Ivkonstruktiv is a Russian manufacturer of sheet metal enclosures based in Ivanovo. Its products include housings for communication devices, control panels, power supplies, drives, servers, routers, cameras, and military systems. The company's name combines "IV," for Ivanovo, with "konstruktiv." The company describes its work as covering the full cycle of metalworking, from laser cutting to powder coating, assembly, and packaging.

Company History

Origins

The founder, Konstantin, began the business in a family garage with his father about 15 years ago. Later in the interview, he described the company's development as spanning 17 years. Before founding the company, he had worked in industrial electronics and as a developer of medical equipment.

The first order came through a friend who had moved to Moscow and joined a company that produced alarm systems. That company ordered enclosures for building alarm systems, uninterruptible power supplies, and control panels, mainly from Moscow suppliers. The friend suggested that Konstantin bid for the work. A machine-building plant in Ivanovo that produced excavators had recently acquired laser cutting and bending equipment, and the founder accepted the order.

Early Challenges

The company initially lacked the equipment to complete the work. A semi-automatic welder in the garage could not produce acceptable results, so the founder turned to spot welding. A company that made retail equipment provided access to spot welding. The founder and his father welded parts there in the evenings and filed them in the garage.

Painting presented further difficulties. The contractor used for painting had equipment designed for retail fixtures, which have different requirements. The company experienced poor coverage and dust contamination. The founder transported blanks to Moscow for painting, a process that required several days on site. Each batch went through repeated cycles of painting, sanding, and repainting until the finish met requirements.

The company then rented a painting facility in Ivanovo. The conditions were poor. The curing oven was housed in a shed where snow accumulated in winter. The company later acquired its own oven and premises. The first workshop covered 96 square meters.

The company financed its early development entirely with its own funds. The founder avoided loans because of the risk of repayment without guaranteed results.

Growth

The company's workforce grew from 10 to 12 people in the early workshop to about 120 today. The current facility covers about 3,000 square meters. According to the founder, most growth occurred in the past 5 to 6 years, when the company began recruiting staff and delegating management functions. Before that, the founder performed design, welding, and painting work himself and trained each new employee.

The company's current director, Dmitry, was previously a client. He later joined the company and took over management functions. He hired managers, assistants, and accounting staff.

Production Process

The production sequence runs from cutting to packaging. The following diagram shows the main stages.

1. Laser Cutting

The company cuts blanks from aluminum and stainless steel on three laser cutting machines. The fleet includes machines with Raycus and IPG sources. The company's experience shows that both source types have comparable reliability. Both have experienced failures. Diode failure is the most common problem. On the first machine, the diodes wore out, and one pair burned out. The company continued cutting with reduced power until a replacement machine was installed.

The company also operates a 6-kilowatt laser that can cut steel up to 20 mm thick. The company does not accept orders for these thicknesses, because its products are primarily thin-sheet enclosures.

The company purchases sheet metal from Verkhnevolzhsky, a local supplier.

The company accepts orders starting from one piece. Price depends on the production setup and material waste. A customer example cited a minimum cost of 100,000 rubles for a single piece because of setup and leftovers. The company's laser cutting rate is 20 rubles per meter. Customers who compare this rate with the total price sometimes do not understand the setup cost.

2. Bending and Tooling

The company's bending area uses a Turkish Durma press brake. The first Durma machine was purchased with funds from a friend, Alexey Udalov. A second Durma machine followed. The company also owns other press brakes.

The company makes some of its own tooling. Custom tooling from Italy has a lead time of about two months. Tooling from China is also available, but the lead time is long. For small and medium series, the company manufactures tooling in-house. A stainless steel rod is cut to size, polished, and fitted with a working part. The company's technologist designed one clamping tool. The tool was assembled from plates and welded. The founder said that the homemade tool performs its function reliably and at low cost.

The company ordered a bending mold from China after the Italian supplier said it could not meet the required parameters, including the bending radius. The first mold was made from soft steel and failed quickly. The second mold was made to the company's full specifications and was hardened.

