History of MAN. About the MAN company from its foundation. MAN company - history of the corporation and MAN brand products in Russia

The MAN company is a German corporation that operates in the field of mechanical engineering. This company produces trucks and buses, as well as various types engines.

During the last reporting period, the corporation's profit amounted to 20 billion euros, and annual growth exceeds 10%.

Since 2013, the company began to actively develop its production and presented to customers the following models of heavy equipment:

• TGX (specialized tractors with a labor force of 10 to 75 tons, designed to be operated by one person) and TGS (single tractors with a labor force of 6 to 25 tons), which have been introduced since 2008;
• TGM - medium-tonnage trucks, which have a limit of 25 tons;
• TGL - auto cargo type small tonnage with a labor force of up to 7 tons, used in urban areas.

Many MAN models have been awarded the “Best Heavy Equipment” and “Best Truck” awards.

The MAN company positions itself as a professional who constantly monitors the market for these products and produces equipment that fully meets all international standards.

MAN history

History of MAN began in 1758, when the Augsburg-Nürberg Joint Stock Company was founded in Munich, Germany. Since 1915, the now famous MAN corporation began producing the first models trucks. In 1927, the first diesel engine, produced in Augsburg, went into production. In the same year, the company introduced into its trucks this model engine, launching the world's first diesel truck with direct fuel delivery.

During the Great Patriotic War (from 1941-1945), the company was engaged in the production of the famous armored tank “Panther”.

From 1976 to 1994, the company developed its production, inventing more and more models of trams, trucks and engines with turbochargers that ran on secondary fuel.

At the end of the 90s, MAN began to produce medium and heavy-duty trucks, which had different labor ratings and were awarded international awards. The tourist bus, launched in 2002, was awarded for its innovative design.

In the early 2000s, the corporation actively promoted its products to the world market, opened several branches, and some truck models won the Dakkar Rally, which was an additional impetus for the development of the company. The current president is Hakan Samuelsson, who was installed in 2005.

Where is MAN assembled?

The main plant where MAN is assembled is the Munich branch, which was founded first. At this stage, MAN production includes several departments for the development and assembly of parts and engines, huge workshops for the production of spare parts for heavy equipment, logistics, analytics and research departments. All company specialists have highest level qualifications and independently test products for defects and defects.

The MAN manufacturer also has factories and service stations in Russia and Uzbekistan, where some models of tractors and other parts are assembled and manufactured. The company provides services for maintenance and supplies its goods to all countries of the world, having clearly established a logistics system.

Official MAN dealers in Russia

Eland, official dealer SCANIA	Irkutsk	Irkutsk region, Russia, 664048	7 395 255-33-10
LLC "Scania-Rus"	Moscow	st. Obrucheva, 30, building 1, Krugozor business center	7 495 787-50-00
MAN Truck and Bus RUS	Moscow	st. Dorozhnaya, 29	Moscow
Man Cars Russia	St. Petersburg	Vozdukhoplavatnaya st., 19	7 812 449-52-52
Man Center Surgut	Surgut	st. Innovators, 14	7 346 255-59-62
"TradeTruck and Service"	St. Petersburg	Volkhonskoe highway, 5	7 812 677-66-92
UNICOM TRUCK	Ulyanovsk	Moskovskoe highway, 14-a,	7 842 268-03-04
Man Center Ufa		Rep. Bashkortostan, Russia, 450095	7 347 281-88-33
LLC "MAN Truck and Bus RUS"	Moscow	Simferopolskoe highway, 22, building 9	7 495 969 25 14
LLC "AAA Truckservice"	Moscow	Pavlo-Posad district, village. Kuznetsy, 58 D	7 495 777 77 36

History of the German mark MAN cars, however, like other famous brands, DAF, Mersedes, goes back far into the last century.

The lack of need for cars at that time was reflected in the specifics of the factories. MAN is no exception, having started its existence with the production of steam boilers, bridge trusses, turbines, trams, hydraulic pumps and railway cars. The abbreviation MAN comes from the merger of two companies: Maschinenbau AG, Nuremberg, which produces equipment intended for construction, and the mechanical engineering company Ludwig Sander. This happened in 1858, after which the company received its short name “Engineering Factory Augsburg-Nuremberg”, which was shortened to the already familiar abbreviation MAN.

