Former critic of "Sovelmash," academician Lev Makarov was impressed with the DETB!
Doctor of Technical Sciences, Academician, and Chief Designer of «Roselprom» Lev Makarov visited the DETB «Sovelmash». He shared his views on the enterprise, the Slavyanka technology, and the situation in the electric motor sector during a live broadcast of the program «Expert time». We have prepared a brief summary of his interview for you.
About the DETB «Sovelmash», Duyunov, and Slavyanka
• The Academician officially acknowledged the contribution of «Sovelmash» and of Dmitry Duyunov personally to the development of technologies and innovation. He confirmed that he had previously been skeptical about the technology, but after visiting the DETB described what he saw as “a shock,” and called Dmitry Duyunov “a persistent and successful” colleague.
• Upon visiting the DETB, he was struck by the fact that a production facility of such a high caliber exists, and described it as a “21st‑century level.” In particular, he was impressed by the presence of expensive equipment and tooling for prototyping and production automation.
• The expert noted that the combined‑winding Slavyanka technology has ceased to be merely a theory — it has gained a robust industrial foundation.
Challenges of energy‑efficient motors in Russia
• The country has an acute need for highly energy‑efficient electric motors (no lower than IE2‑IE3 classes). Each higher class saves about 20% of electricity.
• There is a problem: the Russian market is flooded with cheap, low‑quality motors, including counterfeit brands, and the use of energy‑efficient machines is not incentivized by law.
• The continued use of low‑efficiency motors is “a crime against the country’s economy.” On average, an energy‑efficient motor pays back its premium cost in 4–5 years and, over its service life, “earns” enough for three such motors.
• A paradox: industry is in no hurry to switch to higher‑class motors (IE3, IE4). The main reason is that the standards are advisory in nature, unlike in the USA, where fines can be ruinous for manufacturers, or the strict standards in the USSR. In addition, Russian manufacturers find it difficult to compete with cheap, but often low‑quality, products from China. Preferential electricity tariffs for large plants further eliminate the incentive to save energy.
In addition, Lev Makarov spoke more broadly about asynchronous motors:
• a historical overview from the pioneer Dolivo‑Dobrovolsky to the present day,
• technical trends in electric motor engineering (new insulation materials, the drive to reduce weight, and integration of the motor and control system).
The guest also answered several questions from viewers.
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*The translation is done with the help of artificial intelligence.