Ural Automobile Plant (UralAZ OJSC) is a leader in the production of off-road trucks in Russia. The company produces finished equipment and chassis with all-wheel drive 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8. Cars have gained respect due to the unique cross-country ability, decent quality and ease of operation.
Pages of history
The Ural Automobile Plant was formed in the Chelyabinsk Region on the basis of one of the divisions of the Moscow Automobile Plant during the war years. The foundry and automotive workshops evacuated to Miass by the heroic efforts of the workers of the enterprise were converted into a full-fledged automobile plant, where the legendary ZIS trucks were so needed by the front and the post-war economy.
Although the ZIS-5V, UralZIS-355M, and UralZIS-355V models that were manufactured became legendary due to their widespread use, they did not differ in advanced technologies and ease of use. The government considered it unacceptable to produce such obsolete models, while the country had already successfully launched spacecraft. The designers were instructed to force the design of a modern all-wheel drive truck. Engineers brilliantly coped with a difficult task. In 1961, the Ural Miass Automobile Plant launched the Ural-375 series, which won the VDNKh diploma and became the base model for the next decades.
King off road
The Ural-375 truck is distinguished by unsurpassed cross-country ability and is actively operated to the present. He became the base car in the Soviet and then in the Russian army. The model has many modifications for transporting personnel, transporting goods and weapons, it is used as a chassis for communication systems, Grad rocket launchers, mobile points, tankers, truck cranes, etc. Over the years, the Ural Automobile Plant has produced over 110,000 units.
In the national economy, Ural-375 was used no less actively, especially in remote areas. If a gasoline engine with high fuel consumption is used in army models, economical powerful YaMZ-238 and YaMZ-236 units are installed in civilian versions.
Modern production
Ural Automobile Plant (UralAZ OJSC) proudly overcame the 1990s, which were difficult for the economy. 75 years after its founding, it remains the leader in the four-wheel drive truck segment. This is facilitated by regular modernization programs, the use of high-performance equipment, and competent management. Since 2004, UralAZ has been introducing a new production system based on three pillars:
- The highest quality.
- Minimum execution time.
- The minimum costs.
When developing new products at UralAz, a “quality gate” system is used: it allows you to rationally manage the planning, development and release of products. Quality control is carried out by randomly choosing a finished car. All its systems and mechanisms are thoroughly checked. The Ural Automobile Plant takes care of consumers after the sale of cars. In the regions of Russia and the CIS, a dealer network and service centers function.
New technologies
In recent years, the Ural Automobile Plant (Miass) has been paying increased attention to truck design. In particular, a cab of a cabless layout has been developed. It allows you to increase the ride, improves visibility and controllability due to the displacement of the center of mass of the body to the center of mass of the chassis. A cabless cab with a four-point suspension using spring-mechanical shock absorber racks is placed above the motor. The driver's seat is equipped with air suspension, the steering column is adjustable. The transfer case has electro-pneumatic control, which reduces the level of vibration and noise. In particular, a cabless cab is used in the new Ural-5323 and Ural-63/65 truck families.
Products
UralAZ produces trucks of several directions. The army family is represented by various modifications of unarmored and armored vehicles. Cars of a civilian family are widely used for construction, development of resource-extracting industries, and in agriculture. Special equipment based on the Urals has over 200 items.
Since 2015, the Ural Automobile Plant has been producing a completely new family of Ural-Next civilian trucks. The cars received an updated design based on GAZ-Next cabs developed by the Joint Engineering Center of the GAZ Group of Companies. This allowed to unify the production base and significantly reduce costs. In general, Ural-Next received more than 50 technological changes. The YaMZ-536 motor is installed on all modifications.
The Ural Automobile Plant is confidently looking to the future. As a leader in the production of army trucks, the company is steadily exploring the niche of civilian models and special equipment. Exports account for one third of total sales.