Huge impact on further development MAN was supported by engineer Rudolf Diesel, who received a patent for a four-stroke engine in 1893 internal combustion. Rudolf Diesel's idea was continued by Anton von Rippel. And after meeting Adolf Saurer, the MAN company began producing 5-ton MAN-Saurer trucks in the town of Lindau. The truck was equipped with a 4-cylinder 45-horsepower gasoline power unit, which worked in combination with a 4-speed gearbox and chain drive.

In 1916, production moved to Nuremberg.

In 1919, production of the “2Zc” and “3Zc” models began, with a load capacity of 2.5 and 3.5 tons.

In 1925, MAN released the world's first series of diesel vehicles with a payload capacity of 3.5-5 tons.

In 1926, the 3-axle, 6-ton diesel truck “S1H6” appeared. This car was equipped with a 6-cylinder engine, which was developed by Franz Lang and Wilhelm Rihm.

In 1927, a new family of engines with vertical injector Robert Bosch was invented. They were installed on MAN cars models “KVB” and “S1H6” with a lifting capacity of 5-8.5 tons.

The sensation of 1931 was the launch of a MAN car with a 150 hp engine.

From 1933 to 1938 The company's production volume increases from 323 to 2,568 cars per year. 25% of them were exported.

During the Great Patriotic War the plant was severely destroyed. And it began to exist again only on May 8, 1945. Already in the fall, assembly of the pre-war MAN “L4500” series began there.

In 1951, MAN cars began to be equipped with a turbocharged diesel power unit developed by Siegfried Meurer. Thanks to this, a new family of 6- and 8-cylinder “M-engines” and a new range of MAN trucks appeared.

In 1963, the company released the “10.212” series, with a 6-cylinder engine producing 212 hp. In the same year the company became.

By 1967, cooperation with the SAVIEM company made it possible to expand the range of cars produced to 22 models.

In 1970, as a result of cooperation with the Daimler-Benz concern, the “D2858” V8 engine with a power of 304 hp appeared. designed for long-haul tractors.

In 1970, OAF joined the company, after which the production of special multi-axle chassis, fire trucks and heavy dump trucks began in Vienna.

After the acquisition of the Büssing company in 1971, a lion figurine appears on the radiator trim along with the MAN. But that’s not all, MAN has also received new developments in the field of heavy trucks and diesel engines.

In 1978 MAN car wins the Truck of the Year title. This goes back to 1980, 1987 and 1995, demonstrating the truck's unrivaled quality and stylish appearance.

Cooperation with Volkswagen leads to the production of middle-class trucks. This takes place in 1979.

In 1980, the MAN "19.321FLT", which won the "Truck of the Year" title, gave rise to the new 6-cylinder engines of the "D25" series, which became the main power unit for MAN.

In the 90s, MAN was developing new models. The family of trucks “L2000”, “M2000”, “F2000” is born. These trucks are equipped with electronic devices, designed to regulate the operation of the engine, the position of the driver's seat, suspension, traction control system, etc.

In 2000, the family of vehicles was supplemented by the MAN “TG-A”, which meets Euro-3 standards. The car is equipped with a 12-13 liter diesel engine with a power of 310-510 hp, mechanical and automatic transmission. Once again, a MAN vehicle takes home the title of Truck of the Year 2001. The interior decoration uses either plastic or wood and leather. Compared to the F2000, interior cabin space has increased by another 9%. Special attention paid attention to cabin safety.

In 2007, a MAN truck took first place in the Dakar Rally.

The TV show “CREW” consisting of Alexey Mochanov and Orest Shupenyuk conducted a test drive of the MAN TGA 18.480 4X2 BLS, and this is what happened.

