From ideas to implementation

Import substitution and entry into the global market with a new generation of machinery: AMKODOR-LESMASH has spoken about its large-scale production modernisation and emerging prospects

Today, enterprises are making every effort to improve the quality of their products. AMKODOR-LESMASH Holding Managing Company — the only manufacturer of logging machinery in Belarus and the EEC — is no exception. A lot of money is injected into the modernisation of the enterprise, and the effect is felt. We have looked at how the equipment is being upgraded and import substitution programmes are being implemented.

Mikhail Slepachenko, Lead Quality Engineer at AMKODOR-LESMASH, Logoisk, Minsk Region

Betting on domestic components 

AMKODOR-LESMASH Holding Managing Company has everything to produce the machinery of tomorrow — advanced equipment, technologies and qualified personnel. The emphasis is on the reliability of the machinery, modern design and comfort for the operator. In order for the products to be competitive and capable of vying with the world’s leading brands, serious attention is paid to the quality and modernisation of machinery, taking into account the latest requirements of the 21st century. 
A large-scale upgrading of the plant in Logoisk is currently in full swing. All elements have been thoroughly thought through: in addition to creating comfortable working conditions for employees, each aspect of the technological process has been streamlined, the cutting-edge equipment amounting to over Br50m has been purchased — this will ensure 100 percent quality of each product. 
Before starting the tour of the modernised workshops, Andrei Yarotsky, General Director of AMKODOR-LESMASH Holding Managing Company, recounted what difficulties the holding had to face several years ago, “The main problem that befell us after 2020 is sanctions. We were confronted with a dilemma as to what components to use for the products we manufacture. After all, our plant was embedded in the supply chains of global companies, with leaders in the production of hydraulics, engines, axles... We worked closely with Europe. Nearly the first package of sanctions was imposed against AMKODOR — many companies refused to supply critical components to us. It was the forest line of business that suffered the most.”
Incidentally, only 13 countries in the world today produce timber machinery. Belarus is the 14th in a row, and Russia is the 15th, thanks to the AMKODOR plant based in Petrozavodsk. “We had to make a decision in the shortest possible time as to either to leave this market altogether — which would mean losing factories, personnel, competencies — or to get engaged in an import substitution programme. We set ourselves the task of actively engaging in the development of our own component base,” shared Andrei Yarotsky.
Thus, for nine months — in parallel with the production, which did not stop for a single day — the work had been ongoing to create tandem drive gearing axles, resulting in AMKODOR becoming the third company in the world that now boasts unique technologies for their production; to this day, over 200 items have already been produced. In addition, with the support of the Minsk City Executive Committee, a plant for the production of a model range of harvester heads will open soon. To ensure their operation, the specialists have written 1.5m lines of code. “It is going to be an extraordinary situation when one small company will independently produce almost all components for the most complex and knowledge-intensive machinery that exists. An investment project is being implemented, in which $42m is invested,” noted Andrei Yarotsky.

Everything is thought out to the last detail  

AMKODOR has achieved a stable design solution and reached reliable suppliers. There was a lot of trial and error, but the Belarusian specialists have successfully coped with challenges. The plant has developed unique technologies and purchased expensive state-of-the-art equipment to ensure high quality of products.
A gantry-type machine with a 2.5 by 8 metre table for processing assembled metal structures has been acquired; it provides the reliable articulation of all frame structures. 
The delivery of a modern automatic sheet metal storage warehouse is also expected. There has been purchased a rare sheet-cleaning machine, which processes the product with a fraction to obtain a clean sheet that goes to the laser. There is a modern machine for stripping edges from metal deposits after gas plasma cutting. The list of new equipment is huge.
Before our eyes, specialists from a Chinese company that supplies machines to many of the world’s leading manufacturers are installing the latest robotic welding systems. There are two of them in the workshop, and the price for them is impressive — such devices cost a million dollars in total. To be able to operate them, AMKODOR specialists were trained in Russia and China.
Mikhail Slepachenko, Lead Quality Engineer at AMKODOR-LESMASH, continued to introduce new equipment, “In order to prepare parts for painting, we have purchased a specialised automated shot blasting chamber.” 
The specialist demonstrated the products that get into the chamber and those that come out — the difference was striking. This technology will help cars look like new even after 10-20 years. Moreover, this complex ensures a tenfold increase in labour productivity, when compared with its manual analogue. “Two special chambers are mounted for painting and drying products,” Mikhail Slepachenko clarified. “We plan to fit the plant with new equipment that will considerably enhance the quality of products by the end of 2024. The entire investment programme is being implemented in parallel with the production ramp-up, the plant does not stand idle for a minute. The team shows understanding in case of some hiccups and believes in a bright future: modernisation is an excellent reinforcement for it.” 

Forecasts are favourable 

The maximum possible production volumes are now 12-15 cars per month. With the introduction of new equipment, the capacity will grow significantly enabling to manufacture 35 items. The output growth rate in nine months is 143.5 percent in monetary terms. According to the forecasts for the next year, the production volume will go up by at least 20-25 percent, and this is only for the Belarusian market. Andrei Yarotsky added, “Our most in-demand machinery has an enormous export potential. Both Asia and Africa are interested in it, and we are currently working on logistics issues. There will be large shipments to Russia. For example, 20-21m m3 of timber are harvested in Belarus per year, while in Krasnoyarsk Krai alone — 25m m3, and in the next four years, it intends to double the volume of harvesting.” 
A big competitive edge is high-quality, fast maintenance service and availability of spare parts. For machinery that works in tough conditions, reliability and speed of repair are important criteria.
Notably, at a meeting of the Board of Directors of AMKODOR-LESMASH, the holding’s growth strategy until 2026 was approved. The strategy sets ambitious goals for the company to strengthen its position in the market and expand its activities, and involves the active use of the potential of each enterprise within the holding, as well as the introduction of innovative approaches to achieve strategic goals. The meeting participants emphasised, “Confidence in the chosen course and readiness to implement the tasks outlined in the growth strategy allow us to expect bold and innovative solutions that will continue to improve the quality and efficiency of the holding’s activities in the coming years.”

By Yulia Ushchenchik

Photos by Aleksandr Kulevsky