NEVA 2021 marine industry exhibition is going full speed ahead! Coronavirus crisis and its concequences didn’t influence the amount of companies and visitors, actually this year’s exhibition is bigger than ever before. We were interested what made companies take part in an event like that in such a difficult time. So we asked several debutants. Viktor Bochagin, a CEO of PK MS company, answered our questions.
The growing demand for new ships in Russia rises the need for high-quality components and materials. Over 180 of Russian shipbuilding companies, as well as 2,000 subcontractors, are solving the problem of developing their own production of a wide range of products, which in the future will allow Russia to pursue an independent policy to ensure the country’s technological security. One of the players on the Russian market of marine equipment is the PK MS company from St. Petersburg, which successfully supplies its own products to the majority of ships under construction in the country.
Since 2012, PK MS has been successfully combining commercial activities and the production of high-quality marine equipment. From the first day of its foundation, the company has been engaged in metalworking, the manufacture of metal parts and components for shipbuilding, as well as the production and supply of mechanisms that ship repair industry needs. The main activity of PK MS is the production of products for shipbuilding. However, at the facilities of the enterprise, orders for railway transport are also carried out. For example, studs for fastening the motors of rail cars, as well as other parts and mechanisms for rolling stock and electric trains.
The reputation of a conscientious supplier has been earned by PK MS not so much by volumes of production as by the approach to work. The company’s product range includes more than 1000 items, and most of them are unique. So, today in the domestic market of ship equipment, except for the PK MS, no one produces ventilation heads, waste water discharge parts and tons of other equipment. Also, the St. Petersburg enterprise serially produces deck scuppers, actuator parts of the 573rd group, heads (mushroom, exhaust, air pipe), water/gas tight covers, electrical cable glands and other marine products. All products of PK MS are tested at a stand certified by the Russian River Register (RRR) and the Russian Maritime Register of Ship building (RMRS).
Increasing labor productivity, volumes and quality of products is one of the strategic goals of PK MS. The company systematically renews its main production assortment. Moving to a new production site allowed us to expand our own staff and purchase new modern equipment for metalwork.
Now the enterprise has a separate section equipped with CNC machines: four lathes, two milling machines, lathes with the robotized operation, even a lathe with a milling add-on. This section produces ship fittings and cargo securing mechanisms. Today the company supplies its own products to several dozens of ships under construction in the country. These are dry cargo ships, as well as non-self-propelled barges. Some of the products are in demand for military orders. For example, we produce vent covers of lightweight alloys according to the technical specifications of several design bureaus. They will be installed on the military boats of the Caspian Fleet.
In recent years PK MS has participated in the construction of the largest series of motor ships. First, the company manufactured and supplied a ventilation and air conditioning system for the entire series of dry cargo vessels of RSD59 project, which are being built at the Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard. Secondly, PK MS has supplied the same systems for a series of modern non-self-propelled oil carrier barges of the ROB20 project, which are being built at the Oka shipyard. Please note that for all these ships PK MS produced non-standard products: orders for them were formed by shipyards following their individual requirements.
The development and approval of drawings, as well as testing of prototypes, was carried out at our site by the design department of PK MS together with the representatives of the design bureaus.
Founded in 2012, PK MS is a manufacturer of complete metal products, mostly marine equipment. The company is a certified manufacturer by the Russian River Register and the Russian Maritime Register of Ship building.
Long gone are the days when factories had one manufacturer for all products they need. Today five or even ten worthy contractors apply for the creation and supply of any device and product. That is why it is extremely important to improve the quality of our products, modernize production and improve the conditions for the manufacture of marine equipment. PK MS follows this rule ideally: works hard on the quality of its products in order to offer the best products on the market. In this article we will tell you how the company manages to be a leader for customers.
It is amazing tosee how quickly this enterprise is developing. It is producing and supplyig shipyards with fittings of any complexity. About two years ago, PK MS moved to a new production site – already its own, not rented, and much larger than the previous one.
In parallel with the adaptation in new conditions, active work was carried out to modernize the products. This mainly concerned the renewal of the machine park, because it mainly affects the quality of the manufactured products. Let us describe each new purchase of PK MS and tell what is so special about it.
