Mikhail Pertsovsky, Automation and Control Laboratory - Лаборатории автоматизированных систем (АС)
Release Date: 2009-11-03
Mikhail Pertsovsky, General Director of Automation and Control Laboratory (AC), was interviewed by RussianAvia at Aerospace Testing exhibition to talk about the history and position of AC in Russia and application of its systems in the aviation and energy industry.Automation and Control Laboratory has quite an interesting profile in the Russian market... Could you tell us about it and the way it influences its operation?
Our enterprise span off the Russian Academy of Science more than a decade ago. Our company is really unique because, as a commercial organization, we are highly involved in scientific research, and I guess our company must have inherited this tradition from being part of the Academy of Science in the past. Our profits are fully invested into further development, R&D and scientific techniques. We regularly publish scientific articles.
What kind of products does AC offer on the market?
First of all, I would like to say that our activity is fully reflected in our name: Automation and Control Laboratory. Our activities comprise automation, testing, automation of technological processes, automated instrumental systems, so all that is implied by “industrial automation” and “laboratory automation”. I’m talking about modernization of the testing stands and manufacturing of automated experimental units that work in real time mode. In this case, we can develop separate components for such units, as well as we can run design-to-manufacturing projects, thus acting as a system integrator. Naturally, we sometimes also use components manufactured by other companies, but the most important factor about our activity is that we are capable of developing and tailoring our units according to the customer’s needs, whether it is automation of testing stands in the rocket and space sector, construction of monitoring systems applicable in various sectors or construction of control systems in nuclear sector. We develop and manufacture the full range of such systems - from small portable and inexpensive units to dispatch control systems and gas transit automation systems that can cover more than 2,000 km.
Are your products applied in the energy sector as well?
Yes, for instance, we manufacture multilevel control systems for gas consumption. I also think that at least 50% of our products are used in the rocket and space sector.
Let me point out something that is of utmost importance when it comes to testing systems: some systems can be destroyed during testing experiments, but before this happens, they should register all data. The cost of such experiments is very high, so the testing systems should be highly reliable and provide true and complete information, and this is our main concern.
We do not act as a distributor of an international company that produces automation systems because we offer customized design and manufacture rather than 'canned' solutions. Russian companies that act as distributors or that manufacture on the basis of their distributing activity are limited to the products and technical solutions of other companies, whereas we are much more flexible.
However, we can do mass production if needed and can offer ready-made solutions. But our unique approach enables us to develop unique products, not only on the domestic but also on the international market, such as our ACTest ready-made systems used for testing and research tasks that are characterized as very uncertain. It’s very difficult to create ready-made solutions for such tasks, but our system can be reset accordingly to the particular task and doesn’t require rewriting the software.
Are these products targeted at the Russian or the international market?
Basically, our target market is the domestic market, and we are proud to see that our products are gaining better positions year after year. Some Russian companies that were using products of very famous foreign companies are now starting to switch to the Russian analogues produced by our company, for example the testing center of Russian Railways. Our ACTest system is widely used in the Russian rocket and space sector and in some structures of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Would AC be interested in expanding its business on the international markets as well?
As a rule, yes, and we have sold our products internationally in the past. But currently we are not ready to invest heavily in international marketing. Besides, we are not ready to set up service centers in other countries. 10 years ago was the time of big plans for developing international markets as there was no market in Russia. But now there is a lot of potential on the domestic market, and, with foreign companies actively penetrating it, it becomes increasingly important to compete with them and gain positions here in Russia.
We have representative offices in the CIS - in Kazakhstan, in the Baltic countries.
If a foreign company is willing to invest in the development of our products, we will definitely welcome such initiative. But direct sales abroad are not a very bright idea. Although we could sell our products under a local brand or create a joint venture with a foreign company.
Are exhibitions like Aerospace Testing important for a company like AC? What are your expectations from this exhibition?
I don’t have great expectations. In the past we used to participate in 6 or 7 profiled exhibitions and other events, but this year we have cut this number to one for a few reasons. First of all, today online resources have become the main source of information. Secondly, since we don’t produce mass products, we can’t expect to see someone new at this exhibition. We already know everyone here. Here is a good place to meet people you already know and enjoy live communication.
| Company: | Automation and Control Laboratory - Лаборатории автоматизированных систем (АС) |
| Position: | General Director |
| Country: | Russian Federation |