NEWS

KAMAZ completes the factory tests and prepares the first batch of trucks run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) for delivery to Gazprom's subdivisions.

With comparable prices, the main competitive advantage of LNG trucks over trucks run on compressed natural gas (CNG) is the volume and number of tanks. If the first ones have one tank ensuring a fuel distance of up to 700 kilometres, CNG vehicles should fill about 13 standard cylinders for a similar run. This not only essentially increases the truck weight thus reducing the payload, but it also requires an extended frame so that the cylinders can be placed on it, along with the body or superstructure.

Two KAMAZ-65117-37 and one KAMAZ-65116-37 will be sent to the trial performance from the Scientific and Technical Centre. These are the two models of LNG trucks, which were the first in Russia to undergo certification.

On May 18, the Dolphin Yacht Club (founded under the Zelenodolsk Shipyard) saw a bright ceremony of opening the summer season for the small craft navigation.

The opening ceremony involving the invitation of high-ranking guests has become a good tradition in the yacht club. On this day, the young sailors were greeted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Albert Karimov, Deputy Director General of Ak Bars Holding Company Yelena Aleshina, First Deputy Head of the Zelenodolsk Executive Committee Aleksandr Starostin, Director General of the Zelenodolsk Shipyard Renat Mistakhov, chairman of the shipyard’s trade union Mikhail Podgornov, and others.

The honour to raise the flag of the Dolphin Yacht Club on the occasion of the opening of the small craft navigation season was given to the youngest trainees of the Club, Rustem and Azat Gabbasovs.

The opening ceremony ended with awarding the employees of the yacht club, who made a significant contribution to the development of their trainees, and the children who won prizes in regional and national competitions. The children and the employees received diplomas, letters of appreciation, certificates for sports goods, and memorable gifts.

On May 17, KAMAZ was visited by top executives of Mangold Consulting GmbH Klaus Mangold and Christophe Mangold, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Albert Karimov.

The delegation members were taken to the engine plant and the JV Cummins Kama, where they made a tour of the cylinder block and cylinder head processing lines by Cummins. In addition, the guests studied the process of assembling KAMAZ and Cummins engines. The delegation also visited ZF Kama, Knorr-Bremse Kama and the construction site of a new cabin frame plant for K5 generation trucks.

Events of their visit programme included visits to the main assembly conveyor and the cabin assembly conveyor at the automobile plant. Later, the guests saw a presentation of new model line-up vehicles on the square in front of the Scientific and Technical Centre: KAMAZ-5490, KAMAZ-65201, KAMAZ-65801, and others. The delegation also visited the KAMAZ-Autosport Centre, where they reviewed the facilities for manufacturing racing trucks of the famous KAMAZ-Master Team.

The visit programme of the Mangold Consulting executives to KAMAZ ended with negotiations on the prospects for cooperation, with participation by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Albert Karimov and Director General of KAMAZ Sergey Kogogin.

Ford Sollers assigned the Q1 supplier status to Coskunoz Alabuga, which is an important strategic partner of the company. This is the highest status that a supplier of automotive components can receive from Ford. The new status allows both delivering stamped products to the Russia’s Ford plants and exporting them to the automaker's enterprises around the world. The start of exports of internal body sidewalls, arches of rear wheels, and rear door panels is scheduled for August this year. The Russian-made parts will be delivered to the Ford plant in Craiova (Romania) for the production of new Ford EcoSport vehicles.

Cooperation of Ford Sollers with Coskunoz Alabuga became one of the important stages in localising the production of Ford vehicles in Russia. The next step will be the localisation of the sheet metal cutting process. In December 2016, the construction of a new steel service centre, Alabuga, was started in partnership with Coskunoz. The centre will cut sheet metal for stamping body parts to leading Russia’s automakers, the first of which will be Ford Sollers. The SSC Alabuga will be the first company of its kind in the region. Its output is expected at 60,000 tonnes of rolled metal a year. The launch of the steel service centre is scheduled for the second quarter of 2018.

On May 26, Dmitry Medvedev will chair a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Governments.

Its agenda includes issues of further development of multilateral cooperation within the Commonwealth of Independent States, including signing international treaties in such areas as the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, geodesy, cartography, cadastre, and remote sensing of the Earth; counteracting the production and distribution of counterfeit products, and protecting intellectual property rights.

