Month: April 2024

Nagyné Dr. habil. Éva Hajnal, Deputy Dean for Research, opened the Safety Engineering Symposium, which covered the latest legislative changes, relevant standard references, energy efficiency methods, practical tips for industrial machine design, safety considerations related to robots and relevant educational opportunities. The programme was organised in cooperation between the Alba Regia University of Technology Óbuda and SMC Hungary Kft. and attracted professionals from all over the country who wanted to improve their knowledge in this field. In addition to the lectures, the day included a round table discussion and a professional exhibition.

Despite the real summer sun, the hall was full, where Dr. habil. Éva Hajnal, Deputy Dean of Research, welcomed the participants, then spoke about the importance of cooperation and the opportunities that “networking” offers. She stressed that safety engineering is one of the most important issues today, both in the digitalised and in the traditional industrial environment. She wished all participants a productive and insightful day of discussions.

Following a short opening, Imre Kovács, Managing Director of CMSW Safexpert Ltd, gave presentations on the important elements for machine compliance from a manufacturer and operator perspective, as well as on legislation and standard application, and on the safety distance based on approach speed, which is part of functional machine safety. Associate Professor Dr Károly Széll and Assistant Professor Zoltán Szilágyi presented developments in safety education from the perspective of the hosting university’s faculty.

As part of the programme, a round table discussion was also held, where the safety aspects of industrial robots and the present, future, opportunities and challenges of collaborative robots were discussed by Dr. habil. Péter Galambos, Director of the Antal Bejczy Antal iRobottechnikai Központ (BARK) of the ÓE, Tamás Mezei, Managing Director of FANUC Hungary Kft, Imre Kovács, Managing Director of CMSW Safexpert Kft and János Péger, Automation Engineer of DENSO Gyártó Magyarország Kft.

In the afternoon of the professional discussion, Gergely Szabó, the manager responsible for personalized services, gave a presentation on energy saving issues in pneumatics, representing SMC Hungary Kft, and Richárd Bajzák, a mechanical engineer, gave pneumatic design tips, ideas and practical demonstrations.

The event was accompanied by a mini exhibition and a presentation of the faculty’s laboratories.

The, Alba Regia Faculty of Technology, University of Óbuda, and the BorgWarner Oroszlány Kft. met in Székesfehérvár in the university’s “C” building to announce their intention to cooperate. Representing the university, Prof. Dr. Imre Felde, Vice Rector for Industrial and Business Relations, Anett Fejéregyházi-Kozó, HR Director, representing the company, and Dr. Monika Pogátsnik, Vice Dean of Education, participated in the ceremonial event to inaugurate the collaboration.

The parties agreed on a broad spectrum of cooperation, including competence development for engineers and other skilled workers, joint research, support for engineering students’ internships, other trainee programmes and the future introduction of dual training at the company.

Prof. Dr. Imre Felde, Vice-Rector for Industrial and Business Relations, introducing the university and the faculty in Székesfehérvár, emphasized the importance of cooperation with business organizations, which ensures the continuous renewal of the institution and the community of teachers and researchers. He stressed the economic strength of the city, which has been developing thanks to both industry and the activities of its inhabitants and has been attracting new investors for years. Regarding cooperation, he expressed the hope that the “dialogue” between the large company and the higher education institution could produce fruitful and innovative results for both parties in the future. He thanked the company for choosing Óbuda University as a partner in the areas mentioned.

After the welcome speech of Anett Fejéregyházi-Kozó, HR Director, she introduced BorgWarner. She explained that, in addition to turbochargers, starting this year, they will expand their presence to include products for the electric car market, in addition to the hybrid market. She noted that in addition to improving the knowledge of current colleagues, new employees will also be needed, so there will be a focus on expanding knowledge and retraining in the coming years. She emphasised that they have found a worthy professional partner in Óbuda University and its Alba Regia Faculty of Technology. She expressed her thanks to the university’s management for its openness to cooperation, its flexible attitude and its understanding of the company’s concerns.

About BorgWarner:

BorgWarner Oroszlány Kft. manufactures turbochargers, while BorgWarner Hungary produces transfer cases and transmission control units. The two divisions employ nearly 2,000 people, making it one of the leading employers in Komárom-Esztergom County.

