Rusatom Service (part of Rosatom) has signed an agreement with Technored for cooperation in the field of robotics. Technored, founded in 2018, is now based in Skolkova. It is Russia's largest developer and manufacturer of standard robotic solutions, and the world's key manufacturer of serial robotic complexes. Rusatom Service organises comprehensive projects for the extension of operation, maintenance and repair, delivery of equipment, consulting services and training to the nuclear industry. It is looking to the design and manufacture of robotic complexes and other non-standard equipment for enterprises in the nuclear industry and beyond.
The agreement aims to facilitate implementation of joint projects for the development of industry (including digital transformation), the creation of robotic solutions for the automation of processes in the field of engineering, the nuclear industry and the military-industrial complex, and the service sector, as well as the training of specialists in the field of robotics and additive technologies, according to Rosatom.
Rusatom Service CEO Evgeny Salkov said the agreement involves the entry of Rosatom into Technored’s capital: “At the first stage we get 34?% with the ability to increase this to a controlling share,” he said. “Technored is one of the leaders in the domestic market of industrial robots, and this is a great addition to our company, Atomintelmash, which implements complex robotics solutions.”
Technored founder Artem Lukin noted: “We are not suppliers of industrial robots from abroad. From the very beginning, we were focused on the development of completely finished solutions for industrial production. Nobody needs a robot for its own sake. They need a system to solve a specific problem. And we offer just such turnkey solutions. At a low price and with fast implementation.”
He explained further: “Back in 2019, automation for the welding sector cost about RUB18m ($250,000) and took 6-12 months. Today, our system, which performs the same task in only five business days, costs about RUB3.5m and pays for itself within a few months… Our robots work 24/7, do not go on vacation and on sick leave and allow manufacturers to predict the volume of output and specify terms for the execution of contracts.”
Collaboration with Technored, among other things, will give Rusatom Service access to collaboration with Severstal [a major Russian steel company]. In May this year, Technored announced the construction of a joint import-substituting production facility for welding wire, for critical projects such as oil and gas pipelines, equipment for NPP machine halls and aircraft manufacturing. The plant with a capacity of 7,000 tons of products a year is planned to open at the end of 2023. Investments are expected to total RUB800m.
A year ago, the Russian market for welding wire was completely controlled by two companies: Czech ESAB and American Lincoln Electric. Now the sector is independent. Severstal plans to produce metallurgical blanks from alloys, and Technored will ensure their conversion into a finished product.