On the same day, Dmitry Medvedev will attend a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council.

The meeting will consider a wide range of issues related to integrative cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, which unites Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

It is planned to approve a joint action plan to eliminate exemptions and restrictions on the Union’s market, to discuss the progress in the preparation of the main areas for implementing the digital agenda and the development of the “Single Window” mechanism in the regulation of foreign economic activities in the member states.

The Rosstandart, together with the Roskachestvo, completed the assessment of documentation from Russian organisations applying for the Government’s Quality Award. Nine enterprises of the Republic of Tatarstan take part in the competition.

In the period from May 29 to July 14, an on-site audit will be carried out at the organisations that have passed the documentary assessment. An analysis will be conducted on conformity of the organisation's activities with the so-called “perfect model”.

Based on the results of the audit, the Roskachestvo will prepare proposals on the nominees and winners of the competition, for making the final decision by the Council for the Russian Government's Quality Awards headed by Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.

The Russian Government's Quality Award is the highest award today for a Russia’s organisation that relies on quality as an important factor of competition in the domestic and global markets. The Award has been presented by the Head of the Russian Government since 1996. The audit and subsequent recommendations of experts are an effective tool for encouraging an enterprise to improve its organisational structure of management and production, enhance competitiveness, and introduce new technologies and innovations.

These days, the 18th International Specialised Exhibition for Equipment, Instruments, and Tools for the Metalworking Industry “Metalloobrabotka 2017” is held in Moscow at the Expocentre Fairgrounds. The event is also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The Metalloobrabotka is the largest exhibition project in Russia in the field of machine tool construction, which represents the global trends in the industry’s development. This year, about 1,000 exhibitors from 33 countries around the world will display, at the exhibition area of ​​more than 40,000 square metres, their intelligent machine tools, hi-tech metalworking equipment of a new generation, and a wide range of components and tools.

Leading Russian machine-building enterprises will also demonstrate the capabilities and achievements of domestic manufacturers in the field of competitive import substitution of goods, as well as the latest technologies, promising developments, and investment projects characterising Russia's scientific, technology, and production potential.

The event will last until May 19, 2017.

Today, the House of Tatarstan Government hosted the meeting between Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov and the delegation of the Austrian-Russian Friendship Society. The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Albert Karimov.

During the meeting, the Tatarstan President noted that the Republic of Tatarstan highly appreciates ​​the current level of relations with its Austrian partners and attaches great importance to the expansion of trade, economic, and humanitarian cooperation. Rustam Minnikhanov briefly spoke about the industrial and investment potential of the republic and about the economic results of the region's activities in 2016. He said that Tatarstan has been active in cooperation with Austrian business circles.

Later on, representatives of the Austrian business community briefly presented their companies and identified various options for developing cooperation with Tatarstan in the field of agribusiness, electronic payment systems, equestrian sports, and tourism.

The finals of the fifth WorldSkills Russia National Competition start in Krasnodar. Its opening ceremony will take place at the Expograd-Yug Exhibition and Congress Complex.

This year, the finals of the competition, which will end on May 19, will pass for 113 skills to identify the best young professionals among 1,200 competitors. Winners and medallists will join the extended national team of WorldSkills Russia, from among which the Russian participants will be selected for such international skills competitions as WorldSkills Abu-Dhabi 2017, WorldSkills Kazan 2019, as well as the EuroSkills 2018 in Budapest.

On May 16, the plenary session will be held within the business programme of the competition finals. Its participants, politicians and key education experts, will discuss the effectiveness of the personnel development system. The finals of the WorldSkills Russia National Competition is the most ambitious contest in Russia for professional skills in the WorldSkills standards among students of colleges and technical schools aged 16 to 22, as well as schoolchildren aged 10-17.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Tatarstan held a traditional ceremonial event timed to the celebration of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The words of deep gratitude from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Tatarstan were addressed to veterans for their military and labour feats, and an active civil position.

Employees of the Ministry handed over flowers, memorable gifts to veterans, wished them long life, prosperity, and, most importantly, sound health.

During the festive dinner, the veterans communicated with each other, remembered the past years of the war.

Today, in peacetime, we honour and remember the people, owing to whom we can work peacefully, enjoy our lives and educate our children! Thank you for our living in peace, all because of your courage and bravery. Health and long life to you!