The history of the famous brand goes back to the last century, when machine-building factories that were not at all related to cars were founded in the German cities of Augsburg and Nuremberg. The merger of these enterprises took place at the turn of the century, when MAN (Maschinen-fabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg) was born. The first cars were produced under license from the Austrian (with gasoline engine), and after the owners of the company met Rudolf Diesel and his invention, the future of MAN turned out to be directly connected with engines of this particular type.

The development of the company was greatly influenced by the work of engineer Rudolf Diesel (1858-1913), who worked for several years at the company in Augsburg. On February 23, 1893, he received a patent for a four-stroke internal combustion engine, which opened the era diesel engines. Only in February 1897 did he manage to put into operation the first stationary “compression ignition” engine. His successor was Anton von Rieppel, who in 1898 in Nuremberg created a light diesel engine with a power of 5-6 horses, which could already be used on a self-propelled chassis.

Rudolf Diesel developed this idea by building a high-speed single-cylinder diesel engine for the Swiss company Saurer in 1908. These engines were not developed, but von Rippel met Adolf Saurer, who offered to assemble his cars in Germany. As a result, in 1915, in the town of Lindau, the production of five-ton MAN-Saurer trucks with a four-cylinder, forty-five-horsepower gasoline engine, four step box gears and chain drive.

In 1916, this production was transferred to Nuremberg, where about 1000 cars were produced in 1918. Starting next year, they produced models “2Zc” and “3Zc” with a carrying capacity of 2.5 and 3.5 tons, assembled entirely from German parts and capable of running on gasoline, benzene or kerosene. The successful continuation of MAN's activities in the automotive field was due to the constant improvement of diesel engines. Back in 1918, engineer Paul Wiebicke successfully carried out bench tests of a light diesel engine in Augsburg, which was based on the Saurer engine of the 1908 model.

Only at the end of 1923 did a workable four-cylinder engine appear (6.3 liters, 40 horsepower at 900 rpm) with direct fuel injection by two horizontal opposed injectors. Having increased the power to 45 horses at 1050 rpm, it was installed on the “3Zc” chassis and presented at the Berlin Motor Show on December 10, 1924. After the German Benz truck, it was the second diesel car in the world. Then a five-ton “ZK5” truck appeared with a fifty-horsepower 8.1-liter diesel engine, and since 1925.

MAN has already produced the world's first series of diesel vehicles with a carrying capacity of 3.5-5 tons (6.2-7.4 liters, 55 horsepower). A year later, the world's first three-axle six-ton ​​diesel truck “S1H6” (6×4) with a six-cylinder engine (9408 cm3, 80 horsepower) appeared. The creators of the new engines were Franz Lang, the future inventor of the Lanova mixture formation process, and Wilhelm Riehm, working under the leadership of chief engineer Paul Wiebicke. In 1927, a new 200-meter-long workshop for the assembly of trucks and buses was put into operation in Nurnberg, allowing the production of up to 3 thousand cars per year.

All new cars had a cardan drive, brakes on all wheels with pneumatic tires, an electric starter and lighting, and heavy ones had a multi-plate dry clutch, drive axles with weight-bearing axle shafts and wheel reducers. Further activities of MAN were again concentrated on the modernization of diesel engines. In 1927, their new family appeared with one or two exhaust valves and a Robert Bosch vertical nozzle with four to six nozzles. It included four and six cylinder diesel engines (7.4-12.2 liters, 60-120 horses), used on “KVB” and “S1H6” vehicles with a carrying capacity of 5-8.5 tons.

In 1931, he announced the release of the world’s most powerful diesel truck, the three-axle “S1H6”, which received a six-cylinder unit “D4086B” (16625 cm3, 150 horsepower). By this time, most cars used ZF gearboxes, double final drives, pneumatic brakes, and a low-profile steel frame with welded side members. Work on gasoline engines stopped in 1932, when the next generation of diesel engines appeared with a nozzle installed at the top of a cone-shaped combustion chamber.

These were well-balanced, high-speed six-cylinder engines producing 60-150 horsepower at 2000 rpm. The range of vehicles included 13 models (“D”, “F”, “Z”, etc.) with a carrying capacity of 3-10 tons. In the mid-thirties, MAN produced two-axle series “E1/E2” and “F2/F4” with a load capacity of 2.5-8 tons with diesel engines of 65-160 horsepower and new cabs. Between 1933 and 1938, annual car production increased from 323 to 2,568 units, of which 25 percent were exported.

