Experts UEC Saturn about the industry 4.0 and digital transformation of the enterprise of the Interview of TAdviser

Alexey Sobolev: PJSC UEC Saturn is engaged in development, production, an after-sale service of turbine jets for aircraft, for land and sea application, for the special purposes. In a model range of our products and the D-30KP engine best-seller which lifts into the sky Il-76 – the main transport airplane in Russia and the CIS countries. And the SaM146 engine for the airplanes "Sukhoi Superjet 100". And the industrial SCD with power from 2.5 to 110 MW used for gas-distributing units and electricity production. In 2017 we finished developmental works on creation of essentially new turbine jets which began to produce serially for satisfaction of requirements of navy.

Alexey Sobolev: Among production tasks digital transformation takes an important place. A year ago at the enterprise the position of the Digital Economy project manager was officially entered. As the internal customer he creates ideology of digital development of the enterprise, a vector of its digital transformation. So defines tasks which the directorate on information technologies together with the interested services realizes.

Today to speak about the formalized strategy of digital transformation so far early, but plans for development, digital changes at product development, their production and support in operation are implemented. Changes go actively, as in terms of creation of necessary infrastructure for implementation of digital products or platforms, and in terms of software packages which support development processes, production and an after-sale service.

Pavel Bekher: We work on digitalization of the enterprise more than 20 years, and already considerable time lifecycle of product development, designing, technology preparation of production occurs in digit. That activities of designers, technology services for preparation of production were implemented as an end-to-end flow of works, specialized software packages are applied. The software tools used at development stages and productions are integrated among themselves and work in the uniform integrated chain which provides an information stream from the idea to its embodiment in metal.

On experience of development of the SaM146 engine we developed technologies of reverse engineering, worked a subject of virtual tests which results showed high degree of convergence with natural tests. The specialized hardware and software system on supercomputer calculations with a total peak capacity of 114 TFLOPS which is actively used for study and adoption of design solutions acts on the platform of PJSC UEC Saturn. It was designed from the hardware point of view under the used program infrastructure.

Pavel Bekher

Alexey Sobolev: Earlier was considered that on average development of the engine takes the period in 10-12 years. The SaM146 engine was developed less than in 7 years if to take the period from 2003 to 2010 - from the idea of the project before certification; if to count up from development of KD to obtaining the certificate of type, then the period in less than 5 years will turn out. At the same time a number of tests replaced with settlement works – virtual tests, settlement modeling that was accepted by both EASA, and the Russian aviation authorities.

If to speak about economy of means, then it is possible to give a simple example, using the Soviet statistics: for operational development of the engine, for its exit to serial production from 50 to 70 prototypes - pilot engines which passed tests were made usually. They were destroyed in the course of the research, led up, redid construction. During creation of the SaM146 engine we managed 8 pilot engines and destroyed only one of them during tests; it were obligatory certification tests on break of a blade of the fan, and they took place successfully. Such result became possible thanks to the fact that we developed the engine in digit, checked it in digit, promodelirovat different physical processes which result in the engine and all this was implemented at a stage of creation of prototypes in production.

Pavel Bekher: I will continue a subject of technologies. The aspects connected with production management with cost value, with specific product output are also important for us. We use the systems of own development on production planning, on control of its accomplishment, on cost analysis. To be cost-efficient we support these steps with organizational measures. Such complex organizational and the IT environment of mid-term planning allowed to balance production and to increase its capacity.

At the enterprise the considerable park of the computer equipment is used. Numbering slightly over 12000 people - about 6000 computers. It means that every second employee of the enterprise has an automated workplace which work is supported by a software complex.

Pavel Bekher: We are guided by solutions which are optimal for application during creation and production of hi-tech products. At the same time first of all we consider versions of domestic solutions. If we cannot find the corresponding class of solutions of the Russian production, then we analyze a situation with foreign producers - western or east. It concerns also software and hardware packages. I will note that our supercomputer complex is domestic development.

Pavel Bekher: Many of us on production already use elements of the industry 4.0. The same CNC machine is a hardware and software system which part is connected with machining, and a part is a brain, the computer equipped with rather large number of sensors.

