At ZVEZDA's manufacturing facility, metal parts are prepared, load-bearing structures are welded, frames and bodies are assembled, and components and interior equipment are installed.
Before work begins, engineers establish the operating region and season, route length, passenger numbers, cargo and equipment list. These determine the base model, layout and systems. Changes that affect the structure need to be agreed before parts are manufactured.
Cutting, bending and welding
Frame and body parts are cut from sheet metal and profile tubes using laser equipment. The blanks are then formed on bending presses and welded at fixed stations. During assembly, the position of structural members and the frame geometry are checked.
T24 frames are protected against corrosion by hot-dip galvanising. The prepared structure is immersed in molten zinc, then cooled, dried and inspected. The coating protects the metal during regular contact with snow, water, de-icing chemicals and salt.
Components and equipment
The engine, transmission, suspension, steering, electrical equipment and other systems are installed on the prepared frame. The vehicles mainly use Russian components. Several models use a YaMZ-534 engine. The factory develops and manufactures some components itself.
The body and interior are then assembled. For a Severobus, this means passenger seats, aisles, heating and luggage compartments. In a crew-and-cargo version, the space is divided between people, tools and cargo. A special-purpose vehicle's layout depends on its equipment.
Before assembly starts, we can discuss seating capacity, storage, additional heating, communications, power supplies and mounts. Available changes depend on the model.
Checking the completed vehicle
After assembly, specialists check the main systems, resolve issues and prepare the vehicle for driving tests. The test programme depends on the model and the project's stage.
During a test run, engineers monitor components under load, handling, operating temperatures and unusual noises. Their findings feed back into manufacturing and design work.