Russia's largest center for production of helicopter engines components opened in Ufa

The UEC-UMPO Production and Technology Center (PTC) is focused on the production of components for serial and advanced helicopter engines in the power class up to 5,000 horsepower. The center was organized to solve the problems of import substitution and to launch helicopter engine production in the Russian Federation. The first section (PTC No. 1) was commissioned in 2018, and in January of the same year, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited it. The center mastered the manufacture and assembly of free turbines, III stage nozzles and compressor turbine nozzles of the VK-2500 engine.

The second section is focused on the manufacture of parts and assembly units and assemblies of combustion chambers. The third will specialize in medium and small parts made of steel and titanium alloys, the fourth will produce drive boxes made of aluminum and magnesium alloys.

Today, the Head of Bashkortostan Radiy Khabirov, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia Oleg Bocharov, First Deputy General Director of Rostec State Corporation Vladimir Artyakov, Industrial Director of the Rostec Aviation Cluster Anatoly Serdyukov, as well as heads of leading companies in the country's aviation industry visited production sites, took part in its opening and examined the PTC work.

"The design capacity of the new production and technological center, which we launched today is up to 350 engine kits per year. We plan to reach these figures already in 2021. The created centers have the necessary capacities to participate in international cooperation projects. UEC-UMPO supplies kits for the final assembly of helicopter engines, which then are delivered to both the Russian and foreign markets. We are ready to cooperate with foreign partners both in the development of engines and in manufacturing separate components. A full-fledged launch of the Center for Professional Education of the Aviation Cluster is scheduled for May 2021", noted the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Oleg Bocharov.

"This is a modern high-tech center, which was created as part of the import substitution program and the expansion of serial production of helicopter engines in Russia. The state-of-the-art equipment has been installed here; modern production technologies have been applied, which reduce labor costs by 25% and increase labor productivity. Investments in the project amounted to 8.7 billion rubles," Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy General Director of Rostec State Corporation, stated.

The Head of the Republic called UEC-UMPO the flagship of the economy and industry development of Bashkortostan.

"Today, we are opening a Center for the manufacture of products for the entire range of domestic helicopter engines. This is an expansion of the Ufa plant competences and, of course, a very inspiring event," said Radiy Khabirov.

The center is organized according to the principles of lean manufacturing. It is equipped with 310 units of the latest equipment, including numerical control machines, high-tech machining centers and unique welding and brazing equipment.

In the future, about 700 people will be employed here, now 355 employees work here, recruitment and training of personnel are underway.