BorgWarner Oroszlány Kft. was founded in 2000, the first turbocharger was produced in September 2001, at the 1200 sqm plant. Thanks to a lot of development and expansion over the last 23 years, they now operate on nearly 25,000 sqm. Their high demand for quality and expertise is a credible reflection of the fact that their products are installed in premium vehicles from major car brands.

1 Although 80 percent of education professionals believe that robotics and automation will define the future of employment in the next ten years, only one in four educational institutions currently use robots in their teaching programmes.

2 ABB is expanding its robotics and automation education programme with new training centres, with more than 100 schools and universities worldwide.

3 The Industrial Robotics Park of the Alba Regia Faculty of Technology at Óbuda University with 10 robot-arms provides a real industrial environment with its unique Industrial Robotics Engineering training.

Significant investment will be needed to support lifelong learning to enable the existing and future workforce to thrive in the age of robotics and automation, as pointed out by ABB Inc. and Óbuda University at a joint press briefing in January. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of European companies and 70 percent of US companies plan to relocate their operations back home or to a nearby region in response to global challenges, labour shortages, and uncertainty in the business environment, increasing the resilience of their supply chain and the sustainability of their market presence, according to ABB’s survey (Supply Chain Survey 2022), conducted among business leaders in the two regions.The majority of companies – 75 percent of European respondents and 62 percent of US respondents – would facilitate this re-shoring or near-shoring shift by investing in robotics and automation over the next three years.

Yet despite the increased interest in robotics and automation, ABB’s Global Education Survey 2022 revealed significant gaps in education and training for the skills needed to work in the connected and automated workplaces of the future.
“Although 80 percent of the education professionals surveyed agree that robotics and automation will shape the future of employment in the next 10 years, only 25 percent of educational institutions currently use robots in their education programmes,” said Norbert Haray, head of ABB’s Robotics and Factory Automation business. These shortcomings pose a threat to the success of re-industrialisation. Collaboration between technology providers, educational institutions and governments is needed to prepare society for the transformation of the workplace, fully exploit the potential of flexible automation and seize the new opportunities emerging with ongoing re-industrialisation.

To this end, ABB is expanding its robotics and automation education programme with new training centres, including the Global Innovation and Training Campus in Austria, which was opened last year with an investment of €100 million. Together with new regional training centres in the UK, Germany and Brazil, this investment brings the total number of ABB training facilities worldwide to over 40, where more than 30,000 students, apprentices and employees from schools, college and universities receive training annually. These training centres complement ABB’s existing educational offerings, which are available in more than 100 schools and universities worldwide.

“With its extensive experience and portfolio of robotics solutions, ABB also provides product support and training to help educational institutions integrate robots into their learning programmes,” said Norbert Haray. “ABB works with schools, colleges and universities in more than 40 countries to help students learn the basics of robot programming and operation. Through our partnership, institutions can participate in collaborative research and development projects for the development of automated solutions for use in real-world applications, thereby improving employment opportunities for students.”

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In Hungary, ABB has established similar cooperation in the field of niche robotics training with Hungarian higher education institutions, including the Alba Regia Faculty of Technology at Óbuda University, since 2016, and the attractiveness of the programmes is reflected in the fact that the total number of students is growing by 20 percent per year.
“The aim of our Industrial Robotics Engineering programme is to provide our students with the knowledge required by industry in a practice-oriented further education programme that focuses on the maintenance and improvement of industrial processes and production lines, as well as on robot integration and maintenance processes,” said Dr. Károly Széll, Associate Professor at the  Alba Regia Faculty of Technology at Óbuda University. “Our Robotics Centre’s unique national robot park creates a real industrial environment for niche training, which will be made available in English in the near future.”

About ABB in brief: ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions combine engineering expertise and software to optimize the manufacture, supply, power, and operation of machines. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s approximately 105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate the transformation of industry.

ABB’s Hungarian subsidiary, ABB Ltd., was founded in 1991 and has since become one of the leading suppliers in Hungary’s utility and energy sectors.

In addition to the 4-term Friday afternoon course offering a BSc degree, the Alba Regia Faculty of Technology at Óbuda University also offers 1-2 day modular courses in various topics of robot programming and operation.

Participants at the press conference were able to see ABB’s IRB 120 model in operation. The six-axis industrial robotic arm provides an agile, compact and lightweight solution for material handling and assembly tasks that is highly accurate and easy to control.