Based on the available technology park, we started pilot projects on creation of production management systems MES (intra shop management), upgrade of the existing systems MRP and ERP. We begin to remove necessary operation parameters of the equipment to gain clear idea of available resources for the purpose of further increase in capacity and consequently also the production program and also for improvement of policy of energy saving.

Technology equipment is a resource which service is an action expensive, often long. Therefore we expect to create base for preventive service on a status to have an opportunity accurately to plan works, to minimize the equipment downtimes connected with their repair with maintenance and as a result to receive big capacity. We should learn to make reasoned decisions on need of acquisition of the next machine, to use the expensive equipment with the maximum effectiveness ratio of its work. All this is important for cutting of costs for production, reductions of production cycles.

In our production there are a lot of elements of the industry 4.0. Naturally we look forward. The ideas of business development require implementation of additional devices, secsorics. We will need to learn to collect, to store, analyze Big Data from the most different elements of Internet of Things which by and large we already have. And to use it in the correct purposes - for increase in efficiency of activity of the company.

Pavel Bekher: All our world competitors collect already progressive tense in the online mode and analyze data on operation of each engine. That allows them to optimize work of this or that product in operation, to see and understand objectively how products should develop, provide that level of competitiveness and level of efficiency which are necessary for customers, consumers of products.

It is reality in which there are also we. Therefore we have an attentive relation to this process. We began with land subject and now so far we are in the beginning of a way. Having learned to build once work models in operation of our systems, we will be able to broadcast this experience on other products and to reach relationship with operators new level.

Alexey Sobolev: We implement at the enterprise pilot projects on robotization of production processes. Are already created a robotic complex in foundry production and robotic cells in forge production. Now we implement robotic cells in machining. It gives also an increase in labor productivity, and resolves a part of issues of quality assurance, stability of technology process. The release of turbine jets requires the special relation to technology process, to a method of production organization. Therefore robotization will be implemented and further, but reasonably - where it is reasonable where it gives effect. Respectively in our plans, all this is present at the strategy of the enterprise.

Pavel Bekher: Robotization certainly has the big future. The idea of use of robotic complexes as program systems allows to reduce influence of inertia to which the person is inclined. But unlike the same motorists, for example, we work with other type of production. In automotive industry it mass, at us – multinomenclature, small-scale. Organizationally in the automotive industry there is an arrangement of robots around the pipeline who execute a large number of similar transactions. We did not promote in terms of robotization so far as motorists as we solve other problems. We should make quickly a large number of readjustments during one working shift that is nonconventional for a robotic complex.

There are problems, there are also perspectives which we see and we try to use.

Pavel Bekher: Smart contracts, smart calculations and other elements of a blockchain are traditionally used in the financial sector. On this subject of pilots we did not start. Accurately we study this direction. I consider that to a blockchain in our industry the place is. First of all in terms of traceability of production of parts, confirmation of all necessary parameters of quality. Perhaps in the future, when trust to a blockchain will be more, the corresponding legal acts will change and formation of smart contracts with our suppliers and consumers will become a reality.

Alexey Sobolev: PJSC UEC Saturn is an industrial partner of an accelerator of GenerationS of JSC RVC since 2015. More than 50 employees of the company annually take part in work of the acceleration program as experts, mentors, speakers. The track TechNet sets as the purpose search of the best solutions in the field of the advanced production technologies. Based on the acceleration program the best projects can get support within NTI – the National technology initiative, to test and implement the development in production, to enter the register of projects of TechNet of NTI and also to fight for prize fund of a track. The work directed to support of technology startups goes together with the St. Petersburg polytechnical university. Among them there are also IT startups. We understand that without an opportunity to be built in our technology chains startups cannot reach a technology and production maturity.

In Rybinsk the International technology forum "Innovations is annually held. Technologies. Production" in which organization UEC Saturn participates. Within this forum there are specialized sections focused on digital transformation and implementation of IT in production including in our industry. Participate in it as the large, taken place companies, and IT startups.

PJSC UEC Saturn is open for new technologies, project teams. In our plans – to continue such interaction with startups.