Always on the move

The sanctions imposed by the European Union against the Belarusian holding company Amkodor in 2020 spurred the company to create car production based on its own component base. Amkodor not only did not reduce, but every year it increases its output. Over the past eight months, the growth rate of production volumes in monetary terms amounted to 115 percent. More than 70 percent of components are manufactured at the holding’s factories. Last week, Amkodor presented four models of vehicles that left the assembly line in August, as well as six units of equipment that were presented earlier, and more than 100 items of import-substituting units and assemblies as part of the celebration of the 95th anniversary of the holding.

Amkodor has developed four new models of import-substituting equipment

The lineup has expanded

Today, the holding produces more than 130 models and modifications of equipment. Amkodor occupies a leading position in Belarus and the CIS countries in the production of road construction, agricultural, forestry, municipal, peat, airfield cleaning and other special equipment. They produce over 6,500 types of products.
The Amkodor lineup is constantly updated. The latest innovations in equipment rolled off the conveyor of the holding in August of this year: the AMKODOR FL70H log loader, the AMKODOR W700C universal loader, the AMKODOR 2904-01 chipper, and the AMKODOR STS303B hopper-loader. 

AMKODOR W700C universal loader is equipped with a new hydromechanical transmission
of its own design, reliable axles and modern electro-hydraulics

The machines are developed by the scientific and technical centre, which consists of specialised design bureaus that unite to create new equipment. The AMKODOR FL70H log loader is designed for loading round timber. The designers of the holding thought over the modern design of the machine: they developed loading equipment with increased visibility, the rear half-frame was equipped with removable cast counterweights. The spacious cab protects the driver from rollovers and falling objects. 

The new AMKODOR STS303B hopper-loader increases the work of the combine,
seeders and sowing complexes by 30 percent, fertiliser spreaders — by 60 percent

 “Building a machine is an interesting and difficult job. It took us eight months to release the new technique. Professionals worked on the development, each of which is focused on certain nodes and systems,” the First Deputy Director of the Scientific and Technical Centre, the Chief Designer of Forest Machines Andrei German says.

Self-sufficient production

The imposed sanctions accelerated the process of mastering the necessary elements of machines. Belarus has become the third country in the world in the production of tandem bridges after the USA and Germany. The Belarusian holding company Amkodor has mastered the production of tandem axles and machines, which are now going into small-scale production. 
“Due to the geopolitical situation, what we used to take from the world’s leading companies has become inaccessible to us. Now we are focused on the production of import-substituting products. For example, we used to buy electronics for cars abroad, now we have developed a programme for our own production. To be independent, all science-intensive products must be produced in our country,” Andrei German explains.
The holding’s product line includes a new AMKODOR STS303B hopper-loader, its filling speed is up to 20-25 tonnes per minute. Harvesting time is reduced by 30 percent. The machine works in any field season, participates in all agricultural processes: sowing, harvesting, fertilising, loading wagons and storage. The hopper-loader increases the work of the combine, seeders and sowing complexes by 30 percent, fertiliser spreaders — by 60 percent.
“We have also prepared the AMKODOR W700C universal loader, which is equipped with an adapter for quick change of working bodies. The machine is equipped with a new hydromechanical transmission of its own design, reliable axles and modern electro-hydraulics. This allowed to increase the productivity of equipment by 30 percent. Previously, we could not produce gearboxes for such heavy machines as timber loaders, so we bought them in Germany. Now they mastered the production of gearboxes themselves. Localisation of loaders is 76 percent,” our interlocutor continues to introduce new products.   

Output volume is higher

The equipment of the Belarusian holding company Amkodor is localised by 96-97 percent within the framework of the Union State of Belarus and Russia.
The holding has set a goal for itself: to create a self-sufficient machine production based on its own component base. The imposed sanctions made it possible to show the viability of the business model aimed at deepening the production of its own component base. Amkodor reduced the speed of machine design and focused on the production of import-substituting parts and assemblies. 
The harvester is the most complex product in mechanical engineering, where there are hydraulics, electrics, electronics, and mechanics. The machine is controlled by a controller, which was also developed by the Belarusian holding company Amkodor. 
“Within eight months, our specialists from the scientific and technical centre produced prototypes of elements of manipulators for harvesters and forwarders, which are created only by 12 highly developed countries in the world. Moreover, we released not only one sample, but developed a model range of similar products. Now the production of pilot batches for our machines has been launched — a capacious, marginal and interesting product,” says First Deputy General Director — Director for Economics and Finance Andrei Yarotsky.
For 2021, the growth of the holding’s production volumes amounted to 173.6 percent. The First Deputy General Director is convinced that this year it will be at least 130 percent, “Over the past eight months, the volume of production amounted to 115 percent in monetary terms. In quantitative terms, we have produced more products than last year. The volume of output of the holding is increasing despite the imposed sanctions. In two years, we have produced about 20 new products, machines and trailed working bodies for our machines. We can produce more volumes of products, because many Western companies with which we competed before have left the market.”
Now Amkodor is actively co-operating with the Russian market. Our neighbours are interested in buying Belarusian equipment for utilities, construction and agricultural industries, and are also considering options for co-operation in the manufacture of components. Every year about 35-40 cars are supplied to the market of Kazakhstan, “Today we position ourselves as an export-oriented holding, but the Belarusian market is always a priority for us in terms of supplies and meeting the needs of our country. Today, the share of the domestic market in the holding is 40 percent, 60 percent of the products are exported. We will supply all the necessary products in full for the Belarusian market, and also focus on increasing exports to friendly countries.”

By Tatiana Semenkova