The company is also testing laser surface hardening. The goal is to harden tooling with the same laser that performs cutting. The company is adjusting settings and running experiments.

Bending for each workstation follows drawings stored on computers. The company no longer uses paper drawings. Production data, including output and rejects, is recorded and available immediately.

Each month, the company holds a quality day. At one meeting, the staff identified a problem with large parts. Operators could not see the area behind the machine while bending large workpieces with both hands. The company installed two cameras, one above and one to the side of the machine.

3. Press-Fit Hardware Installation

Press-fit standoffs and nuts are installed in the enclosure parts. The fasteners have small teeth that bite into the sheet metal, which holds them in place. Standoffs are commonly used to mount printed circuit boards.

The company uses stainless steel press-fit hardware for aluminum parts. Galvanized hardware is also available. The company previously sourced hardware from foreign manufacturers. It now uses hardware from China. The product range includes captive screws, which can be unscrewed without separating from the part. Designers color-code hardware to reduce assembly errors.

The press-fit installation equipment was developed by Ilya, an engineer at the company. The machine has a large reach. Ilya first saw a similar design online about 10 years ago. The company later visited China, found the manufacturer, and purchased the machine.

Other operations in this area include countersinking, threading, straightening, spot welding, and turning. Pneumatic thread tappers are used for thicker metal. Thin sheet metal uses press-in nuts.

4. Welding

The company uses two welding methods. Spot welding was used in the early years. The company now uses laser welding. Laser welding produces less heat, so parts warp less. It also reduces the finishing required on the seam. The company has about 10 to 12 laser welding units. The company visited a supplier in St. Petersburg before purchasing its first unit. The company states that it now uses laser welding exclusively.

Robotic welding has increased productivity. A milling machine that the company previously used was converted into a welding robot. A welder previously produced 10 control panels per shift. The robot produces 100 panels per shift. The robot tracks the edge of the part using mechanical stops. The company built the robot's tooling and fixtures.

5. Filing and Finishing

After welding, the company removes weld seams in two steps. Rough processing of the laser seam is performed first. Employees then use orbital pneumatic sanders with discs to bring the surface to its final finish. Angle grinders are used for specific tasks.

The goal is a uniform matte surface. Some customers require sharp corners. Achieving sharp corners without damaging the edge requires manual work. The company identifies this stage as especially critical because an error can remove material. The company says that beginners sometimes reduced a 1.5 mm part to 0.5 mm by over-grinding.

For the weld inspection, the operator performs filing and then compares the result against a reference sample. Weld marks that remain after filing may be invisible to touch but appear after painting.

Some parts have been ordered for medical equipment and for controllers of machine tools. One enclosure for a machine tool control cabinet required sharp corners rather than rounded ones. The operator joined the two corners in a machine-tool style.

6. Surface Preparation

Aluminum parts are anodized for outdoor use. Anodizing does not improve the surface quality or adhesion of paint. The company adds surface texture before painting to improve adhesion and to conceal defects. Anodizing is a chemical process.

Stainless steel parts and galvanized steel parts are also processed. The company uses Russian galvanized steel for some enclosures. Imported galvanized steel has a more uniform gray color. Russian galvanized steel shows surface patterns and can include scratches. The company found a material with the required appearance with help from a supplier.

The company uses masking tape to prevent painting of contact areas that must conduct electricity. The tape is heat-resistant. A laser cuts the tape to the required shape. Threaded parts are protected with silicone caps. Nuts are plugged with cone-shaped covers. Each product type has its own hanger design.

7. Powder Coating

The powder coating process uses an electrostatic field. The voltage depends on the part. Flat parts can use voltages up to about 100 kV. Complex parts use programs with lower voltage.

