Former All-union research institute for handling machine building- VNIIPTMASH has operated since 1930.  

Traditionally, VNIIPTMASH speciality has always been engineering and testing of overhead cranes (overhead and gantry cranes), their construction elements, hoists (electric and hand hoists), heavy belt conveyors and conveyors of other types (suspension, scraper, vibrating conveyors). 

In 2003 VNIIPTMASH JSC was reorganized into NPO VNIIPTMASH JSC keeping all the staff on the jobs. In 2001-2006 there were two other companies with the same abbreviation in their names. Since 2006 NPO VNIIPTMASH JSC has been the only company which reserved the brand, rights, obligations and qualified staff of the former VNIIPTMASH. 

In accordance with Rostehnadzor (Gosgortehnadzor) regulations VNIIPTMASH is the leading organization for:

• Overhead-type cranes (overhead and gantry cranes);
• Portal cranes;
• Railway cranes;
• Electric hoists.

VNIIPTMASH has designed most types of overhead cranes (over 100000 cranes in Russia) operated in this country in accordance with normative documents  which were prepared by VNIIPTMASH or drawn up with its assistance.

Qualified staff and efficient work management have guaranteed VNIIPTMASH high performance and short-term engineering of machines. Orders for dedicated and unique machines and systems - aerodrome radar antennas, radio telescopes for extraterrestrial investigation and extraterrestrial object control, balloon and deep-sea winches, 250 t pontoon crane, etc - have always been placed with VNIIPTMASH.     

To transport coal from Berezovsky open-pit mine to GRES-1 power plant NPO VNIIPTMASH has designed a unique 14,86 km long belt-conveyor transportation system that is operated round the year.  The conveyors feature garland-type roller carriages and a non-combustible frost-resisting rubber-rope belt.

VNIIPTMASH staff has designed cranage for Russian, CIS and foreign enterprises: Plesetsk space center, Baikonur space center, Lebedinsky ore mining and processing enterprise, Udachinsk ore mining and processing enterprise, Volzhsk Hydroelectric power plant, Magnitogorsk metallurgic works, Ashinsk metallurgic works, Severstal, Thermoelectric PP Huaneng Beijing (China), HEP Urra-1 (Columbia), HEP Tishrin (Syria), HEP Al Vahda (Morocco), HPP Dshar Al Ued (Morocco), HEP Se San -3 (Vietnam), APP Kudankulam (India), etc.

In 1990-2000 (period of a severe setback in production) VNIIPTMASH provided crane maintenance services on demand of enterprises with overhead type cranes (inspections, preparation of repair documentation). This allowed VNIIPTMASH to collect data on the state of fleet and its operation rate, to gain experience of repair documentation elaboration, etc. A series of effective and sought-after standard documents were worked out in parallel. 

Since 2003 VNIIPTMASH has designed projects of over 20 cranes. Most of them have already been manufactured (40 cranes) and some have been put into operation. Within this period VNIIPTMASH has obtained broad experience in design practices (metallurgical cranes especially) and effective decision-making policy in crane manufacture and erection. The company has worked out a series of standard operating manuals (Specifications for a number of crane types, test programs and procedures, etc) and launched unification procedures (development of design documents for gear couplings, running wheels, two-wheeled balance beams, wiring specifications with technical solutions catalogues, etc).  

The company has manufactured the following cranes on demand of metallurgical plants:

• 450+100/20 t Pouring cranes (MMK) and 120+32 t Pouring cranes (OMK);
• 110 t Ingot crane (NLMK);
• 30/15 t Charging box-magnet cranes (Severstal and Motoviliha);
• 32 t Magnetic cranes (OMK);
• Cranes for OMK - 100 t (A3), 90/20 t (A3, A5, A6), 50/12,5 t (A3, A5), 30t (hand-operated).

It was on demand of power industry enterprises that the company has manufactured 250 t erecting cranes.

The following equipment was produced for NPP:

• Full swing overhead cranes (polar) of 350+180/1t;
• 350+180/10t Trestle cranes;
• Refueling machines;
• 30/5t Crane for fresh fuel storage;
• Dedicated cranes of 0,5...5,0t Load lifting capacity.