Centre for the research and development in the fields of the electron beam and progressive arc technologies of welding, cladding, and surface finishing – WeldCenter (Contact person: Prof. Ing. Milan Marônek, CSc., email: milan.maronek@stuba.sk)
Centre for the research and development in the field of progressive technologies of welding, cladding and surface finishing is focuses on the research. The Centre also comprises the workplace – Weld Center – determined for the complex research on technological processes utilising the most advanced methods of electron beam welding, laser welding, electric and plasma arc welding in all positions and random weld or weld deposit trajectory.
The WeldCenter is focused on:
- welding and hard-surfacing conventional and new construction materials,
- forming special surface layers,
- surface texturing of construction materials,
- progressive methods of soldering,
- monitoring of fast technological actions,
- monitoring and analysis of welding parameters of arc welding technologies.
This complex electron beam workplace is equipped with two electron beam cannons with the beam power of 30 kW and a vaccuum chamber with dimensions of 1500 x 1500 x 2500 mm. Robotised workplace of laser welding has also a device for welding and cutting at its disposal. The workplace of arc and plasma welding technologies comprises the devices for MIG, MAG, TIG, CMT, and TOP TIG welding and also for plasma welding. It is also equipped with a high-speed camera with a laser light unit and independent measurement of welding parameters.
The aforementioned equiopment allows to design and optimise the parameters of welding steels and non-ferrous alloys, detect the reasons of welded joints defects by specific welding parameters, measure the power parameters of new additive materials and determine the impact of various welding parameters on final geometric, mechanical, and structural characteristics of made welded joints.
Laboratory of Welding Technology (contact person: doc. Dr. Ing. Pavel Kováčocy, email: pavel.kovacocy@stuba.sk)
The Section of Welded Joints Analysis – the laboratory is focused on the analysis of welded joints from the point of non-destructive testing and on macro and microstructural analyses. The workplace also comprises the devices for visual, capillary, magnetic particle and ultrasonic control of welded joints as well as the devices for preparing the samples for macro and microstructural analyses via optical control. The laboratory is used for pedagogical purposes and for research and development projects as well.
The Section of Materials Welding – the workplace is focused on research and implementation of operations in the field of welding, cladding, and flame soldering (or brazing), electric arc welding and cladding (ROZ, MIG/MAG, TIG), thermal separation (cutting by oxygen and plasma arc), and preparation of materials.
Devices:
- welding device for ROZ, MIG/MAG and TIG welding,
- universal and semi-automated welding devices for welding and cladding,
- and restoration,
- devices for flame welding and thermal separation of materials,
- gas economy,
- weldmonitor,
- contactless andcontact thermometer.
We provide certified courses for welders and higher welding personnel within STN EN ISO 9606-1 and STN 050705.
Laboratory of Forming Technology (contact person: doc. Ing. Jozef Bílik, PhD., email: jozef.bilik@stuba.sk)
The laboratory is focuseed on research and development in the field of volume and planar forming of metals and in the field of processing plastics particularly with projects investigation. The laboratory also provides operations within Faculty entrepreneurial activities and in cooperation with practice which is mainly represented by manufacturing a lower number of of smaller workpieces via volume or planar forming, or proposing a prototype production and production technology.
The Section of Forming Metals – the laboratory is equipped with all basic forming machines and devices as well as with the basic tool and measurement technology. The laboratory comprises eccentric presses, table shears, press brake, sheet curling machine, spindle press, hydaulic press, pneumatic-hydraulic hammer, profile shears, and sheet bending machine. The laboratory is also equipped with testing devices for basic and technological formability tests, i. e. with the shredder and two testing devices for Erichsen test to determine the sheet deep-draw up to the thicknesss of 2 mm.
Section of Plastics Processing – regarding the field of plastics processing, the laboratory is equipped with Babyplast and Allrounder 370 S injection presses. It also has the technology for the determination of the rheological properties of thermoplastics via high-pressure capillary rheometer and the determination of rubber vulcanisation curves via rheometer. For the determination of strength characteristics, the laboratory has the shredder at its disposal. The laboratory comprises also the workplace equipped with computers with Moldex 3D simulation software and CATIA construction software.