In 1937, the design bureau under the leadership of Paul Wiebicke developed a film mixture formation process with sequential evaporation of fuel from the surface of the combustion chamber, which improved mixture formation, reduced heat losses, and increased the power and efficiency of engines. It was used on engines of the “G” family with a hemispherical combustion chamber in the piston bottom, slightly offset from the cylinder axis. The first such six-cylinder engine (9498 cm3 with 120 horses) was installed on the five-ton M1 car. Since 1935, MAN began actively creating army trucks, including 6x6 variants.

In 1941, based on the last civilian 4.5-ton model “L4500” with a diesel engine “D1046G” (7983 cm3, 110 horses), army trucks “ML4500S / 4500A” (4x2/4x4) were produced. During wartime, MAN manufactured the T I, T II, ​​T III and T V Panther tanks, and also created an experimental 8x4 amphibious vehicle. In 1944-45, the Nuremberg plant was heavily damaged and, from May 8, 1945, it was repairing American trucks. Only in the fall did he begin assembling the pre-war “L4500” series, which served as the basis for the new 4.5-ton “MK” series with a lifting capacity of 5-6.5 tons with engines of 120-130 horsepower, a five-speed ZF gearbox and a double final drive .

In the early fifties, MAN resumed promising developments, resulting in the first German turbocharged diesel engine, developed by Professor Siegfried Meurer, in 1951. Meirer's most important invention was the creation of a new cylinder head with a spherical combustion chamber in the piston crown, an injector with a two-hole nozzle and forced lubrication of the cylinder-plunger pair, and an inlet port of a spiral configuration. This made it possible to create a strong vortex flow in the cylinder, which contributed to good mixing of fuel with air.

Based on the name of the inventor, this system received the index “M” and was called “Process M”. The new engines were distinguished by their smooth operation, high efficiency and efficiency. They turned out to be so attractive that in the fifties and sixties, many companies in Europe, Asia, America and Australia acquired licenses for them. During the transition to the “M” system in the early fifties, a new family of six and eight cylinder “M engines” (8276 and 10644 cm3, ISO-155 horses) was created, which was followed by a new range of trucks.

Their digital indices encoded the carrying capacity and rounded power. At first, the range included five basic vehicles from the five ton one hundred and fifteen horsepower model “515L1” to the 8.5 ton “830L” truck. First production car with turbocharging in 1954 there was a seven-ton “750TL1” with a six-cylinder engine “D1246M” (8276 cm3, 155 horses at 2000 rpm). By the mid-fifties, the demand for MAN trucks had become so high that the production capacity in Nuremberg was no longer enough.

So in April 1955, the company acquired a former aircraft factory BMW engines in Munich. On November 15, the assembly of trucks of the new “L” series with an all-metal cab and panoramic windshield, a wide short hood and streamlined fenders with built-in headlights began there. By 1959, the “L” series included 25 basic chassis with a lifting capacity of 4-8.5 tons (models from “415L1” to “860L”) with six cylinder engines of the “M” series (100-160 horsepower), including options with cabin above the “L1F” engine. The enterprise itself was expanded and became the headquarters.

In 1962, when its staff increased from 2,270 to 10,000 people, about 10 thousand trucks were produced there. After another reorganization and the commissioning of a new assembly shop 300 meters long, production volume increased to 12,400 chassis per year. The old plant in Nuremberg continued to produce engines, axles and various castings. New for 1963 was the “10.212” series with a new six-cylinder engine with 212 horsepower. In 1965-66, the MAN program included two and three-axle hooded and hoodless vehicles with a load capacity of six to fourteen tons (models from “520H” to “21.212DK”) with engines of 115-230 horsepower that met safety and efficiency requirements.

