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Snezhinsk
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Rapid Prototyping Centre
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Title |
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Rapid Prototyping Centre.
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Objectives |
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- Setting up of a Rapid Prototyping Centre providing services to engineering and design companies in the Urals.
- To create 9 new jobs in Snezhinsk, including 6 for former employees of VNIITF.
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Background |
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Sokol LLC was set up in 1990 and is engaged in a wide range of activities related to the print
industry; it had a turnover of £ 420,000 in 2009. The company started as a dealer in printers and
copying equipment but its current operations include monochrome and colour printing of newspapers
(such as the local newspaper Okno) and brochures, and an advertising, marketing and PR agency
which now offers direct mail services. The founding entrepreneur wanted to set up a subsidiary
company called Volna to develop rapid prototyping for customers in the Urals. This technology
is well-established but there are few providers of the service in Russia. 3D printing equipment
is used to develop 3D shapes (full size and models) built up from CAD drawings. The technique
is used in a wide range of fields as a way of reducing design and development costs and for
producing complex moulds, especially precision castings, without the need for expensive machining.
The main end users are in the automotive, aerospace, defence, medical and construction sectors as
well as in consumer products; these sectors regularly require shapes and models of concepts,
designs and products.
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Plan |
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The project relates to the setting up of a Rapid Prototyping Centre providing services to
engineering and design companies in the Urals. The value of the technology is that it enables
models and moulds of objects to be created without the need for expensive machining. A new
company, Volna Llc, which will be involved in the 3D printing business, will be formed as a
subsidiary of Sokol. The purpose of the project is to support the setting up of the proposed
subsidiary company by purchasing printers and associated software, refurbishing premises, and
facilitating the recruitment and training of staff mainly from VNIITF. The plan proposes that
tender documents are drawn up for equipment purchase, premises are refurbished, the equipment
delivered and commissioned, staff recruited and trained, and a new web site launched.
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Leadership |
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The project will be led by the director of Sokol who has considerable business experience dating back to 1986 when he was appointed to set up the first subsidiary business of the Institute to assemble computers. He will be assisted by both his sons who have already worked for Sokol for four years and hold engineering degrees from a prestigious technical university in Moscow.
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Jobs |
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8 new jobs (of them 5 for former employee of VNIITF) had been created by the end of Q 4, 2010-2011.
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Cost |
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Total cost of the project is £232,000.
The DECC's contribution is £110,000 (as a capital grant to fund the purchase of a 3D plotter and scanner (with associated software), and vacuum chamber).
£122,000 (the Beneficiary's contribution) made up of £67,000 from Sokol to purchase other equipment and meet the
costs of premises refurbishment, staff salaries and training, and web site development; in kind
contribution of £55,000 will be made by Sokol through providing printers and consumables.
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Beneficiary |
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Volna Ltd., Snezhinsk
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