From the book ‘VyatSU: pages of biography’, 1998.
‘In 1966 the department of manufacturing engineering (subsequently automated manufacturing engineering) “crystallized” from the bosom of the physical metallurgy department and was headed by indefatigable Gennady Kropotov.
Cooperation works with the plants of Kirov and Kirov region have begun. By 1970 on the basis of these works two major scientific fields have appeared: electropulse effect application in manufacturing method (Academic advisor – docent G. A. Kropotov) and slender parts working accuracy research (Academic advisor – docent L. A. Vasiljevykh)
Let us discuss both in detail.
- In those years Vasily Sergeevich Goldajev launched his own electric fluid hammer, - recalls Gennady Arkhipovich, - and I evaluated how promising this field is right away. And so we started. But, unlike Goldajev, we specialized on metal working research.
And here is one of the first our works, produced for military department. Soldiers needed this refined, ephemeral detail – a thin aluminiumfoil lining. Honestly, for an explosive device. Was it possible to make it by ordinary die forming? We tried. But this required seven different punches, and 90 per cent of production was spoilage. But with the help of apparatus made by Kropotov’s team, electric die produced the finest configuration. And no spoilage at all!
Gennady Arkhipovich’s team created and applied in industry 12 settings for electric hydraulic pulse machining, including the unique part for electric hydraulic pulse punching at KMPO ‘XX Party Congress’. Stable scientific and production relations are established with universities, companies and plants of St. Petersburg, Izhevsk, Nikolayev, Kiev, Zaporozhye, Yaroslavl and other cities.
New people arrive in our department. Among them –mechanical engineers of first evening tuition admission – R.D. Onokhin, A.I. Sedelnikov. They joined our team after their successful Ph. D. defense. Of big importance to the development of our department were Chief Technologist of the XX Party Congress association I.N. Jurkus and Chief Engineer of the plant ‘Selmash’ M.G. Gasilov. Ivan Nikolajevich Jurkus will later switch to teaching in the university, become a docent and will concern himself with interesting business’.