MAZAK QUICK TURN 100 M SG with bar feeder
This is a QUICK TURN series machine from Mazak. Generally, it is considered the standard machine of the new generation. It is remarkable in its productivity that is required for a CNC turning center. For example, it has a high speed milling capability at a maximum speed of 10,000 rpm. This reduces operator workload and dramatically increases productivity. Due to the simplicity of this machine control, a significant simplification of the operation and maintenance is achieved. Bar feeders and additional inner equipment greatly increase the productivity of the operator and automate the production process of metal turning.
Welding machine EWM Terix 351 PULS AC / DC
It is a dedicated AC and DC TIG welding machine. It is optimal for use in mass production. Briefly about its advantages:
– welding inverter with alternating and direct current up to 350A;
– argon arc welding;
– powerful TIG-arc with fast and deep metal melting, it is recognized by better and more productive welding;
– spot welding in argon with a tungsten electrode of sheets up to 2 mm thick (alternative to contact welding);
– manual welding (MMA) with rod electrodes.
Welding machine EWM Phoenix 355 PULS
Phoenix 355 puls MM TKM is a versatile welding machine. It is designed for welding chromium-nickel alloys, aluminum and steel during any repair or construction work. It is worth noting that the Phoenix 355 puls MM TKM supports many welding technologies. In terms of functionality, the Phoenix 355 puls MM TKM is a model with a user-friendly control system for reliable welding. The interface of the welding machine is greatly simplified thanks to the innovative JOBs and superPuls technologies. Thanks to JOBs technology, the device automatically adjusts itself to carry out certain welding operations. SuperPuls tech dramatically increases the convenience of adjusting this machine.
Milling machine Ingro MCV300
The equipment is designed for processing products in small-scale production. It is recognized by small dimensions and at the same time sufficient rigidity for processing common materials. The machine is equipped with the most widespread in Russia CNC rack with support for the 4th axis. The Ingro MCV300 small CNC router is ideal for operations such as drilling, milling and tapping in automatic mode.
Finally, the Pilous ARG 300 F band saw.
Band sawing machines are great for cutting metal. This type of equipment is recognized by a high level of productivity and efficiency. Bandsaws are small and quiet. The workers of PK MS note that this equipment has no substitutors in production, because with it’s help the cutting is as accurate as possible.
The Pilous ARG 300 F is equipped with a frequency-controlled web rotation drive (index ‘F’ in the name), which allows smooth speed control cutting from 35 to 75 m / min., multiplying the cutting accuracy and durability of the band saw. The machine allows us to cut round pipes up to 300 mm, square pipes up to 300 mm, rectangular pipes up to 370 x 220 mm.
Our company is growing daily. Over the past few years, our staff has grown two and a half times. The purchase of the newest machines is definitely important step, but for PK MS people are our everything. Therefore we pay special attention to personnel training, and it is advanced training. We carry out certification of employees, as well as improve working conditions for them. At the same time, the management system and the management work of our company have improved. All production processes are transparent, clearly regulated for the highest efficiency.
We value our customers and do our best to satisfy their requirements regarding the quality of our products. By modernizing our own equipment, we take care of the future of those crews who will work on those ships, where they will spend days and weeks. Their work on the ship is directly related to our work and the quality of our products. For me as an naval ex-officer this is very important. Today many shipyards and ship repair factories are our clients, including those who carry on work over state defense orders, and our team helps them as well. Here are just a few of our regular customers: Admiralty Shipyards, Baltic Shipyard, Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Kronstadt Marine Plant, Livadia Shipyard, Okskaya Shipyard, Yaroslavl Shipyard, Dneprobugvodput, Sokolskaya Shipyard, the Vympel shipyard, the Volga shipyard, the Almaz shipbuilding company, the More shipyard, the Onega shipbuilding and ship repair yard.
PK MS has always strived to improve the quality of its products. And we will continue to do this by purchasing modern machines and high-quality materials for products. Because this is the true purpose of our work: to create unique and high-quality products so that the Russian fleet is reliable and safe.