In 1963, cooperation began with the SAVIEM company, which three years later granted MAN the right to produce its own vehicles with a carrying capacity of 1.5-3.5 tons, which received a brand (models “270”, “475”, “485”, etc.). As a result, by 1967, the MAN range had increased to 22 models (from “5.126” to “22.215”), on which a new angular cabin was installed above the engine and a modified indexation was officially introduced: the first digit indicated the rounded gross weight of the vehicle, the numbers behind the dot - on engine power.

At that time, licenses for MAN cars and engines were purchased by a Hungarian company (Raba) and the Brasov Automobile Plant in Romania. Assembly plants began operating in Turkey, Portugal, Yugoslavia, South Africa, India and South Korea. At the same time, less noticeable cooperation was carried out with the Daimler-Benz concern on engines, air suspension and planetary wheel gears. The result of this work in 1970 was the “D2858” V8 engine (15450 cm3, 304 horses) for long-haul tractors.

Back in 1968, MAN acquired a 25 percent stake in one of the largest German truck manufacturers, Bussing, fully absorbing it in 1971. So on the radiator lining under the inscription “MAN” a roaring “Bussing” lion appeared. In 1972, MAN offered 30 basic models with engines ranging from 70-320 horsepower and a payload of 1.8-18.8 tons (models from “470F” to “30.256DH”). The acquisition of the Austrian company OAF in 1970 made it possible to establish a branch in Vienna for the production of special multi-axle chassis, heavy dump trucks and fire engines with engines up to 760 horsepower.

In the mid-seventies, MAN abandoned the production of V-twin engines, focusing on six-cylinder engines, and began to introduce a modular design principle. The third generation of five and six cylinder engines “D25” with turbocharging (9511 and 11413 cm3) turned out to be especially successful. Shown at the show in Frankfurt am Main in the fall of 1977, the 8.5-ton car “19.280F” with a six-cylinder diesel engine “D2566T” with 280 horsepower was recognized as the most economical for its time. For the first time in MAN history, it was awarded the title of Truck of the Year 1978.

Since 1976, a number of production models have been equipped with mechanical boxes gears with remote control ZF, and automatic Allison. In 1978, the total production of MAN cars was 21,337 units. In 1979, MAN began cooperation with the company (Volkswagen) on middle-class trucks, which received the MAN-VW brand. The first “G” series included five basic models (from “6.90F” and “10.136F”) with a lifting capacity of 2.7-6.5 tons with a new cabin over the engine and MAN diesel engines of the “D02” series (3791 and 5687 cm h, 90 and 136 horses). The chassis for them was designed and assembled at Volkswagen.

Since 1985, they were produced at the former Büssing plant in Salzgitter, which significantly reduced Volkswagen’s share of participation in the implementation of the agreement. Introduced in 1987, the second generation “G90” also included five models (from “6.100” to “10.150”) with a new six-cylinder engine of the “D08” series (6871 cm3). A few years later, Volkswagen broke off cooperation with MAN, and the product of their joint development became the basis of the new generation “L2000”. In 1980, the “19.321FLT” was awarded the “Truck of the Year” title. It was equipped with a six-cylinder turbocharged engine of the “D25” series (11,413 cm3, 230-320 horses), which in the eighties, in different versions, became the main power unit of MAN.

Five years later, its successor “D2866” with a turbocharger (11967 cm3, 260-360 horses) was created. In 1985, the cargo department of the MAN AG concern was separated into an independent company, MAN Nutzfahrzeug AG, which employed over 20 thousand people in Germany alone. In 1986, production of a new series of heavy vehicles “F90” began. gross weight more than eighteen tons, which won the title “Truck of 1987”. A year later, the medium range “M90” was added to it with a total weight of 12 to 24 tons.

The cars had turbocharged and intercooled inline six-cylinder engines with power ranging from 150 to 360 horsepower, multi-speed gearboxes, front disc brakes, anti-lock braking system (ABS), hypoid final drive and new planetary wheel drives. The cabins met new safety and ergonomic requirements. Special Silent versions had elastic cab suspension and enhanced sound insulation. At the end of the eighties they also produced tractor units“UXT” series with wheel formulas 4×2 and 6×2 with horizontal engines located under the chassis frame.

