About the department
Foundry production at the Kharkiv Technological Institute (KTI) dates back almost to the institute’s founding—just four years after KTI was established, in 1889, institute professor V. S. Knabbe published a textbook entitled “Cast Iron Foundry Work.” In 1900, Mewius A. F., the first head of the Department of Metallurgy in Ukraine and the first professor of cast iron and steel metallurgy, joined the institute.
The 1917 revolution interrupted the training of metallurgical engineers at the Kharkiv Technical Institute. But soon, with the onset of industrialization, the need for specialists in foundry production and metallurgy began to grow. Therefore, the creation of a full-fledged department of foundry production was a logical development. Thus, in 1927, one of the first departments of foundry production in the country was established at the Kharkiv Technological Institute, initially called “Foundry Business.” It was organized by Professor Farafonov E. E., who was invited to the Kharkiv Technical Institute in 1920. And already in 1926, the first graduation of five foundry specialists took place at the Mechanical Faculty of the Kharkiv Technical Institute. In addition to training engineers, the Department of Foundry Engineering at the Kharkiv Technological Institute began conducting research work aimed at finding ways to improve the quality of 76 mm caliber cast iron shell casings manufactured at the Serp i Molot plant (Kharkiv) and the use of naturally alloyed cast iron from the Yelizavetinsky and Orsko-Khalilovsky deposits in the cupola charge.
World War II and the invasion of Nazi Germany interrupted the training of specialists at the Foundry Department, as the institute was evacuated and the teaching staff was sent partly to the front and partly to defense industry enterprises.
In 1950, Boris Oleksiyovych Noskov became the head of the Department of Foundry Production. In 1960, he became a professor and a laureate of the State Prize for his participation in the creation and introduction into production of high-strength steel for T-34 tank armor. Fruitful teaching and research work led to significant results – between 1961 and 1966 alone, 23 candidate and two doctoral dissertations were defended at the department.
From 1970 to 1982, the department was headed by Professor Ivan Vasilyevich Ryzhkov, Honored Worker of Science and Technology. Under the leadership of Professors B. O. Noskov and I. V. Ryzhkov, the department developed and introduced low-viscosity self-hardening molding compounds into production, which was a significant technological breakthrough at the state level.
From 1984 to 1996, the department was headed by Professor Shatagin O. O., who was replaced by Akimov O. V. In the difficult 1990s, under the leadership of Professor Taran B. P., a new direction in the training of foundry specialists was created – artistic and jewelry casting. High-quality products made with the participation of students adorn the facades of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and well-known administrative buildings in Kharkiv, and Cossack sabers were used in the filming of the movie “Hetman Mazepa.” Graduates of the department in this field work in virtually all jewelry enterprises in the Kharkiv region.
In the 1980s and 1990s, a group led by Associate Professor S. G. Pelykh was also created at the Department of Foundry Production, which was actively involved in the implementation of computers in foundry production. Candidate dissertations by O. I. Ponomarenko and O. V. Akimova were defended in this field. Work in this area continues today – scientific research on mathematical modeling of metallurgical and foundry processes, systems, and processes for controlling them has been developed under the leadership of Professor D. O. Dyomin.
Despite the difficult economic situation in the country in the 1990s, the department staff continues to work fruitfully – associate professors continue to develop scientific areas and teach students in all major areas of foundry production: Yankelevich V. M. – automation of foundry production, Pelikh V. F. – physical and chemical processes of foundry production, Sych B. I. – molding mixtures, Nasanin O. F. – foundry production technology, Dengin I. M. and Taran B. P. – smelting and alloys, Zatolokin E. A. – foundry furnaces, Ivanov S. V. and Kovalenko B. P. – foundry production equipment. Thanks to a clear documentation system provided by engineer V. M. Chernyaeva, the department quickly adapted to the new standards of the educational process in the early 2000s.
Professor Ponomarenko O. I. defended his doctoral dissertation in 1998, subsequently received the academic title of professor, and held the position of Vice President of the Association of Foundrymen of Ukraine. Head of the department Akimov O.V. defended his doctoral dissertation in 2009, and Professor Dyomin D.O. in 2013.
For many years, the department provided training in the specialty “Machines and Technology of Foundry Production,” then “Foundry Production Equipment.” In 2005, with the support and cooperation of the Department of Automation of Chemical and Technological Systems and Environmental Monitoring, headed by Professor V. I. Toshynsky, the Department of Foundry Production launched a program in “Computer-Integrated Technological Processes in Foundry Production.” In response to the demands of the times, training began in the specialties “Metallurgy” (“Computerized Foundry Production, Artistic and Jewelry Casting,” “Metallurgical Processes and Systems”), “Applied Mechanics” (“Modeling of Technical Systems”).
The Department of Foundry Production is one of the oldest in our university and currently offers full-time and part-time programs. Among the department’s graduates are directors of large enterprises, chief metallurgists, heads of workshops, research departments, and design bureaus. The department trains bachelors, specialists, masters, candidates, and doctors of science in the field of foundry production. Students of the department acquire practical skills and test their theoretical knowledge in eight educational laboratories, including a molding and melting laboratory, an educational laboratory for testing molding materials and mixtures, a foundry production theory and technology laboratory, an artistic casting laboratory, a special casting types laboratory, a research laboratory, a diploma and course design auditorium, a subject auditorium, and others. The department’s computer room with open access to the Internet allows for the design and modeling of objects and processes using the latest software. The total area of the premises assigned to the department is 581 m2.