OTEKO operates marine terminals in the port of Taman and is actively implementing modern technologies to increase capacity and reduce costs. One of the key innovations was the launch of a 3D printing workshop, which has already demonstrated its effectiveness in two months of operation. 90 parts have been manufactured during this time to replace the failed ones, while production of additional 1,000 items is pending.
Additive 3D printing technology, based on layer-by-layer execution of objects from various materials using a digital model, opens up new opportunities for quick equipment repair and modernization. This approach allows for a significantly reduced equipment downtime and minimizes maintenance costs.
At the moment, OTEKO uses the technology of layer-by-layer fusion of plastic threads, which is used primarily to produce polymeric prototypes and parts. The items manufactured in this way are highly durable, long-lasting and can be adapted to specific loads.
“Additive technology has many advantages: saving time and resources, waste-free production, quick results and the possibility of precise part manufacturing without needing to replace the entire unit. For example, we printed several gears for the air conditioning systems in our shift buses using a 3D printer,” says Viktor Bausov, Lead Process Engineer of the Repair and Mechanical Shop.
The company’s plans for using 3D printing are already scheduled for the year ahead. If the technology continues to demonstrate a perceptible economic effect, the company plans to expand production. The promising areas include introduction of printing technology with an active camera for production of more precise samples, as well as the use of 3D scanners, which will significantly speed up the process of digital model production.
Instrumentation and automation engineers were among the first to appreciate the advantages of 3D printing. The problem of wear of cable holders of belt breakage control sensors arose during conveyor operations. These parts ensure safety and uninterrupted operation of the bulk terminal. According to experts,
“We decided to test the production of cable holders on a 3D printer. The parts were produced exactly with the right size; and they successfully passed the trial operation. The results showed that this approach is fully justified,” notes Evgeny Polyakov, Lead Engineer for Instrumentation and Automation.
The use of 3D technologies provides operative response to equipment breakdowns, minimizing downtime and reducing costs. This is especially important when production capacities are under high load. OTEKO is planning to start producing metal parts using 3D printing in the long term. This step will further improve the speed of equipment repair and modernization, as well as increase the list of parts and units suitable for repair.
Introduction of 3D printing was made possible by the corporate program “Got an idea!”, aimed at developing lean manufacturing tools. Since 2022, the project has demonstrated high efficiency and has helped the company to improve and enhance its production activities.
Background Information
OTEKO is a marine terminal operator at the port of Taman; one of the leaders in the Russian bulk cargo and liquid cargo transshipment market. The company invested efforts to build a global export hub at the Black Sea coast which is currently in operation; a port, energy and railway infrastructure.
OTEKO significantly expended potential of the southern route for the Russian manufacturers and producer companies. The capacity of the Taman’s marine terminals amounts to 90 mln tons of cargo per year; that being said, the Company secures safe, reliable, and environmentally-friendly cargo transshipment using the best available technologies
The favorable geographic position of the port of Taman, deep ice-free waters and high-capacity equipment of OTEKO’s terminals grant the domestic and transit exporters access to the markets of Turkey, the Middle East, South and Eastern Asia and other far-abroad countries.
The Production System (PS) is a management concept based on the principles of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement. The tools of the Production System, or as it is also called, the Business System, make it possible to improve efficiency through continuous identification and elimination of losses and unnecessary processes that do not create value for the customer.
The founder of the lean manufacturing philosophy is Taiichi Ohno, Japanese engineer and entrepreneur, the creator of the Toyota Production System (TPS). In Russia, Production Systems are being developed by the largest companies in various economic sectors, such as Rosatom, Severstal, Sibur and Sberbank.
“Got an idea!”. Any employee can make a proposal for operational improvements or problem solving and, if the idea is recognized as relevant, get a remuneration of up to 5% of the economic effect achieved during the year. The use of this tool started in the company even before the systemic transition to PSO, but its implementation provided an additional impetus: 276 ideas were submitted from September 29, 2022 to April 17, 2023. 46 of them were implemented, 23 were accepted for work, 59 were being finalized, and 31 ideas were under consideration by May 1, 2023.