Victor Bochagin, PK MS CEO
What a procurement specialist needs to know
Consider a few typical situations that suppliers face:
Companies without a warehouse or a specific “place of residence”
Where will such a supplier get its products from? There is nothing to talk about. No warehouse – no order.
Owners of large warehouses
It is believed that a large warehouse is only a plus: a good choice, fast shipments, and the first paragraph of the article confirms this… In fact, no. First, there may be stale goods in the warehouse. Of course, here the shelf life is not as important as in the case of, for example, dairy products. But, you must agree, the part inspires confidence only if we know that it has definitely not gone out of the “ship repair fashion”.
Secondly, even the largest warehouse may not have every urgently needed part, and if they promise to find it, they will most likely turn to the manufacturer. That steadily increases both the terms of order execution and its cost. Why lengthen the chain (and increase the price) when you can work directly?
Thirdly, the warehouse will not be able to produce a non-standard part. But the manufacturer can.
For example, PK MS manufactures parts and equipment according to customer drawings, technical specifications or samples. Last year PK MS supplied non-standard water and gas tight covers for a ship built in Germany, which was repaired at one of the shipyards in St. Petersburg.
Lowest Price Promises
It is difficult to blame the suppliers who are trying to save on absolutely everything, because even in everyday life we are looking for discounts and great deals everywhere. What’s wrong with this tempting promise?
The lowest prices usually cover unfair manufacturing and low-quality products, lack of necessary certificates and questionable materials. Further enumeration is superfluous. The low prices offered by suppliers without production should be especially alarming. Just imagine: they will not work at a loss… It turns out that their products were initially even cheaper. So can we even talk about quality? To find a favorable price and be sure of the quality please contact the manufacturer. And here we will reveal the secret: it is always easier to get a discount from the manufacturer!
Suppliers without certificates
Trusting such companies is like being treated with homeopathy: there are no guarantees that you will recover, but some people say that it helped someone. The certificate is a guarantee of reliability. Trustworthly suppliers even have RRR and RMRS approval marks on their advertising papers.
What is the manufacturer’s advantage here? It is that he is responsible for both the quality of the raw material and the quality of the finished product.
By the way, the products of PK MS are undergoing hydraulic tests at the stand certified by RMRS and RRR. We check every part in the batch and immediately understand where the defect was found and decide if the replacement is required. At the hydraulic test bench we also test non-standard products, then we obtain register approval and transfer the finished products to the happy customer. This is usually takes about 5-7 days.
Seekers of big bulk orders
Usually they are attracted by the fact that the price for one product becomes lower as the batch they buy grows. Such a procurement specialist drives himself into a purchase of more than it is required, saying ‘it will come in handy anyway’ when there is a ton of leftovers. At the same time, there is a possibility that the product will turn out to be poor-quality or simply wrong model, and you will have to look for another one without using the large batch you have bought. The manufacturer is almost always ready to fulfill your order in limited quantities. Thus, in PK MS the share of orders for small lots is almost 30%.
Enemies of specific deadlines
Usually intermediaries can work quickly only if they have the products in stock in the warehouse. Or if the equipment they are looking for has already been ordered and is just about to arrive (though ‘just about’ term is extensible to an indefinite size). Under other circumstances, they are not always ready even to state the arrival time, since they depend on the third parties. Producers, on the contrary, have a clear idea of their plan and can coordinate actions depending on the workload. How can manufacturers be prompt? It’s simple. In PK MS there is a certain stock of serial products in a state of semi-readiness. We can make any batch of it according to the customer’s requests and the products will already be in the package in hours or days.
Companies with a bad reputation among employees
It is useful to study the reputation of the counterparty not only as a supplier, but also as an employer. Several points can be alarming here. Feedback on violation of working conditions is notable: it is impossible to focus on poorly organized production and be responsible for the quality of work. High staff turnover is also a bad call. Indeed, in such a flow, people do not have time to join the process, they are not interested in development and training, and the quality of products suffers even worse.
In PK MS everyone works for a common result. We have an old tradition of high-quality training and mentoring. Our team is always ready for honest conversation and cooperation.
‘Ship equipment and procurement’ magazine, #4 (2019) magazine’s website