Centres of Excellence represented the first step towards building a more integrated research infrastructure for academic institutions, focusing mainly on materials research, nanotechnology, environmental protection, biomedicine and biotechnology, and agricultural research. Simultaneously, they started cooperation with the partners involved also in other projects. It was the first inevitable step to elevate the research organizations’ infrastructure to a level comparable to other EU countries.
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava disposes the following Centres of Excellence:
- Centre of Excellence of SMART Technologies, Systems and Services
- Centre of Excellence of Industrial Biotechnology
- Centre of Excellence of Integrated Flood Protection Systems
- Centre of Excellence for the Settlement Infrastructure Development of the Knowledge-Based Economy (SPECTRA)
- National Centre of Excellence of Research and Application of Renewable Energy Sources
- Centre of Excellence of 5-axis Machining – STU MTF
- Centre of Excellence of Materials Diagnostics –STU MTF
- Centre of co-operation for the Innovative Technologies Transfer from Research into Practice (CESPETIT)
- Competence Centre of Intelligent Technologies for Electronization and Informatization of Systems and Services (KC INTELINSYS)
- International Centre of Excellence for the Research of Intelligent and Safe Information and Communication Technologies and Systems.
Centre of Excellence of 5-axis Machining
The key trend in the CE of 5-axis Machining is emphasis on application of high technologies:
- Multi-axis machining, mainly 5-axis milling for the free-form surfaces manufacturing,
- Complex machining combining multiple machining methods such as milling, turning and drilling in a single technology unit,
- So called HSM andHSC technologies (High Speed Machining and High Speed Cutting) for economic machining based on the results of the base research and theory of materials cutting,
- So called multi-energy methods of machining, utilising mechanical energy to remove material during machining, as well as the energy of laser and ultrasound to machine so called hard-to-machine materials,
- Combining computer-aided technologies such as design, manufacturing, computer numerical control, engineering and inspection.
The aim of the Centre of Excellence is to support the decisive technologies of 5-axis machining for the production of free form surfaces by 5-axis technologies (milling, turning, ultrasonic machining, laser, robotic machining). Such concentration of the state-of-the-art HSC along with the multi-axis and multi-energy technologies is rather unique in Slovakia, when compared to both, universities and industrial practice. This has significantly enhanced the research quality and quality of education (especially of PhD students) and become the prerequisite for involving the Centre of Excellence in the international research projects. The equipment of the 5-axis CNC milling centres (of various types of construction) enhances the research into the design and manufacture of free-form surfaces (so called Complicated FFs); a CNC lathe with a counter-spindle extends the research the free-form surfaces (so called Complex FFs); and a CNC Ultrasonic machine tool and a laser 5-axis machine tool allow the research into so-called difficult-to-machine and simultaneously free-form surfaces.
The Centre of Excellence of 5-axis Machining carries out the research into
- All methods and strategies of 5-axis machining by setting intermittent and continuous CNC milling of free-form surfaces
- HSC CNC milling and turning of surfaces of complex shapes
- CNC ultrasonic and laser machining of difficult-to-machine materials
- Utilisation of CA technology in the CAD/CAM/CNC/CAQ chain.
Contact: prof. Dr. Ing. Jozef Peterka |
Centre of Excellence of Materials Diagnostics
Centre of Excellence for the Development and Application of Progressive Diagnostic Methods in Processing the Metal and Non-metalic Materials
The Center of Excellence with the focus on development and application of progressive diagnostic methods for the metal and non-metallic materials treatment was developed under the Measure 2.1 of the Operational Program of Research and Development "Improving the Quality of Research Institutions and Promoting Excellent Research with Emphasis on Areas of Strategic Importance for the Further Development of Economy and Society". The aim was to build a modern dynamic centre of excellent analytical methods using the current state-of-the-art knowledge of the electron and laser beam interaction with mass, and high-sensitivity detection systems, advanced mechanical and electrical and non-electrical quantities to assess the specific properties of mainly progressive metal and non-metallic materials prepared by the state-of-the-art technology. The expectations that the Centre might contribute to the research infrastructure improvement in the Trnava region with a direct link to Slovakia (MTF cooperates with dozens of manufacturing companies and several educational and research institutions across Slovakia), as well as in the European and Asian Research Areas (collaboration with POSTECH, Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea; IFW and FZD in Dresden, Germany; Bekaert in Zwevegem, Belgium), along with the improvement of the educational process and popularization of science and technology in the general public have been fully met. The Project was evaluated by the Research Agency as being fulfilled in all impact characteristics.