Laboratory of Mechnical Engineering Metrology (contact person: doc. Ing. Augustín Görög, PhD., email: augustin.gorog@stuba.sk)
Laboratory of Machine Metrology is focused on:
- pedagogical activities – acquisition of theoretical knowledge and practical skills (implementation of practical measurements) in determining the dimension and geometric product parmeters,
- research activities – investigation of projects focused on the research in the field of measurement of dimension and geometric products´ parameters and metrological assistance within research project investigation in the field of machine engineering; provision of measurement within dissertation theses elaboration,
The laboratory provides pedagogical and research activities in the field:
- measurement of dimension and geometric product parameters with conventional measuring tools,
- measurement of contours and surface roughness with a profilometer,
- measurement of geometric parameters (roundness, cylindricality, concentricity, straighness, polar flatness, etc.) with a roundess measuring tester.
- contact and contactless measurement on coordinate measuring machine.
The laboratory has the following devices at its disposal:
- conventional measuring tools – common workshop measuring tools (micrometric and caliper measuring tool, dial indicators, end and other meters, line scales, measuring microscopes, etc.),
- Profilomer Surfcom 5000 – a tool for measuring contours and roughness of parts´surface; the tool provides an interferometric sensoring,
- Rondcom 60A roundness tester – a tool for measuring geometric parameters of rotation parts (roundness, cylindricality, concentricity, straighness, polar flatness, etc.) with a CNC controlled rotation table with automatic centering,
- Prismo Ultra coordinate measuring machine – a tool for measuring dimensions and geometric parts´ characteristics; the tool provides contact as well as contactless measurements, it has a rotation table, fixed and also rotation measuring heads, and camera and laser sensors.
Laboratory of Computer-aided Production (contact person: Ing. Marcel Kuruc, PhD., email: marcel.kuruc@stuba.sk)
The laboratory of computer –aided manufacturing is equipped with powerful computer stations with CAD/CAM/CAQ/CAA software. Computer-aided design is carried out in Autodesk PowerShape software, and computer-aided production is executed in Autodesk PowerMill and Featurecam software. The software is determined to generate the trajectories of 3-axes and 5-axes milling as well as multi-axes turning. The advantage is represented by the possibility to generate the trajectories for industrial robots and devices for an additive production. The laboratory has also Calypso software at its disposal; this software is used in programming the trajectories of characteristics measurement on coordinate measuring machines.
Laboratory of Additive Technology and Analyses of Machining and Forming Processes (contact persons: Prof. Ing. Peter Šugár, PhD., email: peter.sugar@stuba.sk; doc. Ing. Ladislav Morovič, PhD.,email:ladislav.morovic@stuba.sk)
Currently, the workplace of additive technologies deals with the research on Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) production method, particularly for thermoplastics such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polymer lactic acid (PLA). The experiments are focused mainly on the research of additive production parameters impact (thickness of model layers, model orientation, constructing structure of a model filling, etc.), then on qualitative properties of manufactured parts and on the research of additive technologies possibilities in various fields of science and technology (machine technology, industrial design, medicine, etc.). The workplace provides also subsequent processing and modification of parts after additive production – post-processing operations.
The workplace of surface layers analyses and material deformation stages provides the possibilities of an experimental study of metal materials´ deformation phenomena via the method of deformation networks analysis, then the assessment of mechanisms of building and forming the chip in machining processes, wear meachanisms of machining and forming tools as well as the analyses of morphology and microgeometry of surfaces after conventional or progressive ways of maching and forming. The research group of the workplace is primarily oriented on the experimental analyses of laser textured surfaces from the point of their impact on tribologic and durability chracteristics of pressure tools utilised in the production of thin-walled sheet workpieces. The attention is also paid to the analyses of special metal alloys surfaces, ceramic and composite materials after laser micromachining processes with focus on their microgeometric machinability assessment.
