PRECISION ENGINEERING WORKS LISEN, VILIAM SIROKY PLANT AT KYSUCKE NOVE MESTO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A004200330002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 3, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 7, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET/CONTROL - M.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia REPORT
SUBJECT Precision Engineering Works Lisen, DATE DISTR.
7 June 1954
Viliam giroky Plant at Kysucke Novo
Mesto NO. OF PAGES
14
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
RD
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.B. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form Is prohibited.
This is UNEVALUATED Information
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
Th Viliam ~irolr Pant of the Precision Engineering Works Lisen., (Zavody presnaho
25X1
e y
stroja`renstva Isle n.p.), National at&rpritse, is-1ceatedwe3t of the Kyauoke Nova Mesta
the north
Mi i cad s ation 'alon~t; 'tha l on ii ti afta in yak "The oun rte - rb' on
e south - a road leang to the village ul
~i
field path to the fore - a
Nss].lisas; and on the west - a railroad track, parallel with the fence.
Construction of the plant started early in 1949, and on October 28th, 1919
the first three machines were put into operation. Building is still going
on. Along the marshalling yard the plant is about 700 meters long. Its
width is approximately 150 meters.
The plant is engaged in the production of ball bearings. Following is a list
of standard types of ball bearings produced at the plant:
As 6202 (this is the smallest types opening 15 mm, diameter 36 mmy width
10 mm.)
b. 6203
c,. 6201.E
d.
s. 6205
6206'.'
?. 6362
>. 6303
h. 6301
is 6365
Production figures vary according to monthly plans. The plan for January 1953
was'100,000 ball bearings; for February 1953 - 90,000; and for March 1953
120,000. About half of the total output are ball bearings of type 6202, the
rest vary according to orders. At the and of January 1953, an order was received
for 1,,600 ball bearings, type 6412, to be allegedly used in Tatraplan cars.
So far only nine Was of ball bearings have been produced, but in the future
production is to be expanded to 36 types. The entire ball-bearing production
dtf Czechoslovakia is to be centered in this plant. Production at the branch
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
STATE ARMY I 7B NAVY 36 AIR FBI AEC
(Note: Washington Distribution Indicated By "X") Field Distribution By "#".)
25 YEAR RE-REVIEWI
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Kare
l The leader of the innovators' movement at the plant isin r ctRohacek, man na rng
of the lathe shop.
was done for improving and speeding up tne n process;, except a great 25X1
deal of fuss over meaningless suggestions. A notorious shockesorker at the plant
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONlY
plant at Pernstejn is to be discontinued and at the main plant in asen only
ball bearings and roller bearings are to be made in the future. Only cages and
similar auxiliary parts will be made in Pernstejn. Cages for bronze slide
bearings are made at the Vouiro Plant. Planned monthly production is 19600
pieces. (See sketches D9 E, ) Actual production amounts to about 80% 25X1
of the monthly plan. The percentage of rejects is very high owing to the inferior
quality of materials which cannot be hardened to the required degree, as the
material is apt to break during the hardening process. The production of balls
is being fulfilled to 40-45% of the plan, also due to the shortage of
material. Balls are either too soft or break in the hardening pr ceas. Some-'
times the required roundness cannot be ackteved and balls come cut oval.=shaped.
The worst results are in the production of cages. only 27-30% of the planned
output being produced? par # y because this work. is poorly p,4icl and also because
not enough experts are available to organize the work. Products are classified
into three quality groupss a) First-class., b) Second-class,, d) Inferior. Pro-
ducts of the first group are destined for export., of the second group for the
domestic market. As to precision., this plant is the best in. Czechoslovakia.
Its ball bearings are as good as foreign products,, but owing to inferior material
they have a much shorter life. First-class products are exported chiefly to
the USSR and other People's Democracies. ,;ports amount to about one half of
total production - approximately 40,000 ball bearings per month. About 140,,000
ball bearings of the second and third classes are sent moat l r to state reserve
stores or to various plants. Material is. shipped by ral.l from the fouodr;i.es,
Whenever foundries are unable to supply the required material, Cliff steel is
obtained from the maim works at L isen. Materials vary in qi: ality., from first-
class to inferior. The tool, shop suffers the greatest d.t,f'ficulties because of
its need for special types of steel. Most difficult to obtain As material, R 3,,
a high-speed steel., and the plant has to have a special permit, when ordering
it. Products are made from substitutes., B. 6' or B. 24. Spring steel., types SC or
SCH, for universal chucks for automatic machines, is also in very short r apply.