The Center of Excellence supports the concentration of the best (excellent) faculty staff in a monothematic centre based on the application of the state-of-the-art experimental procedures characterising the specific properties of materials, while taking into account the study programme of Materials and scientific field of Physical Metallurgy. The Centre also endeavours to attract secondary school students to study the technology and material-oriented fields (within the current regional project promoting such activities, guaranteed by the MTF and financed by the City of Trnava), thus making the modern instrumentation Centre available to all interested professionals via organizing seminars and summer schools and promoting materials research and its successful leaders in the media.
The Centre is equipped with the following modern instrumentation:
- JEOL JSM7600 high-resolution thermal FEG cathode-ray microscope complemented by a set of the cooperating EDS, WDS and EBSD detection systems with the appropriate ion milling sample preparation devices,
- Laser confocal microscope with two independent laser beams for 400 and 600 nm wavelengths,
- Universal testing machine to evaluate mechanical properties of the metal and non-metallic materials,
- Testing device for monitoring the dynamics of distortion processes,
- Apparatus for measuring the alternating conductivity of non-metallic materials at elevated temperatures,
- Spectrum analyzer for measuring the impedance and modular spectra of non-metallic materials and composites
- Rotary viscometer
- Vulcanograf
- Multifunctional X-ray Malvern PanAnalytical diffractometer - Empyrean
- Set of thermoanalytical instruments of NETZSCH STA, DSC, TGA, dilatometry, Laser flash analyzer and a set of thermodynamic databases and SW
- Corrosion chamber and SCC equipment
- Multifunctional LAC furnace
- PLATIT PI80 + DLC Coating Device
The Center of Excellence with the focus on development and application of progressive diagnostic methods for the metal and non-metallic materials treatment was developed under the Measure 2.1 of the Operational Program of Research and Development "Improving the Quality of Research Institutions and Promoting Excellent Research with Emphasis on Areas of Strategic Importance for the Further Development of Economy and Society". The aim was to build a modern dynamic centre of excellent analytical methods using the current state-of-the-art knowledge of the electron and laser beam interaction with mass, and high-sensitivity detection systems, advanced mechanical and electrical and non-electrical quantities to assess the specific properties of mainly progressive metal and non-metallic materials prepared by the state-of-the-art technology. The expectations that the Centre might contribute to the research infrastructure improvement in the Trnava region with a direct link to Slovakia (MTF cooperates with dozens of manufacturing companies and several educational and research institutions across Slovakia), as well as in the European and Asian Research Areas (collaboration with POSTECH, Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea; IFW and FZD in Dresden, Germany; Bekaert in Zwevegem, Belgium), along with the improvement of the educational process and popularization of science and technology in the general public have been fully met. The Project was evaluated by the Research Agency as being fulfilled in all impact characteristics.
The Center of Excellence supports the concentration of the best (excellent) faculty staff in a monothematic centre based on the application of the state-of-the-art experimental procedures characterising the specific properties of materials, while taking into account the study programme of Materials and scientific field of Physical Metallurgy. The Centre also endeavours to attract secondary school students to study the technology and material-oriented fields (within the current regional project promoting such activities, guaranteed by the MTF and financed by the City of Trnava), thus making the modern instrumentation Centre available to all interested professionals via organizing seminars and summer schools and promoting materials research and its successful leaders in the media.
The Centre is equipped with the following modern instrumentation:
- JEOL JSM7600 high-resolution thermal FEG cathode-ray microscope complemented by a set of the cooperating EDS, WDS and EBSD detection systems with the appropriate ion milling sample preparation devices,
- Laser confocal microscope with two independent laser beams for 400 and 600 nm wavelengths,
- Universal testing machine to evaluate mechanical properties of the metal and non-metallic materials,
- Testing device for monitoring the dynamics of distortion processes,
- Apparatus for measuring the alternating conductivity of non-metallic materials at elevated temperatures,
- Spectrum analyzer for measuring the impedance and modular spectra of non-metallic materials and composites
- Rotary viscometer
- Vulcanograf
- Multifunctional X-ray Malvern PanAnalytical diffractometer - Empyrean
- Set of thermoanalytical instruments of NETZSCH STA, DSC, TGA, dilatometry, Laser flash analyzer and a set of thermodynamic databases and SW
- Corrosion chamber and SCC equipment
- Multifunctional LAC furnace
- PLATIT PI80 + DLC Coating Device
Contact: prof. Ing. Ľubomír Čaplovič, PhD. |