Smart Cabinet for Sensitive Electronics
Russia’s new Barkhan system maintains the critical storage conditions needed to manufacture advanced equipment.
At the INNOPROM. Belarus exhibition, Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies (KRET), part of State Corporation Rostec, unveiled its Barkhan (Dune) dry storage system. Presenting the device at an international venue shows that Russian engineers can develop competitive equipment with demand beyond the domestic market.
From Humidity Control to Production Analytics
The importance of the technology is straightforward. Microchips, printed circuit boards and optical components require a dry environment. Many such components absorb moisture from the air, and during soldering, water trapped inside a component turns to steam. The resulting pressure can cause microcracks, delamination and component failure. Barkhan controls humidity to prevent these defects. It uses the natural mineral zeolite as a desiccant, working like a porous sponge: it absorbs water molecules and then regenerates to restore its properties, and no chemical reagents are required. After the cabinet door is opened, Barkhan restores the specified conditions within five minutes.
A key feature of Barkhan is built-in memory capable of storing 5 million actions and tasks. The device logs events every 10 seconds, turning the cabinet from passive storage into a quality-control tool. Engineers receive information about any deviation, whether a door is accidentally left open, a fan fails or a heating element breaks down. That data helps manufacturers identify the root causes of defects and minimize production losses.
The model can store microchips and other moisture-sensitive electronic components, printed circuit boards, optical components and laboratory materials.
A Platform for Multiple Industries
Barkhan has become part of the Aksiomer (Axiometer) product line from Ramenskiy Instrument-Making Plant, part of KRET. The line brings together equipment designed to maintain controlled environments in industrial and medical applications. The plant has already received orders for the new cabinet from 10 manufacturing companies. Its engineers can adapt the cabinets to specific applications by changing their dimensions and functionality. Barkhan could serve as the basis for specialized systems across a wide range of industries, from pharmacology to aircraft manufacturing.
The Russian system costs about half as much as imported alternatives, making it competitive in both domestic and international markets. Successful exports, however, will require certification under foreign standards.
Moving Into Complex Technology Niches
Barkhan is the result of a systematic effort to build a Russian base of manufacturing and auxiliary equipment for electronics production under a Minpromtorg (Ministry of Industry and Trade) program running through 2030. As part of the initiative, Ruselectronics, a Rostec holding, developed a new-generation material for microwave printed circuit boards in 2022. In 2023, Sozvezdie introduced multifunction machining centers at its factory, increasing turning capacity by 50% and milling capacity by 40%.
By 2024, the electronics manufacturing equipment industry had emerged as a distinct market. Element Group launched a project to develop a range of equipment for microelectronics manufacturing, including plasma etching and ion implantation systems. Ruselectronics began serial production of high-stability crystal oscillators intended to replace U.S. and German products in industrial electronics.
In March 2025, Mikron and Belarusian manufacturer Planar completed development of a 350-nanometer-resolution photolithography system that patterns silicon wafers, filling a niche that had previously depended entirely on foreign supplies.
Toward Full-Cycle Microelectronics Production
From 2020 to 2025, Russia doubled its electronics output to 3.4 trillion rubles (about $40 billion). Experts forecast annual growth of 25% through 2030.
Between 2026 and 2028, the Russian government plans to allocate more than 250 billion rubles (more than $2.9 billion) to develop the electronics industry. The funding is intended to support manufacturers, develop new technologies and train workers. In 2026, Minpromtorg plans to carry out more than 20 new projects under its electronics manufacturing equipment development program. By 2030, the government plans to raise the share of Russian-made equipment and materials to 70%.
Barkhan reflects the industry's broader shift from replacing individual components to building a full electronics manufacturing cycle, with every link in the production chain developed domestically.