The most powerful multi-axle chassis and tractors were equipped with V-shaped MAN-Daimler-Benz engines with a power of 365-760 horsepower. In 1990, production began of the so-called environmentally friendly diesel versions of the “D08” and “D28” series, which included in-line four, five and six cylinder engines, as well as a turbocharged V10 engine with power from 190 to 500 horsepower. In the same year, MAN completely bought out the Austrian company (Steyr), and as a result, total production volume exceeded 30 thousand units for the first time.

In the nineties, MAN switched to the new “2000” range, which included numerous models with a gross weight from 6 to 50 tons, and in road trains up to 180 tons. This family consisted of the light, medium and heavy families, “M2000” and, accordingly, replaced the “G90”, “M90” and “F90” series. These trucks widely use electronic devices to regulate engine operation, air suspension, driver's seat position, air conditioning, as well as anti-lock and traction control systems, etc. All cars have front ventilated disc brakes, a hydraulic power steering mechanism, a pneumatic dual-circuit braking system, and wear-sensing brake linings.

Since 1994, the light “L2000” range has been produced, including two-axle vehicles with a gross weight of 6-11.5 tons with four and six cylinder turbocharged engines (113-220 horsepower), manual five and six-speed gearboxes, and rear air suspension. For urban distribution operations, a five-speed gearbox was proposed automatic transmission and hypoid final drive, as well as a diesel-electric transmission. The middle range “M2000” appeared in the spring of 1996. It consists of 42 variants 4x2, 4x4 and 6x2 with a total weight of 12-26 tons, as part of a road train - up to 32 tons.

From a technical point of view, it is a combination of the light “L2000” series and the heavy “F2000” series. The M2000 range uses engines with a power of 155-280 horsepower, six, nine or sixteen-speed gearboxes, and rear disc brakes. The heavy series “F2000” with a gross weight of 19-50 tons won the honorary title “Truck of 1995”. It is offered in 65 variants with wheel arrangements from 4x2 to 10x4, normal and low frame positions, different cabs and a wheelbase ranging from 2600-5700 millimeters. In 1997, the MAZ-MAN joint venture was created on the territory of the former Soviet Union for the production of these trucks, buses and other equipment on the vast expanses of Russian roads, as well as the supply of spare parts for cars already traveling on them.

In 1998, the second generation F2000 Evolution appeared with a modified front cabin lining. The machines use highly efficient engines with turbocharging, intercooling and electronically controlled two six-cylinder “D2866” and “D2876” (11967 and 12816 cm3, 310-460 horses) and the new most powerful in Europe “D2640” V10 (18273 cm3, 600 horsepower, one or two disc clutch, sixteen-speed gearbox , front ventilated disc brakes with electronic brake adjustment braking force, suspension on parabolic springs or pneumatic elements, Voith hydraulic retarder.

The new cabin is offered in four variants with one or two berths, with an internal length of up to 2205 millimeters and a height of up to 2170 millimeters. The particularly comfortable version of the Topaz is equipped with a second heater, a heated driver's seat, a refrigerator, and is trimmed with leather and wood. In addition to standard options, the “F2000” series includes many special versions running on liquefied natural gas, with bodies with a capacity of 40-50 m3 for transporting lightweight cargo, dump trucks and off-road tractors. Since the end of 2000, a new “high-tech” heavy family or Trucknology Generation has been produced, meeting Euro-3 standards.

It consists of numerous models with new diesel engines (11.9 and 12.8 liters, 310-510 horsepower), sixteen-speed manual or electronically controlled twelve-speed automated gearbox, all disc brakes, three computer systems and five cab options with an internal height of 1880-2100 millimeters. This range was awarded the title of “Truck of the Year 2001”. At the same time, MAN began introducing a new simplified marking, in which the “L”, “M” and “F” series in the “Evolution” version received the indices “LE”, “ME” and “FE” with digital pointer rounded engine power.

