OREANDA-NEWS. On 22 January 2016, a delegation from the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade headed by the director of the aerospace industry department Sergey Yemelyanov paid a working visit to NPO Saturn; the delegation also included representatives of UEC (United Engine Corporation), such as the deputy general director-general designer Valeriy Geikin, head of the commercial aircraft engines division, managing director of PMZ Sergey Popov; managing director-general designer of Aviadvigatel Alexander Inozemtsev and representatives of UAC (United Aircraft Corporation), such as a project manager Mikhail Kuryanskiy and a head of division Roman Sysoyev. The delegation also included representatives of the industry’s institutes - CIAM, represented by the deputy general director Alexander Novikov and general director of VIAM Evgeniy Kablov.

In the course of their visit to NPO Saturn, the delegates were demonstrated the assembly workshop No. 80, the testing complex No. 7, workshop No. 34, the additive manufacturing center located on the premises of workshop No. 790 and VolgAero.

The delegates also visited the company’s experimental design office where a meeting with Victor Polyakov, NPO Saturn managing director and Yuriy Shmotin, NPO Saturn general designer took place. On the meeting agenda were the topical issues of the commercial aircraft engine industry development in Russia, prospects and plans of tight interaction of the industry’s institutes with the UEC companies in the field of the implementation of the most prioritized state programs.

During the meeting the participants noted a significant role of the research-and-technology backlog of knowledge accumulated by the principal design bureaus and the industry’s institutes in the process of implementing a number of projects in the field of materials and new technologies. “We shouldn’t neglect the accumulated knowledge, otherwise it would be a crime, - underscored VIAM general director Evgeniy Kablov, - since this knowledge employs the most state-of-the-art solutions for an entire array of the new-generation materials. At the same time, the world experience shows that in such a complex product as a modern gas turbine engine, we absolutely need to use new materials and technologies which will secure a competitive edge for our product defining its market demand. The government should support an aerospace project only subject to that.”

In his turn, Yuriy Shmotin, NPO Saturn head of design, shared NPO Saturn’s experience of promoting the additive manufacturing concept. It is exactly at Saturn, on the premises of the company pilot plant’s facility, one of the biggest Russian additive manufacturing centers has been established. The use of additive manufacturing allows to produce complex and unique parts with a minimal use of expensive tooling and machining which translates into decreasing a part’s production costs.

“At present, our additive manufacturing center has mastered a production process of manufacturing parts by selective fusion, - shared Yuriy Shmotin, - from designing a 3D model to producing a finished part. Russian powder compositions are undergoing their active development stage nowadays. In 2015, using trial batches of Russian-made metal powders derived from a cobalt-base superalloy and stainless steel, we were able to successfully synthesize some prototype parts; mechanical and metallurgical studies have been conducted. In collaboration with VIAM, for the period of 2016 - 2019, as part of our additive manufacturing capabilities development, we are going to develop high-temperature corrosion-resistive materials and a scalable full-cycle technology of producing the key complex-profile, high-strength gas turbine engine parts securing state funding for these developments (a “Prospective research foundation” program). In 2015 over 200 development parts produced by selective fusion from cobalt- and titanium-base alloys, as well as from stainless steel successfully passed engine ground tests.”

The NPO Saturn Research and Production Association (OJSC) is an engine-manufacturing company specialized in the design and development, production, and after-market support of gas turbine engines for military and commercial aviation, naval ships, and power-generating plants and gas-pumping units. The association is part of the Union of Russian Mechanical Engineers, an All-Russian public organization.
NPO Saturn is part of United Engine Corporation (JSC) and acts as the leader of the Commercial Engines Division, a business unit of UEC founded on 09.10.2012 as a result of integration of the following companies: NPO Saturn (OJSC), Aviadvigatel (OJSC), PMZ (OJSC), Metallist-PM (CJSC), Energetik-PM (OJSC), Motoservis-PM (CJSC), and Zheleznodorozhnik-PM (CJSC).

United Engine Corporation (JSC) (a Rostec State Corporation company) is an integrated organization specialized in the design and development, serial production, and after-market support of the engines for military and commercial aviation, space programs, the Navy, as well as for the oil and gas industry, and power generation. One of UEC’s prioritized fields of activity is the implementation of comprehensive programs of development of the companies in the industry by introducing new technologies meeting the world-class standards. In 2014 revenues of the corporation amounted to RUB 199.9 billion.

The Rostec State Corporation is a Russian corporation established in 2007 in order to facilitate the development, manufacturing, and export of high-technology industrial products of military and commercial application. Today, it comprises over 700 companies, which form 9 defense-industrial and 5 civil industry holdings, as well as 22 direct control companies. The Rostec portfolio includes such renowned brands as AVTOVAZ, KAMAZ, Russian Helicopters, VSMPO-AVISMA, etc. Rostec’s subsidiaries are located in 60 regions of Russia and deliver their products to over 70 countries worldwide. In 2013 revenues of the corporation amounted to RUB 1.04 trillion. Total taxation exceeded RUB 138 billion.