SAMARA, September 28 Samara Korolev University is creating a cyber-physical factory of small-sized gas turbine engines, pilot production is planned to be launched before the end of the year, the university’s press service reported.
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“A cyberphysical robotic factory for the development and production of small-sized gas turbine engines is being created on the university campus in the interests of our industrial partners — UEC and UEC-Kuznetsov.” This is already the second project, the theoretical basis for which was the conceptual model of a digital plant developed by employees of the Advanced Aerospace Engineering School (EASH) of Korolev Samara University. We have previously reported on work on the creation of a cyber-physical factory for the production of nanosatellites in the interests of Roscosmos. Both projects are being implemented in parallel,” the press service quotes PIAS director Ivan Tkachenko.
According to Victoria Kokareva, associate professor of the aircraft engine production department, the key goals of creating a cyber-physical factory (CPF) are to develop digital design processes for gas turbine engines and technologies for their intelligent production and to train engineers who can create and manage digital production.
«The structure of the cyber-physical factory being created is fully consistent with the conceptual model of the digital factory, which provides three hierarchical levels: digital factory — «smart factory» — virtual factory. Factories of a higher level include factories of lower levels based on the matryoshka principle,» — Kokoreva clarified.
According to the associate professor, to date, a number of parts, components and assemblies of gas turbine engines have already been manufactured using the equipment available at Korolev Samara University.
«The key element of the “smart factory” that we have to create, “test” in the conditions of the pilot production being created and include in the educational process is an intelligent production cell. In the future, when they come to UEC enterprises, PIAS graduates will be able to independently create similar cells and form them into production facilities of any scale with any range of products,” Kokareva explained.
According to Vitaly Smelov, director of the Institute of Engines and Power Plants, pilot production of small-sized gas turbine engines should be launched in December 2023. The purchase of machine tools and robotic equipment is now being completed, and its installation will begin in the near future. A testing ground for full-scale testing and validation of digital models is also being created.