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Machinery and technologies for the polymer industry

In 2020, a master's program "Machines and Technologies for the Polymer Industry" was established under the Department of Machine Elements and Non-metallic Structures to continue the education of master's mechanical engineers in this field and to meet the growing demand for such specialists. The department has accumulated extensive experience (32 years since the establishment of the program "Technology and Technology of Non-metallic Materials"), has a very good infrastructure and highly qualified faculty to continue specialized training at the master's level.

Master of Engineering

5.1. Mechanical Engineering

The polymer industry is related to intelligent machine engineering (Industry 4.0). Machines and technologies for the production of engineering products from polymer and composite materials are High Tech, and the development of nano- and 2D materials and technologies defines and will continue to define the future of the entire IT industry and electronics.

Composite materials used today account for over 50% in the latest civil aviation aircraft, over 90% in small and military aviation, and in some of the newest car brands. Automotive and aviation giants (BMW, Boeing, etc.) have already built their own factories for the production of composite elements in order to reduce costs, for application in mass-market cars and to expand applications.

In recent years, there has been a significant growth of the polymer processing industry in Bulgaria. More and more Bulgarian companies are producing polymer products and components for Western companies. The quality of their products is high and trust in them is growing. A considerable number of global technology leaders have relocated part of their polymer processing production bases to Bulgaria. There are also many smaller companies producing plastic products (a large percentage of what is defined as small and medium-sized business in our machine building industry). All this industry suffers from a serious shortage of machine engineers specialized in machines and technologies for polymer engineering products.

This master's program is intended for a wide range of specialists, and graduates with a Bachelor's and/or Master's degree in all specialties from Field 5. "Technical Sciences", as well as from Professional Directions 4.5 "Mathematics" and 4.6 "Informatics and Computer Science", may apply.

The master's program in "Machines and Technologies for the Polymer Industry" lasts one year, including the development and defense of a thesis. Students study polymer materials and composites based on them, as well as the machines and technologies for manufacturing products from these materials. The curriculum includes training in computer-aided design, modeling, and analysis of specific products and tooling for their production. Modern CAD/CAM/CAE software products (including Autodesk Inventor, which is studied) have specialized tools for designing polymer products. Autodesk Moldflow simulation software allows for analysis and optimization of the design of the products being designed, material selection, process parameters, and the supporting systems of the technological equipment in the production of plastic products. Additive technologies with polymer materials are developing exponentially, the quality of products is becoming better and it is expected that they will become mass within a few years. The digital economy and "Industry 4.0" are leading trends today. Digital technologies are an integral part of the production of products from polymer materials and composites, and the term "digital materials science" is already being used. The teaching staff of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Construction strives to quickly master these innovative technologies, apply them in their research, and impart knowledge to students so that they keep pace with the latest and cutting-edge technologies in the field of polymer engineering. In addition to the educational-production and research laboratories for the production, testing, control, and diagnosis of non-metallic and composite materials and products, the department has three modern computer laboratories (Siemens PLM Lab, Autodesk Lab, and "Ivaylo Kovachev").

Graduates of the specialization "Machines and Technologies for the Polymer Industry" can pursue diverse creative careers as mechanical engineers: designers, project engineers, technologists, consultants, entrepreneurs, freelancers, as well as within companies and corporations across all sectors of the economy, science, and education. This master's program also provides an opportunity to continue studies to obtain the academic and scientific degree of "Doctor".

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