'When I'll return to my country, I would like to implement the research tradition, scientific knowledge, and skills I gained at BME'

 After his bachelors made in Turkey, Yahya Kara graduated on BME as an MSc mechanical engineer.  He pursued his studies on PhD level, at the Department of Polymer Technology. Interview about education quality, Budapest life, and his experiences as an international student.

'Both in MSc and PhD studies, I was able to enhance my skills with engineering courses taught by distinguished professors in the field. Balancing practical implementation and theory-based education is the key to improve the skills of engineering candidates. BME professors provide valuable learning tools that meet the highest standards in teaching a blend of laboratory, workshop, and lecture. Besides, students can take active participation in the research projects no matter the level of study. Up to now, I had the chance to participate actively in various domestic and international research projects with a multidisciplinary working group. As an MSc alumnus and current PhD fellow, I can say the candidate can either contribute high quality and internationally recognizable science work by using research infrastructures in BME.' More

‘An excellent environment for education and research’

The renovation of our faculty’s 150 square meter lab hall in Building G was finished in the middle of April 2020. For this occasion, we had a review of the investments of the last few years. About the lab renovation, we interviewed Márton Takács, associate professor, deputy head of the Department of Manufacturing Science and Engineering. More

Not only the recyclable materials can make a boat environmentally more friendly – interview with Zoltán Mezey, senior lecturer of BME Department of Polymer Technology

Flaar Kft, the enterprise of Zoltán Mezey,  senior lecturer of Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Polymer Technology, gained awards at the Budapest Boat Show. With their sport sailboat, they gained not only the first prize, the greenest product award, and the most innovative Hungarian product award, but also their power-driven workboat gained the third prize at the competition. Interview with Zoltán Mezey about innovation, basalt reinforcements and reaction injection molding.

'Ideas just keep coming and coming to our mind, but now, we should rather not expand our product line, but we should increase the number of our current types. Since we have launched our company, we developed an almost unrealistic number of models. Fortunately, we can see the results as well: our model ‘37’ was the first Hungarian boat nominated for the prize ‘European Yacht of the Year’.

We also like doing experiments. At the Department of Polymer Technology, there were robust researches about basalt fibre. Although, this is an excellent reinforcing fibre, is still not widespread in boat building. because the reason is that boat building standards does not include basalt fibre, and it might not be used in analogy with the standards for glass fibres. I am currently looking for those aspects, where basalt can be implemented in the current regulative system. Reaction injection moulding also grabbed my attention, it is a technology with a significant potential, and we do a lot of experiments with it.' More

What can a designer and a researcher create together? Turning a pub free of waste! Interview with Tibor Gungl and Ákos Kmetty

Ákos Kmetty (left),Tibor Gungl (right)

A popular open-air pub’s orange peel and PLA plastic glass waste were turned into a design material by Tibor Gungl, designer of UPLUX lamps and other recycled home interior equipment. His mentor was Ákos Kmetty, senior lecturer of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at BME, in a two-week internship of the Start Programme of the Hungarian Fashion and Design Agency. Interview with Ákos Kmetty, senior lecturer of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Polymer Technology, and Tibor Gungl, designer.

 Why did you choose the Department of Polymer Technology at BME?

Tibor Gungl: It was a real detective job. My starting point was to upcycle waste, and I was seeking for an organisation dealing with polymers. I contacted Ákos Kmetty after 15–20 failed attempts. It is difficult to find someone in Hungary in this sector, and ask them to help me create a new material. Most of the interns of the mentoring programmes had a design perspective instead, so they had an internship at concrete designer workshops, in the furniture industry, or the Hollóházi Porcelain Manufactory.

One of the two raw materials is PLA. What features does PLA have?

Ákos Kmetty: PLA (poly-lactic-acid) is a thermoplastic material, which is also renewable resource-based, compostable, and even recyclable. The compostability of this material does not mean that it is needed to be composted at the end of its lifetime; we can recycle it by producing something new. More