KAMAZ has created a one-piece cast version of the axle housing for K3 generation trucks. The new high-strength cast iron design is 20% lighter than the standard steel version and can withstand 11% more load. The development was carried out by specialists from the company's Foundry Plant together with engineers from the scientific and technical center.

The serial axle housing for KAMAZ K3 generation vehicles consists of several elements that undergo separate machining and are then welded into a single unit. This scheme requires additional operations and is inferior to a solid casting in terms of strength.

Engineers decided to abandon the complex multi-component design and redesigned the 3D model of the welded housing. Three separate parts were combined into one, while the wall thickness was reduced by almost half - from 15 to 8 mm without loss of strength.

In the new version, the design of the spring mounts was changed. The holes for the U-bolts, which were previously separate elements and welded to the axle, became part of a single cast part. This made it possible to reduce the number of manufacturing operations and increase the reliability of the unit.

For production, specialists also changed the casting technology itself. The mold for the new housing was placed vertically instead of horizontally, which helped reduce the risk of casting deformation. Engineers also corrected the geometry of the part, added the necessary casting tapers, and eliminated areas with uneven metal cooling.

Two grades of high-strength cast iron were used in the development to determine the optimal option for serial application. The first samples were received in January 2026 - they passed quality control and showed no shrinkage defects.

According to the developers' calculations, the one-piece cast housing has a resource of more than 2 million load cycles. Due to the use of cast iron, the design became not only lighter but also stronger: the load capacity increased by approximately 11% compared to the steel welded version.