Joint Laboratory of Brazing and Soldering (with Institute of Materials) (contact person: Ing. Miroslav Sahul, PhD., email: miroslav.sahul@stuba.sk)
Joint Laboratory of Brazing and Soldering of the STU MTF Institute of Materials and Institute of Production Technologies deals with the preparation of solders necessary for metallurgic joining of various metal materials. In the laboratory, via smelting highly clean metals in an electric induction or resistance furnaces in a protective atmosphere of an inertious gas (Ar or N), it is possible to prepare various soldering alloys mainly based on Sn. Further on, the development and preparation of Al-Zn based solder for soldering Mg alloys was carried out. It is also possible to execute ultrasonic soldering by UZP 2 Generator. The laboratory equipment consists of two electric induction furnaces, of which one is adjusted for smelting materials in a clean atmosphere of a protective gas. There are also two industrial electric resistance furnaces, of which one is adjusted for smelting, i.e. annealing of samples in a protective atmosphere of an innertious gas (maximum heating temperature 1200 °C). The labooratory has also a vaccum chamber with a heating graphite plate, where it is possible to monitor the diffluence and a contact angle of smelted alloys in dependance on their temperature at its disposal. There is also an installed device for high frequency induction heating which makes cladding of metal powders on steel substrate possible.
The devices of the Laboratory:
- device for sensoring the alloy temperature in time (thermal analysis)
- UZP 2 Ultrasonic Generator
- Rajmont HFR 15 High Frequency Generator (power 15 kW, nominal frequency 50 - 500 kHz)
- Radwag precise scales
- UCE ultrasonic compact cleaner
- Testo 845 Infrathermometer
- 2 x electric induction furnace
- 2 x industrial elektric resistance furnace
- device for radiation heating
- vaccuum chamber
- DIG 20 A 84 Soldering Station
Laboratory of Production Systems Design (contact person: Ing. Miriam Matúšová, PhD., email: miriam.matusova@stuba.sk)
In this laboratory it is possible to provide seminars to introduce pneumatics and electropneumatics, plan the maintenance, search for defects in pneumatic mecha, and project the construction of pneumatic control systems. Theoreticla tasks can be simulated in incorporated Fluidsim Software. At the same time, it is possible to plan and optimise the production, logistics and services for different companies in Witness Software which is a supportive tool in selecting the project investigated. The simulations contribute in processing flexibility not only in terms of graphics but also in statistics, particularly in investigating the specific tasks of optimisation process.
Within the Production devices and systems study programme, the students elaborate semestral assignments in which they investigate the overall production system with its mterial, energetic, information, and personnel relations so that i tis possible to be innovated, i.e. react flexibly on changed input requirements. By designing the production system the students have to consider various factors such as product and its parts definition, size, quality and weight of individual parts, technological procedure, assembly procedure, selection of suitable machines and devices and other possible external influences that could have impact their production system project.
Laboratry of CAD Systems, Robotics and Virtual Reality (contact persons: Ing. Radovan Holubek, PhD., email: radovan.holubek@stuba.sk; Ing. Daynier Rolando Delgado Sobrino, PhD., email: daynier_sobrino@stuba.sk)
The laboratory is focused on core pedagogic and research activities in the fields:
- design and formation of CAD models and sets
- projecting flexible assembly systems for simulations
- programming of industrial robots On-line/ Offline OLP – ABB IRB120 Angular Robot
- virtual reality in production systems
- Dobot Magician – Education Industrial Robot
In the laboratory, tehre are 12 efficient PC sets with 27“monitors and following software:
- AutoCAD – cretion of 2D construction designs,
- CATIA – modelling of 3D construction designs of individual parts as well as formation of complex sets and 3D CAD model usable for different construction purposes
- RobotStudio – Software used for designing OLP various robotic simulations with possible 3D CAD models integration, Online / Offline programming of real ABB IRB 120 Industrial Robot located in the laboratory,
- Tecnomatix – Process Simulate – preparation of databases of production systems simulation objects, design and projecting various simulations of a wide range of producctions ystems, design and optimisation of production processes using various production technology and robotics as well as preparation of simulations for practice
- Tecnomatix – Plant Simulation – projecting production plants as well as optimisation analysis of processes with focus on material flow
- Virtual reality – utilisation of HTC VIVE virtual glasses (2 pcs) compatibly usable for RobotStudio and Process Simulate Software in order to provide the most realistic visualisation of production processes, elimination of collisions in the stage of the design, etc.
