Home

Welcome, Introduction

In our age of rapid industrial progress, metals still play their part as essential raw materials and as targets for high-tech innovation in the customized engineering of complex, value-added products and product systems. A whole range of industries, from conventional metallurgy to microelectronics are built upon the utilization of metals, exploiting the diverse properties, versatility and excellent potentials of these materials to generate products in an environmentally sound, resource-effective and energy-efficient way – on the way towards a sustainable future economy.

Launched at the initiative of several researchers and professors from the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering of the University of Miskolc, the JOINnovation (R&D) Project was set out to canalize and integrate the knowledge, skills and expertise of leading professionals from metallurgy, materials sciences, chemistry, physics, economics and the related disciplines, with the aim of developing novel and environmental friendly solder materials for the automotive industry (from primary and secondary resources). The strategic objectives were: a) to create a collaborative framework and bring together the research institutes, labs and industrial organizations engaged in high-level R&D activities (inland and abroad) and; b) to promote progressive research, devising breakthrough solutions in soldering and metal-based technologies.

Through the interplay of innovational ideas and established scientific experience, the partner institutions can pave the way for the implementation of long-term, project-based, flexible and problem-oriented approaches in research and education. The University of Miskolc has already taken the track and committed itself to proceed in this direction – for the benefit of future generations.

The main target areas of the project include: soldering technologies (development of lead-free tin solders, brazing methods, aluminum braze alloys, studies on the effects of various alloying elements/impurities on crystallization and microstructure transformation); surface technologies that are critical for the automotive industry (surface pre-treatment, corrosion protection, coating technologies); metallurgical and compositional modelling; laboratory measurements and material testing (structural analysis, surface analysis, plasma surface technologies); fundamental and applied research, technological developments for the extraction, innovative recovery and reuse of precious metals (tin, silver, copper, gold, microalloying elements) from secondary resources (e.g. solder scraps).

In order to boost professional knowledge & technical expertise and to the establish a coordinated network of academic-industrial partnerships in the metallurgical and related sectors, a growing number of public agencies, SMEs, industrial companies and stakeholders have been invited – both locally, regionally and nationwide – to enter into bi- and multilateral programmes with the University of Miskolc, contributing to the future success of practice-oriented high-level training and skill-based education (BSc, MSc, PhD) in Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering.

Tamás Török, Prof. Dr.