MAN's military program also consists of several families of all-wheel drive vehicles and tractors with wheel configurations from 4x4 to 10x10, with engines ranging from 110 to 1000 horsepower. They are widely used to create airfield fire engines. With a full load, the vehicles reach maximum speed 120-140 km/h, from standstill to 80 km/h can accelerate in 22-25 seconds and have a guaranteed service life of 20 years. In 2000, MAN acquired an English company (ERF) and a Polish plant (Star). Now his enterprises employ about 32 thousand people.

In 1999, another record was set - MAN factories produced 56.3 thousand cars with a gross weight of more than 6 tons, which amounted to 3.5% of world production. At the beginning of 2000, the one millionth MAN truck was assembled. On average, MAN accounts for 13.5% of the truck market in Western Europe. In 2002, MAN presented the new Lion's Star coach bus, which in turn received the reddot award: product design.

In February 2004, the world premiere of the new generation of D20 engines with injection took place in Nurnberg. Common Rail, and in the same year the information technology association ITVA from Germany awarded MAN Nutzfahrzeuge for a film about this new engine called “Heartbeat”. In the same year, a new low-loader bus MAN LIONS City was released, which in turn received the title “Bus of the Year 2005”. In the mid-2000s, the MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG corporation opened assembly plants in India and the CIS.

©. Photos taken from publicly available sources.

For recent years Russia has become a major assembler of cars from the world's leading brands. In our country, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Toyota cars have been and are being assembled - the list, as they say, goes on. And there was no lull in the market for commercial equipment manufacturers. The most active player among truck assemblers was Volvo company Trucks, in June 2007, Volvo and the regional leadership entered into an investment agreement on the construction of a plant on an area of ​​55 hectares "Kaluga-South". Investments in the project amounted to over 100 million euros. Compared to the Swedes, MAN looks much more modest - almost 30 thousand m2. And what is now called the plant was until recently a warehouse complex belonging to the nearby auto giant GM. The Germans did not invest in the building by purchasing it, but rented it. The lease term, alas, is not disclosed, and we hope that the promising enterprise will not suffer the fate of the previous exploiter of the real estate. The St. Petersburg plant complemented the already considerable MAN empire, which in 2014 had about 38,500 employees worldwide. There are four production sites in Germany in the cities of Munich, Nuremberg, Salzgitter and Plauen. In addition to them, the company has factories in the cities of Steyr (Austria), Poznan, Starachowice and Krakow (Poland). In addition to Europe, MAN production facilities operate in Ankara, Pitampura (India) and in the cities of South Africa - Olifantsfontein and Pinetown. Total sales in the commercial vehicle segment amounted to 11 billion euros and 120,000 trucks, buses and bus chassis from MAN, Volkswagen and Neoplan. MAN Truck & Bus, headquartered in Munich, took 16.4% and second place in the European market for trucks with a gross weight of 6 tons. In the bus segment, MAN and Neoplan vehicles accounted for 10.8% of all new registrations in Europe. This result places MAN Truck & Bus in third place among the largest European manufacturers of buses weighing over 8 tons. With a 27% market share, the MAN Latin America subsidiary, headquartered in São Paulo, maintains its leading position in the market for trucks from 5 tonnes for the eleventh year in a row.
The plans of the German concern MAN to build a plant in St. Petersburg were first discussed in 2011. By the following year, a production site was identified in Shushary and the MAN plant began operating in test mode. In St. Petersburg, the MAN plant is part of the network manufacturing enterprises concern. Technical equipment meets uniform standards. There is no significant difference between the production lines of the plant in Munich and St. Petersburg. Now the production volume is such that up to 45 trucks are stored in disassembled form on its premises. These machine kits come in boxes, mostly from Germany and Austria. There, in Salzgitter, brackets are prepared for shipment, engines in Nuremberg, cabins in Steyr, etc. Many foreign manufacturers use a similar method of producing cars in Russia. The only large unit supplied to the MAN plant and localized here is the ZF gearbox. Let us recall that the joint venture of KAMAZ OJSC and Zahnrad Fabrik was created in January 2005. It produces 9- and 16-speed manual transmissions Ecomid (9S1310 TO) and Ecosplit (16S1820 TO). In 2016, it is planned to master the production of automated gearboxes Ecomid Add-on. Today, the main consumer of the joint venture's products is KAMAZ OJSC (more than 95%), in 2012 the production of transmissions for AZ URAL OJSC (9S1310 TO) and MAN in Russia began (16S2520). In 2016, it is planned to produce gearboxes for MAZ OJSC (16S1820 TO and 9S1310 TO).