About ABB in brief:

ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions combine engineering expertise and software to optimise the manufacture, supply, power and operation of machines. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s approximately 105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate the transformation of industry. www.abb.com

ABB’s Hungarian subsidiary, ABB Ltd., was founded in 1991 and has since become one of the leading suppliers in Hungary’s utility and energy sectors.

• ABB website: http://new.abb.com/hu
• Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ABBMagyarorszag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abb_magyarorszag/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ABBMagyarorszag

Alba Regia Faculty of Technology is hosting a space camp organised by the Hungarian Astronautical Society (MANT) from 3 to 9 June. The scientific and entertaining programme attracted high school students from all over the country and beyond.

Alba Regia Faculty of Technology is hosting a space camp organised by the Hungarian Astronautical Society (MANT) from 3 to 9 June. The scientific and entertaining programme attracted high school students from all over the country and beyond. The aim is to raise young people’s interest in engineering and raise environmental awareness. At the opening ceremony, Dr. András Cser-Palkovics, Mayor of Székesfehérvár, welcomed the participants. At the invitation of the Dean, Prof. Dr. Györök György the space camp will be held at Alba Regia Faculty of Technology of the University, which has “moved” to the online space for two years due to the epidemic situation – The space industry, space technology, is always the most modern and cutting-edge industry, the results of which are reflected in industry and everyday life, said Dr. András Cser-Palkovics at the opening ceremony. He added. These companies need skilled workers. He stressed that Óbuda University has a key role to play in the education of young people. Prof. Dr. András Molnár, Vice-Rector, pointed out that space technology is present in many areas of our lives. He mentioned navigation equipment, maps and weather forecasting systems using satellites as examples. “In our everyday life, we are not really aware that we have space technology in our hands.” He expressed the hope that students would be motivated by participating in the programmes and that their imagination would soar, leading them towards engineering. István Zentai, the SpaceBuzz project founder of the SpaceBuzz project in Hungary, said that the programmes, which focus specifically on the next generation, are free of charge. They hope that the STE(A)M education programme will help young people to become more responsible in their climate and environmental thinking. Dr. László Bacsárdi, Vice President of the Hungarian Astronautical Society, said that MANT, the oldest space research association in Hungary, has been organising the space camp at different locations since 1994, and for the second time in Székesfehérvár after twenty years. Experience has shown that many of the participating secondary school students have gone on to study engineering or science, and some have become space professionals. The young people are in for another exciting and life-changing experience, with interesting lectures, demonstrations and quizzes by renowned space experts from Hungary. The programme will include presentations on the first spy satellites and the US Artemis moon programme. Students will also have the opportunity to learn directly about the history and future of space and the workings of the space industry in Hungary, and to visit a robotics laboratory. source: uni-obuda.hu

The cooperation between Hydro Extrusion Hungary Ltd. and Alba Regia Faculty of Technology, Óbuda University continues to expand. Environmental protection is a priority for both organisations. Their ambition is also reflected in the reinterpretation of the tools released by the company, strengthening the practice-oriented nature of engineering courses at the higher education institution.

In line with the circular economy approach, the surplus machines that appear in one place and are taken out of production are reborn within the walls of the educational institution during the mechanical and electrical engineering courses as raw materials for a project task. In an era of scarcity of raw materials, this cooperation has highlighted a possible way of creating the conditions for practical training.

The cooperation agreement was signed by Gábor Veres, factory manager on behalf of Hydro Extrusion Ltd. and by Csabáné Budavári, chair of the board of trustees on behalf of Alba Regia Foundation for Higher Technical Education, supporting Alba Regia Faculty of Technology, Óbuda University. Nagyné Dr. Éva Hajnal, Deputy Dean of Research representing the University Faculty also participated the programme.

The relationship between the company and the higher education institution will continue in the near future. Besides the dual training further training programmes, joint research and development activities will be done.

