Lozovaya Forge Mechanical Plant (LKMZ)
The plant is situated in Lozovaya on territory of 111 hectares, with ~2.400 enterprise employees.
Background
LKMZ was established in 1966 to provide hot-stamped blanks and semi-fabricates to Kharkov industrial group of agricultural engineering enterprises. Layout-place for the would-be enterprise was prompted by close vicinity to a big railroad-crossing hub and to several East Ukraine metallurgy plants.
The LKMZ present-day image was actively formed between mid-1970 and mid-1980. The first fully mechanized line of crankshaft forging process was launched in 1974, followed by power-equipment repair shop (1974), metal-stamping shop (1979), frame-carriages shop (1980), mechanical-assembling shop (1982) and general peoples’ consumption goods and production workshops (1982).
Since 2002, LKMZ (as a member of Industrial Group UPEC) develops innovative and marketable trends while expanding its products-mix manufacture.
Being a town-formation enterprise, LKMZ actively plays an important role in positive solution of urbanization problems in Lozovaya of Kharkov region.
Specialization
LKMZ is a leader in production of: transmission and chassis components for tractors and road-construction vehicles; axles for buses; parts and units for tractors; parts for rail-stock; soil farming machinery and equipment used with energy-saving technologies.
LKMZ is also a mass manufacturer in multiple production-mix of over 300 forged blank articles; at installed capacity of 180.000 t of forgings a year.
Major consumers of forged blank products are tractor-, auto- and agricultural machine building enterprises, and rail-transport industries.
Technologies and quality
Unique technologies enable LKMZ to produce forged blanks of complicated configurations on high accuracy-level, at lowest metal-loss ratios, in such processes as:
hot stamping of trunnions, gudgeons and flanged-hub blanks;
stamping crankshafts with subsequent machining of piston-rod necks;
crosswise-taper rolling of solid and hollow blanks for multiple-stage and gear-shafts;
flaring annular-profile blanks out of stamped/ forged blanks.
LKMZ is the sole enterprise in Ukraine in status of approved supplier of complete set parts to SKF Corp. - the recognized leader in bearing production worldwide
In 2005, LKMZ was certified to International Quality Standard ISO 9001:2008. Now, the enterprise is underway to certification to International Standard ISO/TS 16949.
Energy Saving Provisions
In latest years, one of the most priority tasks before LKMZ is formation of advanced energy-efficiency policy.
LKMZ provides steps for: jacketing the building walls and structures; updating the lighting fixtures with novel power-efficient electro-technical hardware; introducing automated power-resource consumption-control systems. Due to updating of production facilities, there open new ways to saving the power resources.
Simultaneously, heat-supply system is reconstructed; smart start-up systems for over 30 kW electric motors in technological equipment are introduced; performance- efficiency indices of circulation systems are optimized. With further use of advanced new-generation energy-efficient gas-furnaces, a portion of LKMZ blanks-heating ovens is planned for transit from gas-flame- to electro-induction- method.
Complex Automation System
Within 2008 – 2010, LKMZ, like other Industrial Group UPEC enterprises, has introduced its complex design & technology- planning automated system with computer-aided engineering support of machine building processes (i.e., ‘CSA Project’).
The ‘CSA Project’ has been realized via integrated CAD/CAM/PLM-solutions and upon Pro/ ENGINEER—Windchill software platform by РТС (USA). Simultaneously there was launched a unique pre-production process-planning complex based on systems of ‘Windchill MPM-Link’ and ‘Vertical’ by ASCON (Russia).
Introduction of CSA Project implies such advantages as (a) top accuracy and quality of end-products owing to closed-cycle work configuration - from 3D-design model to final technologies; (b) reduction of technology processes duration; (c) increased efficiency of engineering documents preparation, (d) significant cut of expenses for design/ technological planning of production as a whole.
Economic Activities Index
In 2010, net income of Lozovaya Forge Mechanical Plant LLC has increased by four times versus 2009, making up 466.693.000 UAH.
Financial effect made up profit of 25.488.000 UAH, compared to 31.057.000 UAH losses in 2009.
Development and Perfection of LKMZ Products
Engineering Center
Ukrainian Design Bureau for Transmissions & Chassis (UKBTSh)
UKBTSh, a member of IG UPEC, is a specialized developer of novel agricultural machinery and implement, along with components of transmissions and chassis. UKBTSh provides designer’s support to LKMZ serial production, with stable updating of existing line of articles and expanding the range of product-mix items.
Agricultural Equipment Trend
Launching in production a full products-mix of technical world-level soil-tilling equipment for successive farming, to maximum satisfaction of agrarian-sector demands and needs through:
completing, with intermediate-size models, existing family of high-speed short-base soil-stubble disk-harrows, ranging from 2.5m to 16m of work-width;
developing a new family of prospective seeding machinery-complex elaborated on base of currently produced implement;
expanding the model-line of agricultural products to ensure exploitation of LKMZ-made implement in maximum variety of tilling operations.
UKBTS works in close interactivity with relevant customers and in partnership with branch R&D organizations, such as V. Dokuchayev National Agrarian University (Kharkov) and L. Pogorely Ukrainian R&D Institute for Engineering Forecast and Trial Testing.
Automobile Building Trend
Launch into production of new-generation drive-axles for constructional vehicles, along with expanding the mix of prospective products to challenge new automobile-branch marketing segments.