INFORMATION ABOUT RUPE "Belarusian Autoworks" (BELAZ)
General Director – Petr A. Parhomchik.
Republican unitary production enterprise "Belarusian Autoworks" (BELAZ) specializes in producing dump trucks of high and extra high payload capacity as well as other heavy transport equipment to be used in mining and construction industries.
The history of the enterprise has been in the making since 1948, when pursuant to the Decision of the Supreme Council of Belarus No. 137.308 of the 11th of September 1946, which was adopted by the Five-year Plan of Reconstruction of the BSSR for 1946-1950, at the railway station Zhodino the construction of machine factory for the production of peat equipment was launched.
In May 1950, the first products were manufactured: containers for the transportation of peat, agitators for its drying, etc.
In November 1951, peat machines building factory has been renamed for the plant of drainage and road machines "Dormash", which produced snow-plows, watering and auger wheel machines, brush-cutters and other equipment.
April 17, 1958 the company was granted the name "Belarusian Autoworks". By Nov. 7, 1958 first 25-tonnes MAZ-525 left the conveyor of the plant (production of these machines was transferred from Minsk automobile factory).
In 1960, the company started working on BELAZ dump trucks - dump trucks with a principally new design for the open-cast mining of mineral deposits.
On the 14th of September 1961 the first 27-tonnes BELAZ-540 left the factory gates. All in all, during the whole its history BELAZ developed more than 500 modifications of dump trucks with payload capacity from 27 to 320 tonnes, produced more than 130,000 units of dump trucks, which were shipped to more than 70 countries around the world.
The production range of RUPE “Belarusian Autoworks” and its branches - "Mogilev Autoworks ", “Mogilev Wagon Works” and “Starodorozhski engineering works” - comprises:
· open-cast mining dump trucks with payload capacity from 30 to 320 tonnes;
· dump trucks equipped with hydromechanical transmission with enhanced cross-country capacity;
· construction and road-building vehicles and mine servicing equipment: front-end loaders, wheeled dozers, truck mixers, scrapers, recovery tractors;
· vehicles for underground working: underground trucks, load-haul-dump units, multi-purpose chassis, vehicles for transportation of people, underground truck mixers;
· vehicles for metallurgical works: heavy-load carriers and slag carriers;
· special purpose vehicles: self-propelled rollers, chassis for vibration installation, sanitation vehicles, aircraft tugs, water sprinkling vehicles.
· hopper cars for transportation of mineral fertilizers.
· consumer goods.
Main consumers of BELAZ equipment are mining enterprises in CIS, and, above all, Russia and Ukraine. Belarusian market for dump trucks with payload capacity of 30-55 tonnes is limited to only a few mining ventures, in the quarries of which BELAZ tests its technology. The delivery of trucks is also performed to the foreign markets.
Annually Russia receives 64% of BELAZ total production amount. Its main customers are enterprises of Kuzbas coalfield, metallurgical and mining enterprises of the Ural region, mining companies in Yakutia, Far East, and the Kola Peninsula, Kursk magnetic anomaly. All these companies are operating the fleet of dump trucks with BELAZ trademark and payload capacity from 30 to 320 tonnes.
However, BELAZ continues to work systematically to broaden the range of products. Only during the last 2008 year the pilot batches of the following equipment were developed and manufactured:
· dump trucks BELAZ-75600 of payload capacity 320 tonnes
· dump trucks BELAZ-75570 of payload capacity 90 tonnes
· dump trucks BELAZ-7545 of payload capacity 45 tonnes
In addition, production tests of 160-tonnes BELAZ-75170 dump truck were completed; prototype models of 50- tonnes BELAZ-75810 dump truck and 9-tonnes MOAZ-4055 underground load-haul-dump units were produced.
Belarusian Autoworks product range was enlarged during last two years due to development and launching of:
- new modifications of 30-tonnes dump trucks with engines of Tutaev and Minsk engine works joint production as well as Cummins engines.
- new modifications of 130 and 220 tonnes dump trucks with MTU engines.
- new modifications of 130-tonnes dump trucks equipped with AC-DC and AC-AC transmissions.
