I had wanted to visit the BELAZ workshops for a long time: girls of all ages love big, powerful machines. To take pictures next to them (there are lots of photos on Instagram of beautiful women next to big machines — often someone else’s, but sometimes their own). To drive them. And some women even like to build them (but more on that later). Well, the apotheosis of strength and power is, of course, BELAZ, our national treasure and one of the symbols of modern Belarus.

However, this giant, which is the size of a house, with wheels twice the height of a person and a load capacity of hundreds of tons, does not leave male hearts indifferent either. This is not surprising: large-sized dump trucks, a key link in the extractive industry, are rightly called the pinnacle of engineering in machine building. To find out how these multi-ton BELAZ trucks are made, we headed to Zhodino.

In extra-large size

BelAZ can only be described using superlatives. It is a unique enterprise, the only one in the world where such machines are assembled on a conveyor belt, and it has been operating for 77 years. Today, the BelAZ holding company comprises 11 enterprises and branches, more than 14,000 highly skilled professionals in dozens of specialties, and over 600 modifications of mining equipment suitable for operation in harsh climatic conditions, from severe cold to extreme heat. It supplies dozens of countries (BELAZ trucks operate on all inhabited continents of the planet). It has the world’s largest two-axle dump truck (BELAZ 75710 with a load capacity of 450 tons). It has earned worldwide recognition and well-deserved authority in its homeland — the 7513 series of equipment has been awarded the state quality mark.

«The quality mark has been awarded to the 7513 series of dump trucks with a load capacity of 130 tons,» says Alexander Naskovets, General Designer — Head of the Scientific and Technical Center named after A. N. Egorov, BELAZ OJSC — Management Company of Holding «BELAZ-HOLDING». «This is our most popular series. Depending on the year, we hold 70 to 80 % of the global market in this load capacity segment. We are proud of these machines as works of art in the field of heavy engineering.»
In the BelAZ family, 130 ton trucks are far from the largest machines.

«This is the average load capacity in the range of machines we produce,» explains Alexander Naskovets. «It is most in demand in the markets where we operate.»
The holding’s portfolio includes a wide variety of mining dump trucks: from the «small» 30-, 45-, and 55–60 ton models to machines with a load capacity of 90, 110–140, 180, 220, 240, 290, 360, and 450 tons.

«We also manufacture other equipment. Front loaders, wheeled bulldozers, tow trucks, fuel sprayers, heavy trucks and slag trucks for metallurgical enterprises, airport tractors,» lists our interlocutor. «We are currently mastering the production of underground equipment.»

One of the key priorities in the design of BELAZ equipment is environmental friendliness, adds the General Designer.
«The use of natural gas, electricity, and hydrogen as fuels is a priority. In gas dump trucks, this means replacing part of the diesel fuel with natural gas in our 130 ton dump truck. A line of pure gas dump trucks with a carrying capacity of 90–130 tons has been created. Next year, we plan to release a 220 ton mining dump truck that will use natural gas as fuel. This is a very popular line that is in demand among consumers,» emphasizes our interlocutor.

BELAZ designers are developing two lines of electric vehicles. The first is hybrid dump trucks with a lower-power engine and batteries to supplement the missing power. In the passenger car industry, this design is called a «serial hybrid», explains the General Designer. It is precisely these vehicles that are given green license plates to emphasize their environmental friendliness and are positioned as a new word in machine building. Meanwhile, Alexander Naskovets said that BELAZ invented the «serial hybrid» back in 1967 and has been producing dump trucks with electromechanical transmission ever since.

«The second direction is purely electric dump trucks,» continues the Head of the Scientific and Technical Center. «Two prototypes with different load capacities and rechargeable batteries have been manufactured and are currently being tested at the factory test site.»

Another environmental direction is the use of hydrogen as fuel.
Well, the main trend in mechanical engineering is, of course, robotization.
«We are also working in this area,» says our interlocutor. «Today, we already have the fourth iteration of robots.»

The first was a remote-controlled dump truck, the second and third are already fully robotic machines. All three developments are joint projects with Russian specialists. Today, BELAZ, in cooperation with the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, has created a completely Belarusian robot. Two earlier models of unmanned BelAZ vehicles are already operating in quarries in Khakassia, and two new robots with a lifting capacity of 90 tons will soon be sent to the deposit «Sitnitsky» in the Brest Region.

 Yellow giants

 Admiring the exquisite contours of European, Japanese, and American cars, we are unaware that it was BELAZ that became the global trendsetter in the design of large-sized vehicles, setting a trend that is still relevant today. BELAZ’s world-famous design was created in the 1960s.

«For those times, it was something incomprehensible: broken lines, a cab on the side,» says the General Designer.

But those who understood it immediately appreciated its beauty and functionality. This trend was picked up by both the Japanese and the Americans.

