Vitebsk enters the top league of machine tool building. The 'STR' plant will produce metalworking centers unique for Belarus

Vitebsk LLC "Zavod "STR" plans to master the production of unique large portal-type metal-cutting centers for Belarus. The creation of such equipment is the premier league of machine tool building; it is manufactured exclusively to order, and the cost of one center exceeds 1.5 million euros.

According to the plant director Vyacheslav Krivoshey, the new products will be manufactured in cooperation with German partners of the "AXA" group of companies, which the Vitebsk plant has been part of since 2010. Specialists and the production base have already been prepared for this; the next steps are marketing and receiving orders. At the initial stage, support from German technologists will be required, but subsequently, domestic machine tool builders will work independently, including in the area of equipment service maintenance.

The technical characteristics of these centers attest to the seriousness of the enterprise's promising program. These are high-performance metal-cutting machines employing 5-axis machining, meaning they can work with a workpiece from all sides and at any angle. The worktable area is 48 sq. m (4 m x 12 m), which allows for the processing of large industrial materials and large housing parts, such as rolling mill stands used in metallurgical production. The center is operated by a single specialist, and the machine can process a part for 24 hours without human intervention according to a set program. The manufacturing time for one unit of equipment is about a year. It is clear that this case does not involve mass production, but only custom manufacturing for a specific buyer.

The inclusion of such machines in the production portfolio for the Vitebsk enterprise became possible due to the expansion of its presence in the Russian market. Today, "Zavod "STR" is creating a joint venture in the Chelyabinsk region, which will become part of the machine tool building cluster formed there.

— Russian machine builders are showing interest in such models, so we expect to receive orders, — explains Vyacheslav Krivoshey.

The enterprise, which celebrated its 15th anniversary this year, began its activities with the repair and modernization of machine tools, and later universal machine tools for shipbuilding appeared in its portfolio. For the last four years, after joining the AHA group of companies, the STR plant has been focusing on the development of machining center production.

Sergey Antonov, Vitebskiye Vesti.