Vitsstroitekhmash has begun serial production of import-substituting truck-mounted aerial platforms

January 5, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The "Vitstroytekhmash" enterprise has opened a workshop for the production of truck-mounted aerial platforms made of high-strength structural steel. Thus, the enterprise has completed the first stage of the import substitution investment project and has begun serial production of aerial platforms under the "Vipo" trademark, as reported to a BELTA correspondent by the director of the private production and trading unitary enterprise "Vitstroytekhmash" Andrey Sidorov. In early 2010, "Vitstroytekhmash" was the first in Belarus to develop a truck-mounted aerial platform made of high-strength structural steel and produced a prototype. The technical characteristics of the boom-type aerial platform, capable of lifting workers and tools with materials to a height of almost 20 m, are not inferior to foreign counterparts, and thanks to the use of high-strength steels, its metal consumption is 40% lower than that of competitors, while the load-bearing characteristics remain the same. The lifting mechanism is controlled by an electro-hydraulic console. The Vitebsk aerial platform is half the price. The main suppliers of aerial platforms to Belarus are enterprises from Russia, Ukraine, as well as Italian and Finnish manufacturers. The commissioning of the new workshop has allowed "Vitstroytekhmash" to start serial production of truck-mounted aerial platforms with lifting heights of 20 m, 25 m, 32 m and to produce 10 machines per month. The total amount of funds mastered for construction and equipment purchase amounted to Br1.5 billion. 27 jobs have been created. The enterprise's marketing strategy also provides for the creation of dealer and service centers for maintenance, as well as training and preparation of specialists for working with these machines. The new product is in demand among both domestic and Russian consumers. The enterprise has established three dealer centers - in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kazan. As Andrey Sidorov noted, the second stage of the import substitution investment project will be the construction of another workshop. The total cost of the project is estimated at over Br4.5 billion. The enterprise intends to complete it in 2013. The project provides for the creation of 100 jobs. Tax revenues to the local budget for 2010-2013, according to preliminary estimates, will exceed Br8.5 billion. The private production and trading unitary enterprise "Vitstroytekhmash" was established in 2004. The enterprise specializes in the technical maintenance and repair of all types of truck-mounted aerial platforms and aerial platforms, the manufacturing of critical metal structures and components, and the production of construction equipment. -0-