They’re on the rise

How the famous Mogilev elevators are made

Mogilev elevators probably don’t need a special presentation. Their reliability has been tested by time and by residents of high-rise buildings not only in Belarus, but also in Russia. More than 80 percent of the products produced by Mogilevliftmash are exported. The main sales market is the Russian Federation, where 9,000 lifts were shipped last year. The products of Mogilev residents are known from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. After the introduction of sanctions, the plant was able to quickly rebuild its logistics, developing a clear development model: only flexibility and mobility allow us to move forward and... upward. Our correspondent assessed the current and potential capabilities of the enterprise, including work on the Russian market, on the spot, in the production shops.

Operator of computer-controlled machines Yevgeny Radyukov Andrey Sazonov

It is impossible to take in everything at once. Each elevator consists of several thousand parts. And the cabin, by the way, is not the most labour-intensive and technologically advanced unit. It is more difficult to manufacture a winch and control system — the ‘brain’ and ‘heart’ of the elevator, as the elevator builders themselves call them. And here imported components were needed, the production of which had to be established on our own. Mogilevliftmash’s Director General Sergei Chertkov tells how we got out of the situation, “We began to work on diversification, to see what components we could produce locally. Despite some statements that the elevator industry will not cope with its tasks due to the departure of Western manufacturers from the market, our company has overcome all the difficulties that arose at the initial stage. Yes, previously manufacturers of elevator equipment of the Union State depended to varying degrees on the supply of imported parts. For us, such dependence was minimal, because the enterprise has a full life cycle. Raw materials and components that were purchased in Western countries were replaced with our own as soon as possible. For example, a new development of a currently in demand gearless winch, which is also used in the production of high-speed elevators, has already been put into mass production.”
The history of the enterprise begins in 1966, when the Soviet Union began to actively build multi-story buildings that needed to be equipped with elevators. And if in the early 1990s only two models were manufactured, practically no different from each other, today there are more than 180 of them in the wide range of the enterprise: cargo, panoramic, hospital, cottage...

New elevator cabins Andrey Sazonov


Modern equipment allows us to work flexibly and produce goods to order. Mogilevliftmash set a course for renewal at the start of the 2000s, including introducing the latest technologies. For example, the painting line was completely replaced. We also improved the mechanical part of the production process by installing powerful modern machines. Igor Glinkin works on one of these as a CNC machine operator. The guy studied at the Mogilev State Polytechnic College and was assigned to the elevator. Glinkin was assigned to a critical technological stage in production — processing the winch body. In the workshop, everything is controlled by a computer; you just need to set the settings correctly on the control panel.
“We receive parts from the foundry. The winch body must be sanded in order to transfer the part for a further production cycle. I understand machines of this type, and besides, I studied at the correspondence department of the Belarusian-Russian University to become an engineer. During my studies there was a lot of practice, we studied the operating principles of such equipment. I began to better understand machine components, hydraulics, mechanics, and programs,” Igor explains the complex process.

Exclusive in details

In the mechanical assembly shop, parts for the gearbox and other elements of future elevators are made. Turner and CNC machine operator Vyacheslav Martynenko has been working here for more than 30 years. He remembers well how the plant developed, “I was 16 years old when I joined the company. My father worked here at that time. I started by knocking together containers for finished products. And after the army I ended up working in a mechanical assembly shop. Over so many years of work, I saw different stages of modernisation, modern equipment appeared. A lot of manual labour has gone. And this is not only comfort, but also the quality of the product itself. How was it before? One drills, the other bores. There could be inconsistencies. Now cutting is done by lasers, parts are stamped by machines.”
Vyacheslav makes shields for gearboxes, gears, and sliding bearings — one of the most important elements of the gearbox. They are responsible for the silent operation of the cabin. But the cabin itself begins with rolls of metal. They are unrolled and cut to the required parameters into blank sheets. Every day — parts of different sizes, based on orders. Punching, laser cutting — all complex processes are performed by machines. Operators are under control. The final stage is assembly into containers. The elevators are delivered to the customer, like a Lego set, in disassembled form.
Previously, Mogilevliftmash produced lifts that moved at a speed of 1.6 metres per second, now it has been increased to 2.5 metres per second. The new development is intended for use in the construction of high-rise buildings — up to 45 floors. The carrying capacity of this line is 1400 kilograms. The company’s exhibition pavilion features the latest developments: panoramic elevators for shopping centres, cabins with decorative panels in a space style. This model transports passengers from floor to floor in the Mogilev Regional Children’s Hospital. Next door is an exclusive option with natural stone decor. Designers can implement the most unusual customer solutions. For example, elevators for cottages, which are compact. Mogilev elevators run in the building of the Supreme Court of Belarus and the Mir Castle, in the building of the St. Petersburg Mining University and at the Enguri hydroelectric station in Georgia. For successful activities in the Russian market, Mogilevliftmash creates and develops joint assembly enterprises. For example, the main such production facilities are in Nizhny Novgorod and St. Petersburg.
On the information board at the entrance — 153 elevators need to be built before the plan. By the way, about 1,300 ready-made lifts are shipped per month. Despite the difficulties, the company feels confident in the market. This is evidenced by production volumes: almost 9,000 elevators and platforms were manufactured in January-August 2023.

Machine operator Sergei Solomyanikov Andrey Sazonov


Speaking about prospects, Sergei Chertkov names guidelines for growth, “Sanctions, oddly enough, have opened up new opportunities for us. Foreign enterprises that have decided to leave the market are freeing up niches, and we are actively occupying them. But the competition is still tough. This means that you need to constantly develop. That is why we are actively involved in the production of new class parking lots. This is an opportunity not only to express yourself, but also to occupy your niche in the market with such a product. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk have already become interested in the new product. In the summer, Russian governors came to us — they were impressed by our developments. We hope to have new orders soon.”

HOWEVER
700 elevators per year for the Kazakhstan market — Mogilev elevator builders returned with such a business project from the recent international industrial exhibition INNOPROM. Qazaqstan.

By Tatiana Sedunova