LocoTech is preparing to establish serial production of large gear wheels for VL80 and "Yermak" electric locomotives directly at the service locomotive depot. The project will close the deficit of critically important traction drive parts and maintain the possibility of repairing locomotives that continue to operate on the railway.
The production site will be located at the Unecha service locomotive depot of the Moscow branch of "LocoTech-Service". Here, technological equipment has already been restored, the section has been equipped with the necessary tools, and it has been prepared for launch.
The enterprise will carry out a full cycle of manufacturing large gear wheels: from turning forgings to cutting and grinding teeth. Blanks for production will be supplied by specialized factories.
The large gear wheel is considered one of the key elements of the wheelset. On VL80 and "Yermak" electric locomotives, its rim has 88 helical teeth. Interacting with the traction motor pinion, it transmits rotation to the wheelset and ensures the movement of the locomotive. According to the company's estimates, the annual demand for such parts reaches approximately 90 units.
The need to launch its own production is due to the market situation. Currently, there is practically only one manufacturer of such products in the country. At the same time, the production of gear wheels for VL80 is becoming less and less attractive for the industry: the serial production of these electric locomotives ended back in the 1990s. However, due to their high reliability, the machines continue to operate in a number of areas, and the absence of such parts would make their repair impossible.
The first prototypes have already been manufactured at the Unecha depot. Ahead are qualification tests and the procedure for obtaining a certificate for the finished product.
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