The curing oven operates at an average temperature of 180 to 185 °C. Some paints require 200 to 210 °C. Low-temperature paints are also used. The oven cycle takes about 40 minutes, depending on heating speed. The polymerization cycle is 15 to 20 minutes. The company operates electric ovens, and gas ovens are also available. A complete coating cycle takes about one hour.

The company operates two powder coating lines.

8. Sealing and Plasma Treatment

The company developed a robotic sealant application for enclosures. A customer previously glued soundproofing material in place. The company replaced this with a silicone seal applied by a robot. The lid and the housing each have a seal. The robot was built by Ilya.

The company tested an automated dispenser for the sealant. The sealant must adhere to the baked powder coating. The company found a solution in low-temperature plasma treatment. The plasma unit is a ready-made installation that was modified for surface treatment. The company tested a gas torch for the same purpose. The torch produced similar results but posed a fire risk.

The company's vice-rector friend, Andrey Andreevich, from a local architectural institute explained the physical principles of the process. The company states that the plasma process structures the surface layer to improve adhesion.

The company compared the cost of a commercial plasma system with the cost of its own unit. A vendor quoted 4 million rubles for the equipment. The company built a comparable system in-house at a much lower cost. The company says the in-house unit fully meets the task requirements. The company plans to build a second unit to run treatment and sealant application at the same time.

The silicone seal was tested by the customer in extreme hot and cold conditions. The test results showed no failures. The seal is airtight. A test involved pouring liquid into the enclosure niche, which was held for one day without leakage.

9. Marking and Engraving

The company has three methods for applying images and markings:

• Laser engraving: The most labor-intensive method and the most expensive. It produces high-contrast lettering that remains visible if paint wears away. The laser engraves the recess, a protective compound is applied, and the compound is removed, leaving the paint only in the engraved lettering. The company does not disclose the full process, which it developed in-house.
• Silk-screen printing: The lowest-cost method. It is used for flat surfaces. A fine-mesh screen transfers ink through open areas. The company's region has long experience with this method through its textile industry. The company also has a semi-automatic silk-screen machine for large batches.
• Stamping: Used for certain features, such as those for hard drive mounts. A homemade stamping tool is used.

The price of marking depends on the batch size. Larger batches reduce the per-unit cost.

The company holds a registered trademark.

10. Quality Control, Packaging, and Shipping

The final stage includes quality control, packaging, and crating. Large shipments are packed in wooden crates made in-house. Screen-printing screens are ordered from a local supplier. The company does not produce its own screens because its volumes are not high enough. The screens are produced by photo-emulsion exposure through a stencil, followed by washing.

Products

Enclosures

The company produces enclosures for:

• Communication devices
• Control panels
• Military systems
• Power supplies
• Drives for CNC machines
• Servers and routers
• Cameras
• Medical equipment
• Thermal presses
• Monitors and video wall panels

Server Chassis

The company manufactures 1U, 2U, and 3U server chassis. For one client, the company localized a chassis that had previously been available only in a foreign version. A dielectric material protects the main board from arcing. An air duct directs air from the fans to the board. The original design used double-sided tape to attach the duct. The company redesigned the duct to snap into place.

Operator Consoles

For a client that previously used machines from DMG Mori, the company made aluminum operator consoles. The original consoles were molded ABS plastic. The client wanted a lightweight and more distinctive design. The company states that the aluminum consoles were priced affordably, because they used domestic aluminum.

Drive Housings

The company produces drive housings for machine-tool clients. Each axis requires its own drive. The housing size depends on the drive's power. Drive housings for one client, Nelcy, are installed in the control cabinets of machines.

Video Wall Panels

The company produces large galvanized steel panels used as backing for video walls. These panels are used in television studios. One example cited was the television show "Goluboy Ogonyok," which the company named as an illustrative case.

Monitor Enclosures

The company produces monitor enclosures in both milled and bent versions. The milled version is machined from solid aluminum. A milled monitor enclosure costs about 150,000 rubles, mostly for the aluminum workpiece. The bent version uses steel or aluminum sheet.

