Tver Mechanical Electric Transport Plant (Transport Systems) completed the painting of the middle section of the Vityaz M aluminium tram that had been welded in March 2020. The Russian designer and manufacturer of urban electric vehicles is constructing an all-aluminium tram body that has no equivalents in Russia.
“The production of aluminium trams is a promising idea that will help expand the areas of application of aluminium in transport engineering in Russia,” says Peter Likholitov, spokesman of the Aluminium Association. – We can see that aluminium trams have great potential and represent an effective solution for the modernization and development of Russian transport infrastructure. The first aluminium tram body designed in Russia is a successful example of the production of complex downstream products in our country. I am sure that these aluminium trams will be in demand both in Russia and abroad. Thanks to the use of environmentally friendly metal, the carbon footprint of aluminium produced in Russia is 4-5 times lower than the global average level in the industry. Environmental protection is one of the most important challenges for the whole world. ”
The body of the middle section was treated in a shot-blasting chamber, and after all the preparatory operations were completed, it was covered with base enamel and two layers of varnish. The first aluminium tramcar is painted in the corporate colours of Transport Systems. 150 kg of primer, up to 10 kg of base enamels of different colours and 30 kg of varnish were used for painting. After painting the middle section of the aluminium body of the Vityaz M tram, plant employees will install windows, floors, and make noise insulation.
Transport Systems is working on welding the front and rear sections of the Vityaz M tram, these sections will also be painted by the end of May. In mid-June, these three aluminium sections will go to St. Petersburg to the Nevsky Electric Transport Plant (subsidiary of Transport Systems) for final assembly.
“We are convinced that aluminium body is a future of Russian tram building,” states Felix Vinokur, president of Transport Systems. - We will present the most durable and practical product, which will outperform steel trams in a number of ways. I am sure that aluminium trams will be in demand both Russia and in the European market. ”
Additional Information
Transport Systems
Transport Systems Company is a Russian designer and manufacturer of innovative urban electric vehicles. Established in 2013, the company specializes in manufacturing low-floor rolling stock. Transport Systems Company produces eight different types of trams, 17 to 35 meters long, and two types of wheeled electric vehicles (trolley bus and electric bus). Today, more than 470 tramcars produced by Transport Systems are in operation in Russia. Production sites of Transport Systems located in Tver, St. Petersburg and Engels have the total capacity of up to 450 rolling stocks annually.
Tver Mechanical Electric Transport Plant
Tver Mechanical Electric Transport Plant is the first production facility of Transport Systems, which produces unique flexible bogie trucks. The first trucks for tramcars were produced at the Tver Mechanical Plant in 2015. At the beginning of 2018, the plant started a large-scale construction that was completed in November 2019. Now the Tver Mechanical Plant is an only Russian full-cycle facility for the production of aluminium bodies for tramcars.
Today, the plant is equipped with the most modern machines: robots for welding the truck frame and pivot beam; five-coordinate mills for processing the above units (with CNC); thermal furnace for annealing the frame and beams; shot-blasting chamber for bogie truck elements; spray booth; assembly area; blank production for aluminium body and bogie trucks.; machine for welding aluminium tramcar; unit for machining assembled aluminium profiles and frames; painting area – shot-blasting chamber, 4 spray booths, 30m long each; bridge-type centre for processing aluminium parts after welding. The plant has the capacity to produce more than 150 bodies and more than 450 bogie trucks per year. Total area of the plant is 14 500 m2.