«In 1961, we introduced the BELAZ 540, in 1962 Caterpillar showed a similar design, and in 1963–1964 Komatsy did the same,» says Alexander Naskavets.

Since then, the appearance of the BELAZ has changed and improved, while retaining its «authentic» features.

It is clear that such machines are designed for intensive work and high loads in off-road and aggressive environments. Obviously, the main parameters for them are load capacity, reliability, cross-country ability, and the ability to safely and efficiently transport large volumes of rock. And yet, driver comfort is also an important aspect.

«If in the past no one even dreamed of air conditioning in a dump truck, now it is not even an option, but standard equipment,» emphasizes our interlocutor. «As for other „goodies“ (as they say in the passenger car industry), in addition to climate control, our basic configuration includes air suspension seats, heated windshield and mirrors, an electronic information system for the driver, video surveillance cameras... Tinted windows are available as an option for luxury models. And the instrument panel, for example, is already electronic in all our models. Now we are installing another mini-computer for driver prompts.»

The base model also has a fire extinguishing system. In short, we will have to come up with something else for the «luxury» models...
The cost of 130 tonne BELAZ trucks is measured in millions. Moreover, this expensive machine is operated at the limit of its capabilities — it is estimated that in 7–8 years it should bring its owner a profit ten times its cost.

This machine is a beast!

Today, BELAZ trucks are operating throughout the Russian Federation: from the European part to the Kamchatka Peninsula, as well as in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, India and Indonesia, Mongolia and Vietnam, and in African countries... In quarries where virtually all minerals known to man are mined, from coal and ore to gold and diamonds. The dump truck operates 24/7 — the engine is practically never turned off. Therefore, quality and reliability are key factors in the production of such machines.

Quality is controlled at every stage: from the initial inspection of each sheet of rolled metal to the meticulous checking of the manufacture of each part and the performance of each technological operation.

«There are parts in the product range that are given special attention and are subject to even more thorough inspection,» explains Evgeny Erokhovets, head of the assembly, vehicle and tractor testing workshop. «Upon completion of any type of work, the inspector checks and accepts the installation, confirming that it has been carried out in accordance with the design and technical documentation.»

Every mining dump truck starts with load-bearing structures. The frame is the main supporting element. The front axle with brakes is installed on it, followed by the rear axle, suspension system, and steering system. After that, the dump truck can be moved directly to the assembly line. Access systems are installed on it — fenders, decks, staircases, and a diesel generator set. Next, all external engine power systems are installed (fuel, oil, exhaust, and engine fluid heating systems).

Only then does the installation of the wheels begin. At the same time, work is carried out on the installation of electrical components, such as the control cabinet, cab, low-voltage wiring, and power equipment. All systems are connected, and the finished machine leaves the assembly line.

About 9,000 people work in the workshops of BELAZ, the main plant in Zhodino. Of these, 30 % are women.

«One such example is Olga Kovaleva, an electronics engineer in the production of super-heavy machines,» says Alexander Naskovets. «This young woman is a very valuable employee. Her area of responsibility is such an important technological stage as the adjustment of the traction electric drive of a quarry dump truck: she is a specialist with a capital S in electronics. And, by the way, she teaches the intricacies of this business to our young male employees.»

Working in three shifts per day, the BELAZ assembly and testing workshop produces three dump trucks with a quality mark (7513 series with a load capacity of 130 tons).

«When people ask me what is Belarusian in BELAZ, I answer: first and foremost, the design concept,» says Alexander Naskovets. «And also the skilled workforce. And a fairly high degree of localization of components. Although not everything at BELAZ is produced in Belarus. We buy metal. Engines of such high power are not produced in Belarus — they are supplied to us from other countries. We also purchase generators and electric motors (the holding company plans to develop this production at our plant). We make the mechanical transmission ourselves, as well as the cardan shafts. The rear axle is our own, the tires are Belarusian, from Belshina. It may seem like we purchase a lot. But this is standard practice in the production of heavy equipment worldwide.»

I will repeat that the main thing we put into BELAZ trucks, what makes them Belarusian, is the design, which is highly valued all over the world. We also invest in highly qualified engineers and workers, who are also highly valued in our time. When a dump truck is completely finished, the testing stage begins. A driver-controller conducts a test run at high speed, over artificial bumps, with a load and checking for leaks... The smallest defects are recorded in a special log, and after they are eliminated, the tests are repeated until the machine starts working perfectly. Only then does the BELAZ go to the finished product warehouse. But first, it goes to the wash, drying, and consumables replacement. The final stage, after testing, is painting: not a scratch must remain!
In the finished product shipping workshop, the machine is disassembled again, loaded onto railway platforms, and sent to its owner. A 130 tonne mining dump truck in disassembled form takes up four railway platforms. A 450 tonne truck (without assembly equipment) requires an entire train: 19 platforms.

Aleksandra Antaelevich
Photo by Viktor Ivanchikov