On Thursday morning, 14th April 2022, a group of master and bachelor students of computer engineering visited Nemesys  Games Ltd. Nemes Games. During the visit, the managing director of the company, Szabolcs Józsa, and one of the lead developers, Zoltán Nyakacska, gave presentations on game design and development and game software. After the presentations, the team was guided through the company’s very exclusive premises, where the developers work in a super-designed environment and use the most advanced technology. We were able to learn about the games the company has been involved in developing and hear stories about the work they have done. We could see the staff at work, with not just two but three monitors in front of them. The students were very enthusiastic and asked the hosts plenty of questions. All of the enquiries were answered thoroughly. We hope to make several similar visits in the future.

We spoke to Pál Hargitai on a Thursday morning, who as an alumnus regularly returns to his alma mater to share his knowledge with the next generation. As an invited lecturer at Kyndryl Hungary Kft. (https://www.kyndryl.com), he gives lectures on Mainframe for computer engineering students to provide them with up-to-date information before they enter the job market.

“I’ve learned to learn, and with this roadmap, I can master anything.”

Interview with Paul Hargitai, Kyndryl Hungary Kft.

(Part 18 of the alumni interview series)

• Which company and in which position do you work?

I work at Kyndryl Hungary, as an IBM mainframe systems programmer.

• What was your motivation for choosing our university or its predecessor institutions?

Firstly, many of my relatives are teachers and I always felt that I had an affinity for explaining things and helping others learn. On the other hand, I wanted to let IT graduates know that there is a category of supercomputers, the IBM Mainframe, that many people have never even heard of. Thirdly, it drew me back to the walls where I had studied.

• Exactly which predecessor institution did you study at? Which degree(s) did you obtain?

I studied at the predecessor institution of Óbuda University, at the Kandó Kálmán Technical College of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Computer Engineering.

• Did you have a teacher you looked up to? What message/perspective/knowledge did he/she enrich you with?

Yes, his name was Tibor Milcsevics. He worked for IBM in Germany for many years. He told us a lot about his work there and we learned a lot about systems theory from him.

• Can you recall your first memory of our university?

Our opening ceremony, which coincided with the graduation of the correspondence students.

• Did the institution give you a life-long passport?

Yes, It did. I learned to learn, and with that I can master anything.

• Did you find time to have fun while you were studying? How were your student years at the university?

Besides studying, I played volleyball for the then NB-I VOLÁN SC. Apart from going to the cinema, the most fun I had was getting together with friends, most often in the “Kinizsi study room”, which was held in the nearby Kinizsi beer bar.

• Can you describe what you liked most about the university?

Friends meant a lot to me. The cohesion of our community is reflected in the fact that only two of us could not make it to our last anniversary meeting. College life at the institution has also been great and has shaped us.

• What opportunities do you see in higher education today?

When I was a student, I learned programming on paper. Today’s undergraduate education is becoming more and more sophisticated, with very strong hardware and lab facilities in universities. And all this is complemented by the fact that lecturers from companies using the latest technologies are also helping to teach. This is a very big opportunity.

• Do you have any advice for today’s youth on how to choose a university/career for themselves?

They should choose based on what their heart tells them, what they need. Don’t take the easy way out just to have a degree!

• Can you recall a memorable moment that ties you to our university?

It was a big surprise and a memorable moment of a lifetime when I was awarded the “EXCELLENT HONORARY” diploma as a senior.

• To what extent can you use what you have learned at our institution in your workplace?

I needed the basics that I had learnt back then, but there was also another very important factor, which I have already mentioned: I learnt to learn here.

• Did you dream as a child of this profession or did you have other ‘career dreams’?

Once, a very long time ago, I was given a book called Cybernetics, written by Oskar Kursa, and it was a trio of books by the same author on the foundations of computer science. At the time I only understood a few things from them, but I felt I had found my direction. Since then, I have often wondered whether it was coincidence that those things eventually led me down the path of computer science.

I think not.

• With a degree in hand, what were the first few steps you took to further your career?

It was easy. In my final year, I was already a scholarship holder at the Computer Technology Cooperative in Szeged, where I could have started working as a graduate. Interestingly, a “coincidence” intervened again when, seeing my results, a distant relative prevented me from continuing my life in Szeged at the last minute and contracted me to work on the construction and operation of the computer center of the VIDEOTON Radio Factory.

• Did you have a mentor to help you at the beginning of your career?

Yes, my relative definitely played a key role. I would also like to mention my parents, who supported me wholeheartedly in staying in Székesfehérvár and working at VIDEOTON, which had more opportunities, rather than in a job near my family.