With enterprises of the aircraft industry of PJSC Rupolim, he has been cooperating for many decades. Participation in the profile exhibition – MAKS -2021 – was a logical continuation of this cooperation

Maxim Klocha: Max-2021 will show the general vector of the development of aircraft industry

With enterprises of the aircraft industry of PJSC Rupolim, he has been cooperating for many decades. Participation in the profile exhibition – the Max -2021 International Airlines Salon in Zhukovsky near Moscow – was a logical continuation of this cooperation. The general director of PJSC RUSPOLIMIM PJSC Maxim Klocha spoke about the novelties of production, import substitution and promising projects of the RG.

Maxim Viktorovich, this year PJSC Rusospolim celebrates its anniversary, 155 years old. You cooperate with enterprises of various industries. How many years have your production interact with aircraft manufacturing? And what results were possible to achieve during this time?

Maxim Klocha: Our cooperation with the enterprises of the aircraft industry began in the 50s of the last century. Then the enterprise was called the Kulebak Metallurgical Plant and was subordinated to the USSR Ministry of Aviation Industry. This industry has been a key for us for more than 70 years. All customers of our products that were in Soviet times remain now. These are the largest aircraft builders of our country. But if then we were engaged in the supply of ring blanks, now these are finished ring products that are as close as possible for assembly.

We actively build up interaction with foreign partners. Among them are manufacturers from Canada, USA, South Korea. They receive our products and immediately use it in engineering, no additional processing is already required.

What for PJSC Rupolim means participating in the Max air show this year? What products do you present? On the stand are products under a common stamp novelty, tell us more about them?

Maxim Klocha: Participation in the International Airlines Salon this year is especially important for us. 2020, for obvious reasons, was quite scarce for exhibition activities, negotiations with customers. At the same time, we launched new production that need to be presented. Show what we have achieved and where we are moving.

At the Rusospolmet stand, new products from powder metals are presented for completely different industries – an air -horn, nuclear engineering, shipbuilding and others. In this direction of production, we see great potential and prospects. A few years ago, Russian manufacturers purchased metal powders abroad. Products from them have unique characteristics – increased wear resistance, a large resource, and a smaller number of possible defects.At the same time, they are produced faster and cheaper than using traditional technologies. We have already successfully entered the European market with these products.

In itself, powder metallurgy is not new for our enterprise: in the mid-80s, we had the first gasostat. But the powders themselves were purchased abroad. In September 2019, we launched our own production – this is a subsidiary of Grancom LLC – now we have a full cycle for the production of metal powders and products from them. Now the company has two modernized gasostats, in the future we plan to install several more, the documentation for their production has already been developed.

Metal powders are actively used in additive technologies. Now we are installing a 3D printer for the production of finished parts at our enterprise, we already have experimental samples of products. Production will start soon.

How will the new nomenclature be applied in the aircraft industry? Ruspolymet has a number of joint projects with aircraft manufacturers. What other promising developments, joint projects do you plan to implement in the near future?

Maxim Klochay: Products from powder metals are actively used in the production of engines. But domestic companies are faced with the task of increasing the volume of these products. Therefore, we closely cooperate with the UEC corporation on a fresh line of PD-14 and PD-8 engines, which include our ring blanks, and follow the new requirements for component manufacturers. We are also participating in the promising project PD-35. To be involved in the successes of the domestic aircraft industry is a special joy and a reason for pride.

You mentioned Grancom LLC, your subsidiary, whose products are presented at MAKS-2021. Your second enterprise, Vacuum Metallurgy Plant LLC (ZVM), which produces titanium alloys, is also represented at the air show. Why were these two productions chosen, what is the essence of their cooperation?

Maxim Klochay: With titanium, as well as with powder metals, we have been working for a very long time. But earlier it was necessary to buy blanks and make products from them. Now we have managed to get away from raw material dependence by building our own production facilities. Now our ZVM can produce titanium and its alloys according to all possible technological schemes. At the same time, the quality of products is at the highest level, it is certified for key industries. Despite the fact that this is a classic import substitution, we have already started deliveries for export. The products of Grankom and ZVM are oriented, among other things, to the aerospace industry, both industries have great prospects, so we decided to demonstrate them at MAKS-2021.

What results do you expect from participation in the MAKS air show this year?

Maxim Klochay: The most important thing is to communicate productively with our traditional customers, to build plans for the future. To discuss specific orders for 2022-2023. Understand where our partners move to build a development vector in the same direction.