In a strategic move, AVTOVAZ’s welders who were not involved in body assembly were dispatched to Chelyabinsk to assist CJSC Plastic. There, for a full month, they helped local workers forge frames for steering wheels. The aim was to keep production moving smoothly when demand surged and the workshop needed more hands on the line. This operation, observed on CJSC Plastic’s public page on VKontakte, highlighted how cross-site collaboration can secure supply chains in manufacturing scenarios across the region. The arrangement was not about permanent redeployment; it was a targeted, temporary contribution to ensure ongoing output and minimize downtime for the steering wheel components crucial to the assembly process. (Source: VKontakte public page attribution)
The company had recently become a supplier of rudders for the conveyor belts. Yet the workforce struggled to match the jump in production volume. AVTOVAZ stepped in because the plant could not wait for CJSC Plastic to recruit enough staff to meet demand. By rebalancing labor between sites, the manufacturing ecosystem stayed in balance long enough to prevent bottlenecks, ensuring that steering wheel components would be available when needed for the assembly line. (Source: VKontakte public page attribution)
The car factory’s welders operated in a two-by-two schedule at CJSC Plastic, according to the same VKontakte post. Experienced assistants produced about 150–170 steering wheel frames in a single 12-hour shift. This tempo allowed steering wheels to flow not only to the conveyor line but also to cars that had already been partially assembled, accelerating the overall production cadence and reducing the risk of component shortages. The arrangement underscored how temporary labor sharing can sustain output during peak periods while maintaining safety and quality controls on a high-volume line. (Source: VKontakte public page attribution)