Inside the buildings

In fact, in terms of equipment, the plant can assemble the entire MAN line; this would require only minor retrofitting. But so far there are only a couple of models (TGS and TGM), and the TGS dominates in various variations (2, 3, 4 axles) - both truck tractors and chassis. According to internal regulations, parts arriving at the plant are already assigned to a specific truck - this creates some problems if some spare part turns out to be damaged. You won’t be able to take a new one off the shelf, but you will have to order and wait for the next delivery, sometimes up to a month. Similar situation and with fastening small things (also supplied from Germany) - it, of course, is not tied to a specific vehicle, but comes with a tiny reserve of 5%. This production process management, or MAN Production System, is nothing more than a slightly modified Toyota Production System. There, to minimize inventories of finished goods, the production system is mostly focused on order-based production. That is why a “pull” system is used, in which subsequent processes turn to previous ones to take the necessary products.
The production plan, which identifies the required car models, their quantity and production time, is sent to the final assembly line. Then the material transfer method rotates 180 degrees. To obtain components for final assembly, the final assembly line contacts the assembly line of components, indicating the strictly required name and number of components and their delivery dates. This is how the production process moves from stage finished products to the raw materials procurement department. Each link in the JIT process chain is connected and synchronized with the others.
According to this principle, trucks are assembled on two lines - frame production and final assembly, which consist of five and six stations (assembly locations), respectively, which is almost five times shorter than, for example, at a plant in Germany. The length of the line and, accordingly, the number of stations directly affects productivity. The production capacity of the plant in Shushary is only 6,000 trucks per year in two shifts. Translated into possible daily achievements, this is 15-16 trucks, but in reality the plant now produces four trucks a day.
At the frame assembly line, a Russian vin number is applied to it, the last four digits of which have continuous numbering - and just a month ago the thousandth copy came out of the factory gates. For ease of installation of brackets and other equipment, the frame is assembled with the axes facing up. The frame and cross members are connected by rivets with a riveting force of at least 30 tons. A bolted connection is easier to install, but more expensive to use. Bolts and nuts are not completely abandoned - they are used when a defective rivet is discovered. The nuts are tightened (and not only on the frame) using calibrated impact wrenches with an under-tightening error of 15%. After them, the connection is additionally checked with limit-type torque wrenches. Although for particularly critical parts (spring ladders and steering gear mountings) wrenches are used with an accuracy of up to 2%, after tightening them, no additional tightening is required. Components and assemblies arriving at the plant may be painted or not have a protective coating. Despite this, the assembled chassis (without cabs, wheels and wiring) is additionally coated with a layer of water-based paint. According to MAN standards, the coating layer cannot be less than 90 microns. It is the painting booth, so to speak, that slows down the lines, the “tact time” of which is 27 minutes - it is not possible to paint the arriving chassis faster.
The applied coating dries at a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius in special drying chambers. MAN technology has different requirements for appearance applied to different parts of the chassis. The fact that in plain sight (for example, an underrun guard) brings shine and luster that will be the envy of bodies passenger cars for delivery to the client.
After painting, over three stations, pneumatic and electric “spits” are assembled, where the assemblers show their creativity, because there are drawings, but there is no clear route for their laying. Employees are guided by standards for length, bends, distance between clamps, etc.
MAN equips its TGS in various variations with Euro 5 engines using AdBlue. The installation of more environmentally friendly versions is not yet included in the plant’s plans. Diesel engines“married” with ZF boxes produced in Chelny. But if you order an automatic transmission, it will be delivered from Germany. The cabins arrive from Austria in almost assembled form to the plant - they are only fitted with air bags, washer reservoirs and other small things. At the end of the assembly, a person with a computer connected to the machine contacts the main plant in Germany to obtain permission and programs to be poured into the control units electronic systems truck.