Published on: 2026-06-19
Source: Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University of Peter the Great –
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Six students of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade and the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport of SPbPU defended a comprehensive graduation qualification work on the optimization of technological and logistical processes of an industrial enterprise’s activities, completed on order from the qualified customer “Power Machines”.
The team included two representatives from the Higher School of Physics and Materials Technology of IMMIT (specializing in “Materials Science and Materials Technology” and “Metallurgy”), the Higher School of Production Management of IPMET (specializing in “Management”), and the Higher School of Service and Commerce of IPMET (specializing in “Commerce”).
The comprehensive VKR was carried out under the special status of “Project as a VKR” within the framework of creating new formats for employer participation in the updated model of engineering higher education with the support of the federal program “Priority-2030.” The responsible executor of the project was the Graduate School of Production Management IPMEIT.
The goal of VKR was to develop measures and recommendations for working with low-turnover inventories (MOZ) and improving the production processes of JSC “Power Machines”.
For the possibility of using MOSs in the actual production of bachelors in the field of “Materials Science and Materials Technology” (program “Computer Engineering in Materials Science”), Sofia Zvereva worked on improving the operational characteristics of the backing washer by replacing the material and selecting the heat treatment mode. For the optimization of technological processes, the bachelor in the field of “Metallurgy” (program “Digital Technologies in Metallurgy”) Mikhail Kunitsyn investigated the causes of cold fracture of sheet metal.Optimization of logistical processes and evaluation of the cost and feasibility of proposed measures were undertaken by economics students. In particular, undergraduates in the “Management” program (specialization “International Logistics”) Darya Gorban and Anastasia Koneva explored the possibilities of using digital twins in the manufacturing of equipment and in the operation of gas turbines.The development of the methodology for unifying the cutting tool used for manufacturing fixtures was carried out by Artyom Guselnikov, while the development of the classifier and the organization of the places for plugging were performed by Maria Katalogina — both are undergraduate students in the “Commerce” program (the “Organization and Business Management in the Trade Sphere” program). Upon completing the work, the students evaluated the economic effect of the proposed measures.
The uniqueness of the completed work lies in the fact that students of technical and economic fields worked on a single common project, comprehensively combining the solutions of technical specialists and economists. A competent symbiosis of various competencies allows solving complex tasks of industrial customers based on real needs. Students gain practical experience and enter the market as qualified specialists with a professional outlook,” says Ludmila Pankova, Vice-Rector for Educational Activities.
The defense had an on-site nature and was conducted at the base of the Leningrad Metal Plant “Power Machines.” The State Examination Commission included representatives of “Power Machines” as well as lecturers from the Polytechnic University.
Joint work on the comprehensive VKR at the junction of technical and management directions of training made it possible to create a student team of like-minded people, whose participants successfully solved the tasks set before them by the enterprise-customer shoulder to shoulder. Our joint experience with IPMET can definitely be called successful!” — noted a member of the joint GEC, Deputy Director of IPMET for educational activities Pavel Kovalyov.
According to the results of the defense, the state examination commission evaluated the comprehensive VKR of students as excellent. The Chairman of the State Examination Commission, Director for Development of Industrial Supply “Power Machines” Evgenia Khmel commented: For three years, the “Power Machines” procurement direction has been cooperating with the Polytechnic University. Students undergo internships and practicums, write graduation qualification works on our assignments, and get employed by us. Previously, we only worked with the procurement and logistics directions.This year, it was decided to conduct an experiment: combining the directions of commerce and procurement with technical disciplines. We were supported by colleagues-engineers. The main task for the guys was to demonstrate how technical solutions influence the manufacturing economy and how much teamwork means for achieving a common goal. I believe the work was successful. This is one of the strongest defenses of the university student teams. Thanks to all the students and my sincere congratulations!
Indeed, this project has significant practical and methodological value: for three years, students have been completing comprehensive graduation qualification works by order of “Power Machines”, with the university’s responsible executor being the Higher School of Production Management. In 2023, students of the Higher School of Production Management, the Higher Engineering and Economic School, and the Higher School of Service and Trade completed graduation qualification works as part of the implementation of the project “Harmonization of production needs with the supply of components and materials.”by order of the plant “Electrosila”. In 2024, the “inter-school” student project was dedicated to the transformation of the procurement activities of an industrial enterprise to reduce low-turnover stocksfor the Leningrad Metal Plant, and last year students successfully defended a project for LMZ on solving real production and management tasks.
Formation of multi-potential student teams, possessing versatile skills and competencies, is a real tool for ensuring Russian industry is staffed with specialists who have a good understanding of the real specifics of work at an enterprise. Taking into account the training undergone by the youth, it is possible to find non-standard solutions to tasks, even if it seems that all solutions have already been found.The most important thing is to trust them, to give them space for growth and testing hypotheses, but at the same time to have an experienced leader nearby who will help connect their bold ideas with practical realities,” says Vladimir Shchepinin, director of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade.
At the end of the defense, the students thanked their scientific supervisors and consultants from “Power Machines”: Working on the VKR became a great opportunity for us to apply all the knowledge and skills acquired during four years of study. The format of joint work gave a deeper understanding of how a complex industrial enterprise is structured. Despite the difficulties of the initial stage related to agreeing on requirements, as we immersed ourselves in the task process, everything became completely clear, and the work took on an active and fruitful character. Thank you for such a project!
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