News

On 11–12 December this year, the 11th Scientific Workshops for PhD candidates and habilitation researchers in production engineering were held at the UZ Library. This year’s edition brought together a total of nineteen participants.

The two-day workshops were officially opened by Prof. Sebastian Skoczypiec, DSc, Eng., from the Cracow University of Technology, Chairman of the Committee of Production Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and Prof. Justyna Patalas-Maliszewska, DSc, Eng., Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation at the University of Zielona Góra.

The first workshop session—led by Prof. Grzegorz Bocewicz, DSc, Eng., Professor at the Koszalin University of Technology—focused on research and optimization of technological processes. This module included the following presentations:

• A Method for Implementing a Process Management System in SMEs – Michał Cioch, MSc Eng. (Lublin University of Technology);
• Issues Related to the Electrical Discharge Machining of Slender Slots in Aerospace Components Made of Heat-Resistant and Heat-Strength Materials – Ewelina Karolus-Pyka, MSc Eng. (Cracow University of Technology);
• The Influence of Humidity on the Strength of Prints Manufactured Using the FDM Method from ABS Filament – Błażej Góralski, MSc Eng. (Poznań University of Technology);
• Selected Issues of Electrochemical Machining Technology for Deep Holes in Selected Grades of Gun-Barrel Steels – Jacek Szuba, MSc Eng. (Cracow University of Technology);
• Optimization of Process Parameters in Air Cooler Manufacturing to Minimize Flux Residues after Controlled-Atmosphere Brazing – Sławomir Nadolny, MSc Eng. (Poznań University of Technology Doctoral School / MAHLE Behr Ostrów).

The second session—chaired by Prof. Katarzyna Hys, DSc, Eng., from the Opole University of Technology—demonstrated how strongly artificial intelligence (AI) and system dynamics are penetrating the research work of the younger generation. The following presentations were delivered in this part of the event:

• A Systematic Literature Review on Artificial Intelligence Methods in Remanufacturing – Anna Dudkowiak, MSc Eng. (Poznań University of Technology);
• A Method for Controlling Regeneration Processes of Complex Components Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques – Łukasz Wójcik, MSc Eng. (Lublin University of Technology);
• A Strategic Approach to Managing the Reliability of Technical Infrastructure Based on System Dynamics – Aleksandra Lota, Eng. (Łódź University of Technology);
• A Decision Support System for Production Planning in a Mass Customization Strategy: The Automotive Industry Case – Katarzyna Kowalczewska, MSc Eng. (University of Zielona Góra);
• Assessment of Enterprise Development Levels – Pilot Studies – Bartłomiej Kukuś, MSc Eng. (Kielce University of Technology).

Presentations and discussions continued on the second day of the workshops as well. On Friday, the focus was on identifying research niches and challenges in production engineering across various sectors of the economy. During the third session—moderated by Prof. Andrzej Jardzioch, DSc, Eng., from the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin—the following presentations were given:

• Efficiency Analysis and Cost Assessment in Make-to-Order Production – Karolina Jurasz, MSc Eng. (University of Bielsko-Biała);
• High-Strength Antibacterial Coatings Based on the S Phase Produced by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering – Justyna Skrzypczyk, PhD Eng. (West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin);
• Holistic Production Planning in the Food Industry: Integration of Digital Twins, AI, and MES Systems under Market Uncertainty – Anna Dembińska, MSc Eng. (Poznań University of Technology).

It is worth noting that during the 11th Scientific Workshops for PhD candidates and habilitation researchers in production engineering, the Committee of Production Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences held—for the first time—a competition for the best doctoral research concept and presentation in the field of production engineering. The competition was chaired by Prof. Arkadiusz Gola, DSc, Eng., from the Lublin University of Technology.

The workshops were organized in parallel with the 6th Conference “Cooperation Between Science and Business in Production Engineering.” The combination of these two events further strengthens the position of the University of Zielona Góra as an increasingly prominent hub on the map of Polish science in the field of production engineering.