The "ZiO-Podolsk" plant (part of the mechanical engineering division of State Corporation "Rosatom") has completed the implementation of an automated welding complex for the production of load-bearing supports for heat-exchange equipment at nuclear power plants. The new system has made it possible to radically optimize production processes by achieving key technical parameters unattainable with manual welding.
According to the company's data, the robotic unit demonstrates twice the welding seam execution speed compared with a highly skilled welder while simultaneously improving the geometric accuracy of the joints. Stable arc parameters, the absence of the human factor, and continuous operation mode (without scheduled breaks and fatigue) ensure minimal deviation from the specified tolerances. This directly reduces the labor intensity of subsequent seam cleaning, one of the most resource-intensive stages of production.
The quantitative efficiency indicators of the implementation are impressive. In 2026, the plant plans to manufacture 164 supports, each of which requires about 80 welded seams (around 13,120 joints in total). Whereas previously the production of this batch took up to 16,000 standard hours, with the use of the robotic complex the figure has decreased to 4,000 standard hours, a 75% reduction. The savings were achieved through a combination of factors: doubling the welding speed, minimizing defects, and reducing post-processing time.
The introduction of robotic welding is in line with the digital transformation strategy of nuclear industry enterprises and strengthens the position of "ZiO-Podolsk" as one of the key suppliers of critically important equipment for Russia's nuclear power industry and Rosatom's foreign projects.