Laboratory of Pneumatics, Electropneumatics and Program Control of Production Systems (contact person: doc. Ing. Peter Koštál,PhD., email: peter.kostal@stuba.sk)
The laboratory has two panels for training in pneumatic and electropneumatic circuits at its disposal, in addition, there are two other panels for training in the field of controlled electric driving mechanisms (stepping motor, servomotor). These electric mechanisms can be controlled by own mechanism controller, via PLC or from the controlling PC via an industrial inpu-output device. In the laboratory, there are also two PLC controlled assembly-disassembly cells. PCs have Fluidism SW installed allowing thus for the design and simulations of pneumatic and electropneumatic control circuits. We can provide basic courses in pneumatics, electropneumatics and in PLC control as well.
Laboratory of Production Logistics (contact person: Ing. Daynier Rolando Delgado Sobrino, PhD.,email: daynier_sobrino@stuba.sk)
The laboratory deals with the key aspect of production logistics (inventory management, material flow, arrangement of machines/workplaces in the plant, storing systems and distribution in production, and optimisation of these and other logistic issues).
The laboratory emphasises the subject matter of logistic technologies, e.g. scanning and identification devices and their online connection to PC programs so that they can react in real time and imrpove thus the decision making process. For these purposes, the laboratory has a significant number of scanning and identification devices as well as notebooks able to generate legible and analysable files for some of the software types installed (Excel, Plant Simulation, Witness, etc.). The basic principles of scanning and identification devices operation (bar code, RFID, QR code, etc.) are explained in deatil in the beginning of each training/course.
There are also other programs used, they allow execute more integral and complex logistic analysis of a production plant, system or process, and all of them are used together withh simulation software (RobotStudio, CATIA V5, Process Simulate, etc.) with focus to obtain more realistic simulations of real life situations in the production.
Devices of the Institute of Production Technologies
The basic pillar of laboratory infrastructure is represented by the Centre of Excellence of 5-Axis Machining equipped with a modern production and measuring technology for the field of design, production, and control of complex surfaces by machining. Besides several 5-axis high-speed machining devices, the workplace is also equipped with the coordinate measuring machine, 3D measuring system based on computer tomography, measuring systems for 3D optical scanning, tools for experimental research of cutting process dynamic characteristics, and research of cutting liquids properties.
Another significant workplace of the Institute is represented by the specific laboratory of welding equipped with an experimental technology for the field of arc and beam welding technologies, for cladding, and material surface finishing. There is a robotised workplace for welding by a disc laser, a devicefor welding by an electron beam and an experimental workplace for complex research on technological processes of welding and cladding by electric (MIG/MAG, CMT, TIG, TOPTIG), plasma, and microplasma arcs in all welding positions and in random trajectory of the weld (or weld deposit) with incoroporated device for monitoring the welding parameters in real time, and monitoring the processes via a high speed camera.
The Institute of Production Technologies has also a specialised workplace focused on plasma polishing of metal surfaces in electrolyte at its disposal. As far as known, it is the only and unique workplace of the kind in Slovakia (and neighbouring countries as well) with such a progressive technology. The laboratory is also eqipped with the techhological device for electrochemical surface modifications which makes the electrochemical sample polishing possible as well as it allows the chemical surface passivation.
Further modern workplaces are as follows: the laboratories for research on plastics injection moulding, metrologic laboratory equipped with a highly precise coordinate measuring machine, and a wide range of tools for defining the geometric specifications of products and microgeometric surface characteristics.
For the purposes of training, research and development in the field of foundry technologies, the Institute has also a foundry workplace as well as the workplace for the research on the properties of foundry formation mixtures.