Sevmash Introduces Technology to Accelerate Nuclear Submarine Construction
An engineer at Russia’s Sevmash shipyard has developed a design and manufacturing solution that speeds up the installation of onboard equipment in nuclear submarines. The technology reduces labor requirements and can save more than 80 million rubles (about $960,000) by sharply lowering the number of required labor hours.
Igor Kalemintsev, head of a sector within the Sevmash design engineering bureau, developed the technology to simplify installation work, reduce the need for complex machining of joint surfaces and improve vibration resistance in equipment mounts. The approach uses a mounting method based on a fluid polymer compound. The material fills microscopic gaps between metal surfaces, providing secure fixation without the need for extremely precise mechanical fitting.
The engineer presented the concept at a meeting of the Krylov Russian Scientific and Technical Society of Shipbuilders.
The design and engineering solution has been reviewed and approved by leading industry organizations, including Malakhit Marine Engineering Bureau, Rubin Central Design Bureau, the Center for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Technology and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. This multi-level technical review confirms the feasibility of the approach.
Significant Economic Impact
The mounting method has already been registered by the Federal Service for Intellectual Property as an invention, and the developer has received an official patent.
The technology combines digital modeling with automated assembly units. The total economic impact when used in the construction of a single nuclear submarine exceeds 80 million rubles (about $960,000). These savings come primarily from reducing assembly labor by more than 36,000 standard work hours.
These numbers are particularly important in the context of serial production. At Sevmash, submarines from two major programs are being built simultaneously: the Project 955A Borey-A ballistic missile submarines and the Project 885M Yasen-M multipurpose submarines equipped with cruise missiles.
Enabling the Future of Serial Submarine Production
Sevmash remains the only shipyard in Russia capable of building nuclear-powered submarines. Improvements in installation technology directly influence the pace at which the Russian Navy receives new strategic and multipurpose submarines.
The fluid polymer mounting technology illustrates that innovation in manufacturing does not always require a complete redesign of production chains. In many cases, a rethink of a traditional operation – in this case equipment mounting – can produce measurable gains. In shipbuilding, where vessels are produced in series, such improvements can be applied repeatedly across multiple builds.
Igor Kalemintsev’s development demonstrates that technological leadership often emerges from systematic optimization at each stage of production. In nuclear submarine construction, where reliability and schedule discipline are critical, such engineering solutions become a foundation for long-term industrial progress.
These types of manufacturing innovations help Russia’s shipbuilding sector maintain competitiveness while delivering complex government defense contracts on schedule.
