The exhibition and conference, being an event of the highest reputation in this profession, provides an overview of the technical and economic situation of the Hungarian foundry industry. It has been organized every second year in the last two decades by the Hungarian foundries, foundry suppliers, foundry men and other specialists of the background industry. Starting in 1959, the Hungarian Foundry Days look back on 50 years of history.
The 20th Hungarian Foundry Days were organized successfully despite the fact that due to the general economic recession of the recent year the business and economic situation of the foundries have been significantly deteriorating also in Hungary. The economic crisis has hit the various professional specialties and foundries to a different extent owing to their different circumstances and their situation on the market; especially foundries supplying companies in the vehicle-, the engineering-, the construction- and the electricity industry have suffered most from losing position on the market.
The 20th, jubilee conference of this year was organized and managed by the Foundry Section of the Hungarian Mining and Metallurgical Society and the Association of Hungarian Foundries, its venue was the Pelion Hotel in Tapolca.
The plenary lectures of this years’ Foundry Days were the following:
Prof. Dr Zoltán Gácsi, dean - Dr Jenő Dúl, associate professor, lecturers at the University of Miskolc, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering. Materials and Technologies of the future. Dr Károly Bakó brevet university professor – Dr. József Sohajda, managing director, Csepel Metall Ltd.: Today’s casting production. What will tomorrow bring? Imre Győri, managing director, Magyarmet Ltd: A Hungarian foundry at the gate of the aeroplane industry. Gergely Buzás, Hungarian National Museum, Museum of King Matthias, Visegrád: The history of the medieval great bell of Visegrád Magyar
31 lectures were presented in the conference 2 of which were company presentations. A roundtable discussion was organized in the subject of „Vocational training of component production for the vehicle industry – in the school system” During the roundtable discussion the participants successfully laid down together the long-term conditions of providing secondary-education professionals for the Hungarian foundry industry and defined the general need for practical training to be included in the school system. The 20th Hungarian Foundry Days provided opportunity in the PhD and Student Section of the event for 6 PhD students and university students of the University of Miskolc to hold presentations on their research topics. The presentations of the Section were followed with great attention by approximately 20 leaders and specialists working in Hungarian foundries.
The participants of the conference took part in professional factory visits this year as well. Two foundries in Ajka MAL cPlc. ALUFÉM Division (secondary aluminum blocks production - Hungarian owned), Le Belier cPlc. (aluminum die casting foundry - French owned) and one in Kisbér U-Shin Ltd. (magnesium and zinc die casting foundry - Japanese owned) could be visited. Approximately 70 members of the conference took advantage of the opportunity of the professional factory visits.
151 registered participants attended the programs of the Foundry Days (21 from abroad), representatives of 74 companies were present coming from 11 countries. 6 exhibition stands (EagleBurgmann Hungária Ltd., +HAGI+ Engineering, Austria; Öntőgépszerviz Ltd, Hungary, SANKEN Insertec SA, Spain, TEN SLOVAKIA Ltd., Slovakia, TP Technoplus Ltd, Hungary) were set up in the lounge of the hotel.
The conference was opened by Dr József Sándor, president of the Foundry Section of the Hungarian Mining and Metallurgical Society. The chairman of the plenary session was Dr József Sohajda, president of the Association of Hungarian Foundries. Section chairmen of the conference were Dr Nándor Takács (CSEFÉM Ltd., H), Dr Jenő Dúl (University of Miskolc, H), Dr Attila Diószegi (University of Jönköping, Sweden), Dr György Fegyverneki (NEMAK Győr Ltd., H) and Dr Károly Lengyel (TP. Technoplus Ltd., H).
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| Dr. Hatala welcoming the conference participants | The presentation booths in the lobby of the Hotel Pelion in Tapolca | Booth of the company Sanken Insertel Europe with Yuichiro Miura and Oscar Iribarren |
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| +HAGI+ Giessereitechnik Johann Hagenauer | Gyula Szalay with colleague from Öntőgépszerviz Fa Kft | TEN Slovakia: Vladimír Krutiš, Livia Haramia, Ing. Pavel Élesztős, PhD. |
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| Anna Szombatfalvy, a student from the University of Miskolc | Musical evening relaxation | Introductory words from Dr. Gyorgy Fegyverneki (PhD) for a lecture by Fa Roessler |
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| Foundrymen during the breaks | TPTechnoplus: Balázs Sándor | Lecture from T. Rauchwart about engine components at AUDI |
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| Traditional Foundry evening | singing foundrymen | |
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| Professor Klein in conversation with Dr. Károly Bakó | Auditorium |
As Dr József Sohajda, president of the Association of Hungarian Foundries, being the chairman of the closing session of the conference, pointed out: the 20th Hungarian Foundry Days organized amid the ongoing economic crisis can be considered as particularly successful far beyond the expectations, the subject-matters of the presentations and the expertise of the presenters was of high standards, the active participation and the love-for-the-profession of the attending specialists and of the visitors being interested was outstanding. He especially highlighted the fact that over the half of the presentations were held by young specialists below 40 years of age working at production companies, having great expertise and professional confidence to the satisfaction of those present. In his closing remarks Dr József Sohajda outlined the concluding recommendations compiled by the chairmen.
Recommendations of the 20th Hungarian Foundry Days
The most important statement:
„The young production specialists as well as the PhD foundry students of the University of Miskolc, Hungary take a prominent part of the professional program of the 20th Hungarian Foundry Days. The impressive expertise and the activity of the young colleagues are to be praised. The „generation change” seems to be underway.
1.) In the course of the future foundry days the professional presentations having industrial background shall prevail, being actually dominant today as well. Likewise, companies and specialists awarded by the Association of Hungarian Foundries shall hold professional presentations on their prize-winning work.
2.) For the students of the University of Miskolc, Department of Metallurgical and Foundry Engineering accomplishing the BSc education the university shall mainly provide the acquisition of practical knowledge in the 7th term. (separate supervision of MSc and Bsc education)
3.) The management of the Foundry Section of the Hungarian Mining and Metallurgical Society and of the Association of Hungarian Foundries shall follow with attention and support the development of the Research-Educational Laboratory and Innovation Centre of the University of Miskolc (National Development Agency project).
4.) The professional social organizations (Association of Hungarian Foundries, Hungarian Mining and Metallurgical Society) shall treat the secondary-school vocational training as an outstanding project, generating successful marketing and lobby activities.
5.) The Organizing Committee of the Foundry Days shall provide opportunities (professional or scientific presentations, attendance) – upon invitation - for the university professionals and practising specialists of the surrounding historical Hungarian cities.
The participants of the conference have accepted the recommendations approvingly.
The Organizing Committee, based on the opinion of the presiding section chairmen, awarded the title of the ’Excellent Presentation of the 20th Hungarian Foundry Days’ to the presentation of „Designing Die Castings based on Technological Aspects” by Richárd Szabó (Prec-Cast Ltd., Sátoraljaújhely, H) – László Csontos (Knorr-Bremse Break Systems Ltd., Kecskemét, H) and Zoltán Mudri (Knorr-Bremse Break Systems Ltd., Kecskemét, H).
