Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin visited the Joint Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, where he was inspected for work at the experimental production site and industry laboratory engaged in research, design, and testing of equipment.
According to Oleg Yelov, Deputy Director of the Joint Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the institute's specialists test shock-resistant devices developed for equipment manufactured by domestic companies, including strength and design calculations. He explains that their experience in modeling and calculations immediately starts design documentation at the modeling stage, without extensive field testing.
In turn, Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the NAS Sergei Shcherbakov added that the Joint Institute of Mechanical Engineering is engaged not simply in mechanical engineering, but in so-called intelligent mechanics. He emphasized that a wide range of work is currently underway at the JIME to robotize existing systems and create new ones.
"For example, we've already created a robotic BelAZ truck that navigates a quarry completely autonomously, without operator intervention. We're also working on other technologies, continuing robotization through the MTZ robotic tractor and logistics trolleys at terminals. All of this is at the intersection of mechanics, materials science, and intelligent systems, and, accordingly, results in final products," he said.
All work is carried out in the interests of domestic engineering enterprises, including BelAZ, MAZ, and MTZ.
"In fact, all of our country's large, knowledge-intensive holdings work with the Joint Institute of Mechanical Engineering. We also conduct research and development for private sector companies and, in biomechanics, with our medical professionals," said Sergei Shcherbakov.
According to Oleg Elovoy, the key area for intensifying the Institute's work is concentrating human capital and efforts in software, which enables the institute to offer cutting-edge solutions to meet customer needs.
"We expect an increase in orders, the majority of which will come from the Ministry of Industry and Enterprises under state scientific and technical programs, as well as direct orders from factories," he said. "The institute is engaged to solve complex scientific and technical problems that require in-depth knowledge and innovative approaches. Interior design, for example, is not a low-complexity task but requires the use of high technology. We are ready to work with various types of equipment: tractors, passenger vehicles, municipal vehicles, and trucks."
Experts are confident that the capabilities of the JIME complement and sometimes even replace those of the factory, especially when it comes to complex calculations.
Following the visit, Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin tasked the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Ministry of Industry and Trade with considering granting the JIME the functions of an expert body in mechanical engineering.
