Kazan Optical and Mechanical Plant, Kazan

For more than 75 years Kazan Optical and Mechanical Plant (KOMZ) has been producing observation equipment for military and civil purposes. Created as a backup of the Leningrad GOMZ, it became the leading enterprise in the Russian Federation in the production of optical instruments.

History of creation

Kazan Optical and Mechanical Plant (Kazan) was erected in the capital of Tatarstan since 1936 according to the plan of substitution of strategic enterprises in case of war. Since the Leningrad GOMZ was located too close to the border, an additional production base was prepared in the rear. The backbone of the team was made up of seconded specialists from Leningrad.

With the outbreak of the war, LGMZ was evacuated to the constructed sites in Kazan, which enabled the rapid deployment of the required binoculars, artillery, mortar, and tank sights. Production of aviation, in particular, bomber sights, was mastered.

After the Great Patriotic War, the Leningraders returned to their native enterprise, however, the production capacities of Komz have remained. Since the army did not need optical devices in such large quantities, the plant was partially reoriented to peaceful production. Today Kazan Optical and Mechanical Plant offers products for hunters, sportsmen, photographers, tourists, nature conservation organizations, forestry industry, geologists, etc.

Technologies

Despite its 75-year-old age, Kazan Optical and Mechanical Plant OJSC has a modern technological base. The products are designed and manufactured on the basis of professionally designed optical circuits that exclude damage to the visual organs. Lenses devices are made of high-quality glass - usually from the blanks of the Lytkarinsky plant. Then they are subjected to stage-by-stage processing: polishing, centering, washing in special solutions and dehydration.

The quality of optical surfaces is determined by test glasses with the highest accuracy. Complex assemblies of prisms and lenses are glued with special compositions - absolutely transparent, withstanding extreme temperature conditions (+/- 50 ° C) without loss of performance. To minimize the loss of light rays when passing through the glass structure, special antireflection coatings are applied to the optical surfaces by the physicochemical method.

Reliability

Kazan Optical and Mechanical Plant is famous for its reliability. During assembly, each product undergoes an accurate alignment, at which the errors in the lens parameters are reduced:

• Nonparallelity of optical axes.
• Difference in channel gains.
• Difference of rotation angles.

In order to verify the reliability and reliability of KOMZ products during the operation and maintain high optical characteristics for a long period of time, factory periodic tests are carried out. After assembly, each of the devices is subjected to stress on shock and vibration tables, in sprinkler chambers, in a pressure chamber (for resistance to temperatures). The process technology allows to receive observing devices with a decent image quality throughout the field of view in any climatic zones.

Kazan Optical and Mechanical Plant: Products

The nomenclature of optical devices produced at KOMZ is distinguished by a wide range of models. Here produce:

• Military and civilian binoculars.
• Pipes are visual.
• Laser rangefinders.
• Monoculars.
• Sights.

The reputation of high-end production is enjoyed by classic, multi-purpose and night-glasses of "Baigish" brand with different degree of approximation: from 8 x 30 to 15 x 50. Some models have ruby lens coating. Also KOMZ produces VIP-class gift sets, consisting of exclusive binoculars with a case finish under the gilding and ruby symbols on the lenses.

Military products

Kazan Optical and Mechanical Plant has mastered the production of devices for night vision (NV) of generations 1, 2 and 2+. It:

• Night binoculars;
• Pseudo-cells;
• Monoculars HB;
• Glasses HB.

They enhance natural illumination and allow you to observe in the night conditions, weak artificial light and even in total darkness (basement, cave, any darkened room). All models of devices are adapted to any climatic zones: from the Arctic to the desert. They have shockproof protection, they are not afraid of precipitation.

One more direction - laser binoculars-range finders, reconnaissance devices, periscopic range finders. They improve the visual inspection of the terrain, allow you to measure the distance to both large objects and to individual items during the day and at dusk. They help to determine the coordinates of ground targets, ruptures of shells, air targets. Distance meters from KOMZ are light, compact, sufficiently strong, have outstanding characteristics. The measurement range of a number of models reaches 25 km with an accuracy of +/- 3 m.

Quality standards

Observational devices should expand the capabilities of the human eye, without harming the eyesight and health in general. Kazan Optical and Mechanical Plant strictly maintains in its products established by domestic and international standards requirements for optical characteristics. Established in Russian GOST 7048-81 and 50909-96, the basic requirements for the quality and safety of observing devices fully comply with the requirements of ISO 14133 standardization for high-class binoculars A.

Each device is identified by an individual serial number and passport, confirming the legitimacy of its origin, compliance with standards and specifications, especially in terms of parameters that ensure the safety of users' health, is confirmed by acceptance tests with an OTC mark.