Medical and Dental Equipment

Medical equipment is a long-standing client segment. One product is a casing for a thermal press. The press is used in dental laboratories to shape a mold for crown casting. The enclosure includes a touchscreen display. The company says that the main technical challenge was producing seamless welded joints at a radius. The company states that the welded joints have no visible gaps and do not require filler. The company says this result is achieved by calculating the metal structure appropriately.

The company also produces stands for medical equipment and rolling carts.

Electronics and Terminals

Other clients include:

• Yandex self-driving vehicles: The company supplied aluminum enclosures with light pipes. The enclosures house the electronics for the software.
• Ilsi: A company that develops Russian CNC systems. The company produces the operator console stand.
• Neurosoft: A company that makes a neuro-magnetic stimulator. The company is developing a new product for Neurosoft.
• Price checkers: The company produces enclosures for price-checking terminals.
• School lunch terminals: A client produces terminals that allow students to order lunch.

Portable Computer Enclosures

A client developed a portable system unit in a suitcase. The unit is housed in a custom enclosure. Foam inserts protect the unit inside the suitcase. The company says that it could produce similar enclosures.

Other Products

The company has developed several products for its own use or as demonstration items:

• Quick-assembly hangar: The company's own product. It can be assembled in about 2 hours without welding. The structure is made from pipe joints. The company tested the hangar's snow load. It held up to 40 cm of light snow and 25 cm of wet snow. The structure collapsed only at the end of the winter, after the company stopped clearing snow. The structure weighs 100 to 150 kg. Its dimensions are about 6 by 3 meters. The hangar costs 110,000 rubles and is available in stock. The founder developed the product after a friend needed a shelter for a boat. The hangar is covered with a tarp. A neighboring company sews the tarps.
• Pocket multitool: A promotional item with a bottle opener, wrenches, and a card stand that converts into a phone stand. It includes a QR code linking to the company website. It was the most popular item at the ExpoElectronica exhibition.
• Tube joints: Experiments with quick-assembly tube joints. A customer producing quick-assembly exhibition structures expressed interest. The company has not yet applied the joint in a production product.

Design and Engineering

The design department has eight designers, one process engineer, and one person responsible for IT and system support. Products come to the company from customer models, physical samples, or new concepts developed in-house.

For new clients, the company produces a prototype before accepting a full order. The prototype confirms quality and resolves design details. Large clients usually assign a technical specialist, such as a technologist or designer, to communicate with the company.

The company asks each customer about the intended use of the product. This question often reduces the customer's costs. For example, a client requesting a stainless steel enclosure for a server rack was advised to use galvanized steel or painted steel instead.

The company is implementing Data Matrix codes on each part. The codes will store batch data, the date of production, the person who packed the part, and the part name.

Workforce and Company Culture

The company holds corporate events twice a year and covers the costs. One event involved kayaking. The company also reimburses part of employee lunch costs. It updated staff uniforms after complaints about their quality. Each employee receives two sets of uniforms.

The company offers a gym membership for one year to any employee who bench presses 100 kg and submits a video of the lift.

The company provides individual lockers, restrooms, and showers. The company has a separate locker room for female staff.

The company's maintenance and repair department handles equipment service. Specialized equipment requires external service providers.

Market Conditions

According to the founder, orders declined in the period before the interview. The company did not experience a decline in 2025 or 2026 and at times had to refuse orders because it operated at full capacity. The founder said it is difficult to determine whether the current decline will continue.

The founder identified two problems for manufacturers: high Central Bank rates, which increase the cost of buying equipment, and the cost of rented production space.

The founder also stated that the government should support the revival of the machine-tool industry. He said that the company has rescued machinery from scrap yards after the closure of an artificial sole factory on the site. The factory had supplied soles across the USSR.

The company has an advantage in retraining staff quickly. The founder stated that the company does not limit itself to metal boxes. It has broad metalworking competencies and advises customers on design and production methods.