- new modifications of recovery tractors on basis of dump trucks of payload capacity 55, 130 and 220 tonnes.
- new modification of 150-tonnes carthorse for metallurgical works.
- hopper cars of payload capacity 67 and 70,5 tonnes for transportation of mineral fertilizers.
At RUPE “Belarusian Autoworks” much had been done to improve the quality of products. The Quality Management System in development, production and maintenance of dump trucks, special vehicles and road-building equipment meets the requirements of ISO 9001-2001 and the International Standards DIN EN ISO 9001:2000.
Achievements of the enterprise in improving the quality of dump trucks have been highly awarded: "International Diamond Quality Star" awarded by Mexican National Institute of Marketing in 1995, XYIII International prize "For Technology and Quality" awarded by Club of Leaders in Trade (HQ - Madrid, Spain) in 1997, and the X Prize of America "For quality" awarded in 1998, "Crystal Nika" awarded by Coordinating Committee of the International Program "Partnership for progress" in 2000.
In 2001, the product of the enterprise - dump truck BELAZ-75145 with payload capacity of 120 tonnes - was among the best goods of the Republic of Belarus sold in the Russian Federation.
Prize-winner of the contest "Best Products of the Republic of Belarus on Russian Market" in the program "100 Best Russian Products" in 2003 was dump truck BELAZ-75131 with payload capacity of 130 tonnes.
In 2006, for the introduction of high-quality management and ensuring the competitive products BELAZ was awarded with "Diploma of Award Recipient from Government of Republic of Belarus" for achievements in the field of quality.
In order to reduce the time set for the production of new equipment, quality assurance and upgrading production technology in 1998 BELAZ began its technical rearmament of the production facilities at the expense of debt capital. Two of the three phases of the work for planned reconstruction were performed. Engineering and research facilities with testing facilities and grounds were reconstructed on the basis of flexible technologies. 435 outdated equipment items were withdrawn; more than 300 units of new progressive equipment for $90 millions were introduced into operation. This helped to reduce the wear of equipment from 89% to 59.8%.
Equipment produced with the new equipment and technology meet the growing needs of rapidly developing mining industries in Russia and CIS countries, increase of production in which, according to the studies by St. Petersburg State Mining Institute will double by 2010.
In 2005-2006, the bulk of the investment was aimed at upgrading of joined foundry, located in the city of Mogilev.
After the completion of all work at the foundry complex it will be possible to produce steel castings, incl. low-alloyed steels, as well as casts of grey and high-strength cast iron. Capacity of this production is 20,000 tonnes of major casting, and 15,000 tonnes of small and medium-sized casts, which will ensure high quality casting for enterprise's needs and will make it possible to supply castings to other customers.
Technical re-equipment project of Belarusian Autoworks for 2008-2012 years was developed. The project stipulates the arrangement of serial production of new products line (BELAZ dump trucks of payload capacity 90-110 tonnes equipped with hydromechanical transmission, BELAZ dump trucks of payload capacity 320-360 tonnes; as well as MOAZ products: load-haul-dump unit of payload capacity 9 tonnes, underground dump truck with articulated frame of payload capacity 50 tonnes, cross-country capacity dump truck of payload capacity 25 tonnes, three-axle cross-country capacity dump truck of payload capacity 27 tonnes, hopper car for transportation of mineral fertilizers of payload capacity 70,5 tonnes, and others) and appropriate development of production facilities.
Investments will make up over 22 millions euro at the first stage and over 86 millions euro at the second stage.
Similarly to the reconstruction in the course of 2000 year, the production modernization will base on use of equipment with programmable control that allows to considerably increase the production flexibility and automatization level.
As a result of reconstruction the production volumes will significantly increase and in 2012 make up 188,5% as compared to 2008 level.
Today BELAZ is dynamically developing enterprise. So, in 2008 production output is increased to 11,2% as compared to 2007 level. New products make up 43,1%.
Progressive and purposeful efforts BELAZ undertakes to improve the quality of its products, continuous improvement of production technology in accordance with the wishes and demands of customers contribute to realization of export development program developed by the enterprise, which is aimed at expansion and consolidation of positions in the world market.
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