring means cannot guarantee reliable results; therefore,
The supplied parts also need to be checked to ensure incoming inspection with regard to critical parameters specified in documentation.
Prior to production modernization, universal measuring means, such as
The implementation of the
«Machines of this type are less dependent on temperature change and vibration," notes Denis Pozdnyakov, Head of Technical Department at Avtodizel OJSC.
When the contract production was initiated, Daimler’s specialists performed a site audit, and attention was paid not only to the availability of the required measuring equipment in the necessary configuration and measuring means, but also to the qualification of laboratory personnel.
«Reliable measurements are very important, because both we and our partners always impose very high requirements on the necessary equipment, techniques, and quality of measurements. In 2014, the quality of YaMZ engines was officially recognized at the international level: the quality management system of
New technologies — new opportunities
In total, six coordinate measuring machines are in operation at the plant now: five at the new site, and one at the old one. Five similar ZEISS CenterMax Navigator coordinate measuring machines are installed at the new site. The only difference between them is that three machines have an error of 1.4 µm and two machines of 0.9 µm. Under certain conditions, one of them can take measurements with an accuracy of up to 0.7 µm and is used as a reference machine.
As part of the modernization, the plant obtained a turnkey solution. The whole configuration was determined by the specific tasks and parts at hand. The solution included positioning devices, loading systems, probes, and complex probe configurations.
Parts are sampled for measurements in accordance with a manufacturing technique. A special
Each part has its own program, for example, some 9 operations along with 6 interoperation measurements are performed for the cylinder block of the 530 engine, and a separate program is provided for each of these measurements. Twelve probe systems are used for these operations. They are installed in a magazine and changed automatically. The probe systems are completely different: there are inclined probes, simple stars, or disk probes for measurement of grooves. If necessary, optional probes, probe systems, and extensions are purchased.
Special programs are written as required, for example, for the purpose of incoming inspection, when parts from various suppliers are inspected and it is necessary to check specific parameters rather than all drawing dimensions. Sometimes, when changes are made to the process or design documentation, the existing programs must be updated. This is performed by a specialist who received training in Germany at the Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology facility; he/she makes changes in the program and tests and approves them.
«The Calypso system makes it possible to visually examine a part directly in the course of developing a new program or making changes, which significantly facilitates the working process," notes a coordinate measuring machine operator.
Based on the results of the measurement program, the laboratory obtains a measurement record where parameters within or beyond the tolerance limits are indicated. Operators shall notify about deviations. The second task is to develop a statistical forecast for each parameter. It is necessary to track trends as to how one or another dimension varies from part to part so as to take preventive measures and avoid faulty production.
Thus, due to ZEISS coordinate measuring machines, the plant has automated its statistical product quality monitoring process and gained an opportunity to control it. This has resulted in an increase in product level because the laboratory and the production facility have more complete and reliable information.