Russia Launches New Aviation Factories and Catches Up with the World in Machine Tool Building

What used to be bought in the USA and Germany is now made in its own factories

After 2022, domestic mechanical engineering for aviation made a powerful leap — from riveting machines to machines for 30-meter details. What used to have to be purchased abroad is now done at own facilities, said Dmitry Bloshchinsky, Deputy General Director of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of Rostec Group) for production and technical development.

MS-21-310 in the assembly shop
MS-21-310 in the assembly shop

According to him, the aviation industry was very worried about the future after February 2022. There are many technologies that use exclusively imported equipment.

There was a fear that the Russian machine tool industry would not be able to repeat imported equipment overnight. We began to establish contacts with new foreign suppliers who did not adhere to sanctions.
Dmitry Bloshchinsky, Deputy Director of UAC

Bloshchinsky added that domestic manufacturers of machine tool equipment have achieved a lot in their field. For example, Russian machines of the «Stan» holding, the Ryazan company «Sasta», and the Krasnodar plant YuZTS have appeared.

MS-21 in the assembly shop
MS-21 in the assembly shop

Moreover, the country is now building machines for processing long-length details up to 30 m, which was not the case a few years ago. Lay-up machines for composites and even a multi-spindle robot perforator have also appeared.

And until 2022, no one believed that such a machine could be made in our country. Or, for example, riveting machines are complex machines that are designed for automatic riveting of fuselage panels. Previously, only two companies in the world produced them – one in Germany and the other in the USA. Then a manufacturer appeared in China. Now we also produce these riveting machines.
Dmitry Bloshchinsky, Deputy Director of UAC

The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov, stated that Russia has begun to make its own machines for automatic riveting of aircraft panels. The first installation has already been sent to an enterprise in Nizhny Novgorod. In 2026-2027 it is planned to supply four more such machines.

Earlier www1.ru reported, the former vice president of UAC explained why the PD-35 engine project was curtailed.

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Sources
OAK

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