Special steel for surface hardening, type TEMQ TEL: and TY is not available
at all and T 8 is being substituted. Equally difficult 'to obtain are 1' ar'e
diameter rounds,, and buyers 'travel all over the country, to look fi^r: '4"v P to ?,e
state reserve stores., but usually in vain. Material from old railroad ,war
is being used instead,, To keep up production at any coat-,., substa.tute are
being used, e.g.ld cutting tools in automatd.c machines wh-"Lah should be, 4 mm. thick
are made of steel 20 mmothick which often results in, ;O% lcssea of good-quZI ty
materials, as well as in big financial losses. Even ui~,der normal ;ircl mstances,
the production of ball bearings would not be profitable,, be,zau.sc priceui of the
goods abroad barely cover production cost;
Alt geAhhhe: n tug's are about 19500 employees at the plan9 50% of them women.
10% ox the total number are skilled workers, e.g. lathe-turners;, lockswithriy and
other technical workers. The rest are people transferred from other jobs.
The majority of women work in the control department, and. operate automat-16a
finishing machines. The assembly shops employ only women.. 35 to 40 of the
employees are Czechs,, mainly skilled workers from Li.sen. As of 1,954, the plant
is to be run only by Slovaks. During 1953, Slovak technical experts. from other
plants, mainly from Povazeka Bystrica, were transferred to the V. giroky J .ant.
It is expected that after the Czech experts leave production will be still
lower. Plans for the expansion of the factory provide, for the future employ-
ment, of lZ9; ', 114.,000 persons. The plant, operates in three shifts,, of which
only the first is fully marned~ the second shift 70%,- and the third 340%.
During 1954, production may be expanded by 20% at most,, because skilled workers
are not available in sufficient numbers. New workers have to train for 3 months
at the main factory in Lisen. Working morale is below average and sometimes
very low. The main reason is low wages and the, majority of employees claim that
they could earn far more elsewhere. They are not allowed to change employment.
Part of the technical staff are Slovaks., whose skill and intelligence are below
average, and they owe their good positions solely to politics. This has disastrous
effects on production. There are only 20 to 2S staunch Communists at the plant
And..the majority of employees are not even organized in the Communist Party.
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is Jaroslav Klima,
manager Vaclav Zitny,
6. There are 30 boys and 30 girls at the Apprentice school. In 1952, the tabor
Department of the District National Committee issued an order that only appren-
tices not completely physically fit could be recruited, while the fit ones were
to be taken into the mining industry. Following this order the number of female
apprentices increased considerably. Apprenticesg training lasts two years. The
school is badly equipped; some machines are completely out of-operation. In
charge of the apprentice school is Charvat (fnu), a Higher Political School1
graduate. Apprentices live in a hostel and march to their place of work every
morning.
Women working in assembly shops, on grinding machines, and in control departments
earn 500 crowns (net) monthly. Skilled machine operators earn 800 to 900 crowns
(net) monthly. A further out in wages is expected when higher working targets
are fixed.
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8. Till April 1, 1953, the manager of the plant was Aridelin Muzikar of Brno-Kralovo 25X1
Pole.
His successor is Bagala (fnu)o
Deputy manager is Ing. Antonin Matejicek,
Chief of construction is Vojteoh Pleskaco
10. Chief engineer,.(aitew title for the plant?s head engineer) is Nahlik (fnu)
Uhief of ball-bearing production is Jindfich Wolf
Cadre o o a oan (fnu) used to be a market vendor.
charge of the too fhop is Frantisek Eibel,
Chief of the plant control is Frantisek
the station at Kysucks Nove
and the factory guards. Mesto is now supervising both the iCilitia
U. The factory guards consist of about 15 men and two women. They ape on duty at
the gate and in guard rooms inside the production halls. At night they patrol
the factory. All oorry pistols.
12? There are about 30 militia-men in the factor who attend drill and live shooting
exeroi,ees once a fortnight. only about half of them are 25X1
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13. Food served in the canteen is below average. It is generally thought that em to e
are being cheated. The factory physician,
1t#.
Really in charge of the medical room is his assistant,
a nurse from Zilina. Kouril refuses to sign any sickness certificates. The dent'.
surgeon is very good. Lavatories are in a deplorable state, because the cleaners
refuse to clean them. Cloakrooms have cold water only.
Power is supplied by the power plant in Zilina, but, because it is not available
in sufficient quantity, frequent power cuts are necessary. All machines are
numbered and, in case of power cuts, the factory broadcast system orders machines
of certain numbers to be switched off. Power cuts are most frequent in winter
and around midday. In spite of the broadcast, workers leave the machines switched
on purposely with the result that sooner or later the whole plant is out off by
the power plant.
15. Addresses: Telegrams: Prestro Kys. N. Mesto.
Teleprint: Prestro Kysuca 09540.
Railroad station: Kys. N. Mesto.
1. (Comment: Possibly the College (Vysoka Skola) of Political 25X1
Enclosures 1 map section w ! id