OREANDA-NEWS. November 21, 2012. On September, 20th 2012 the Rybinsk-based NPO Saturn training center opened its doors to the most knowledgeable CNC-machine operators representing the machine-building companies of the region. Under the auspices of the government of Yaroslavl region and Yaroslavl regional branch of the “Union of machine builders of Russia” a professional skill contest took place focusing on the mastery of the CNC-machine operation, the trade which is growing more and more in demand among the intensive-model industrial companies.

Delegates from many regional companies signed up for the competition which was to reveal who’s best in theory and practice with regard to running high-precision CNC-based turning and milling machine tools; among the participants were Avtodiesel (Yaroslavl), Yaroslavl plant of diesel instruments (Yaroslavl), Yaroslavl radio plant (Yaroslavl), Rostov optical-mechanical plant (Rostov), Tutaev motor plant (Tutaev), GMZ Agat (Gavrilov-Yam), VolgAero (Rybinsk), Saturn gas turbines (Rybinsk) and the hosting party – NPO Saturn.

Among the seventeen contenders the winners were the operators representing Avtodiesel, NPO Saturn, TMZ, ROMZ and GMZ Agat.

The theoretical part of the professional skills assessment comprised a test evaluating the knowledge of the metal-cutting basics, measuring instruments, quality assurance in manufacturing parts and sub-assemblies, tolerances and fits, occupational safety, CNC-machine maintenance and safe operation, knowledge of the G and M functions, reading of the control program and master part measurement techniques using versatile measuring instruments. During the practical part of the competition, the contenders competed in the machining of parts in accordance with the given blueprint and recommended machining process.

The organizers and contestants alike greatly appreciated the high level of the even administration which turned out to be a real trade holiday. In the course of one day not only a professional skill contest took place but also there were amicable communication, on-the-job experience exchange, tours around the NPO Saturn customer training center and aviation training center, visits of the production facilities which represent the 95 years of the company’s history. The uninterrupted functioning of the competition was ensured by the HR, production engineering and quality directions of NPO Saturn. The competition jury was headed by Dmitry Sekretarev, director of the regional department of industrial policy.

Speaking of the significance of the NPO training center, he noted: “The NPO Saturn training center is one of the leading resource centers for preparing the future operators, and that is acknowledged not only by the regional government but by the industry itself. I wish that all primary and secondary vocational training institutions in the region had the same outstanding theoretical and practical foundation as you. Only through that we will be able to engineer a true value-added product driven by innovation which will be in high demand on the market, and we all could be proud of the machinery we produce”.

According to Victor Polyakov, NPO Saturn director of production, “the NPO Saturn corporate training center is becoming very popular with regional businesses and the companies of the United engine corporation. It is not by coincidence that one of the winners of the competition is a former trainee of our training center, Alexey Kalashnikov, who now works for Avtodiesel. NPO Saturn pays a lot of attention to the development of its personnel and professional skill competitions play a particular role in this process emphasizing the importance of a given trade for the modern industry. All the contenders in today’s competition represent that “in demand” layer of the main professions – operators and programmers of CNC-machines needed by all the companies of Yaroslavl region”.

Research and production association Saturn OJSC – an engine-building company specialized in design, manufacture and aftermarket support of gas-turbine engines for military and civil aviation, the Navy boats and power-generation and gas-pumping installations. NPO Saturn OJSC is part of the United engine corporation managing company OJSC.