At the central mechanical-repair plant within the framework of implementation of investment project "Development of Yoshlik I deposit" new equipment is being supplied. Suhrob Pardaev, deputy head of production at the mechanical assembly shop, says.

- In May this year the machine park of the mining equipment section of Central Repair and Mechanical Plant, which produces large parts and units that cannot be processed at other sections because of their large size, was enlarged by two more units of new equipment - German Axiom-900 numerically controlled "Siemens-840D" lathes and screw-cutting machines.

To date, one of the received Axiom-900 machines has already been put into operation, the second will be put into operation after the completion of commissioning works. Installation, connection and commissioning of the received equipment, staff training and quality control, as well as commissioning of the new equipment, designed for processing large-size parts weighing 10-12 tons, are carried out by the manufacturer's specialists. Workers of Machine assembly shop - repairmen Dilshod Rusaliev, Nuriddinjon Rakhimov and instrumentation fitters Rashid Khusanov and Alexander Kuznetsov - take active part in assembling the machines.

What is the advantage of the new machine? First of all, its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is easy to operate, fully automated and the program it contains can significantly reduce the time required for machining parts and make the cycle of operations shorter. We can now drill, grind and mill on the same machine instead of spreading the operation over several machines as in the past. This means shorter machining and production times for parts and spare parts, which in turn reduces costs and increases production output.

A further plus point of this high-tech machine is the turret, which enables tool changes to be made automatically without stopping or interrupting the process. Up to twelve different turning tools can now be operated simultaneously! The Axiom-900 has quite a few technical features that make it much easier for the operator: the CNC machine operator can operate two or more machines at the same time. It also offers a number of additional features that contribute positively to the operation of the machine. A definite plus is the CNC turning centres installed here with the option of a drive tool, including a Z-axis and an additional Y-axis, which are often not included with the equipment, and the rear conveyor, which enables effortless, automatic chip removal. Also available is a 4-jaw lathe chuck for machining asymmetrical workpieces in case you need to mill off-centre outside diameters or bore holes on different axes, and a steady rest, designed to support long and bulky parts during machining, which reduces vibration and increases accuracy.

Thus, to summarise, we would like to note that the renewal of the the central mechanical-repair plant machine park will make it possible to significantly increase production volumes, have an impact on the localisation plan, and expand the range and improve the quality of our products.

Tatyana RUDENKO