Maxim Kanochkin — Head of development, innovation and additive technology · GAZ automotive plant · Nizhny Novgorod
Head of development, innovation and additive technology · GAZ automotive plant · Nizhny Novgorod
I turn tough shop-floor challenges into working solutions powered by AI, robotics, and additive manufacturing.
Since 2013 I have gone from paint-robot maintenance mechanic to head of development, innovation and additive technology — and of the Additive Technology Center — at the GAZ plant. I don’t buy “innovation for innovation’s sake.” My work begins with real production pain — dirty hands, hard constraints, and tight budgets. I build systems that run on the line 24/7: algorithms instead of paperwork, robots instead of rote labor.
Engineering portfolio
- Industrial AI — AI for predictive maintenance, quality inspection, and process optimization.
- Robotics — Robot cell integration and path programming for 100+ body and cab types.
- Additive manufacturing — Full-cycle additive solutions — from prototypes to production parts.
- Expertise — Strategy, technical audits, and mentorship — from the shop floor to international contests.
Ingot handling with a cobot
3D vision locates an aluminium ingot, a custom gripper lifts it from the conveyor, and the cobot places it on a pallet. Explore the cycle and the gripper mechanism in an interactive model.
Concept simulation R13 · original demo interface in Russian.
Launch the 3D demoGAZ Additive Technology Center
I initiated the ATC at GAZ and worked with the team to turn a production need into an in-house engineering facility.
The production problem
Wear in small plastic parts could stop paint robots. External supplies took time, while production needed a constant reserve of spares.
My role and the team
I proposed the center and won a corporate project competition in 2022. Together we converted shop-floor space, selected equipment and built the team.
The technical approach
We combined reverse engineering, wear-resistant material selection and 3D printing. The center handles supplied models and develops parts and production tooling from initial sketches.
- >₽5M — annual economic impact
- up to 70% — Coverage of plastic auxiliary part types for paint robots
- 320 — part types in the center’s developed range
Figures and milestones were reported on 30 July 2026. The 320 developed part types and the 50+ serial-production part numbers in the portfolio are distinct measures.
Read the ATC story in Upravlenie ProizvodstvomProjects
- Intelligent monitoring & control system — Real-time paint-shop dashboard with a voice Edge-AI assistant running fully on-prem. Hands-free control and live visibility of critical parameters — even in industrial noise.
- Collaborative robot automation — JAKA cobot cell design and sealant path programming for vehicle bodies. The team developed tooling and software; a pilot batch of vehicles passed the quality audit.
- Additive Technology Center (ATC) — Full cycle: reverse engineering, functional 3D-printed parts, and industrial design. 50+ serial part numbers; up to 70% coverage of plastic auxiliary part types for paint robots; over ₽5M annual impact.
- Expert review & mentorship — Judging international engineering contests; technical audits across robotics, AI, and industrial design. Building the talent pipeline and stress-testing early-stage innovation.
Get in touch
Brief profile · PDF- Email: maxi.k@mail.ru
- Telegram: @MaxSames
- kanochkinmm@gaz.ru
- https://kanochkinmm.ru/en/
- GitHub: MaxK1990II