The paper presents the results of a students’ survey carried out at “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau, Romania, on the quality of educational process on online platforms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was addressed to students from the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports. The results of survey highlighted that most of students were satisfied with the measures taken by the university during the lockdown period and the way the teaching—learning-assessment process took place. However, some negative aspects were reported as: lack of an adequate infrastructure for some students, less effective teacher-student communication and interaction, impossibility of performing practical applications, lack of socialization, lack of learning motivation, less objective examination (e.g., possibility of cheating), possibility of physical and mental health degradation (e.g., too much time spent in front of screens, installation of a sedentary lifestyle). Consequently, for the new academic year, effective, and efficient measures must be implemented by the management of the university to remove, as much as possible, these negative issues and to improve the performance of online educational process.

The effects of four working parameters, namely tool diameter, tool vertical step, feed rate, and spindle speed on the dimensional accuracy, surface roughness, and microstructure of parts processed by SPIF were experimentally investigated. The parts were made from carbon steel (DC01), stainless steel (304), and aluminium (A1050). Two geometries were tested—a conic and a prismatic shape. The results were statistically processed by using the ANOVA technique. It was highlighted that the working parameters have contradictory influence on the analyzed quality characteristics of parts and only a proper combination of them could lead to the expected results.

The aim of the present work was to investigate the residual stresses distribution within parts processed by single point incremental forming (SPIF) as a function of the working parameters and to determine its influence on the parts accuracy. The study was performed for a double frustum of pyramid made by 304 stainless steel. An experimental analysis was first conducted by using the strain-rosette method. Since the method allowed determining the residual stresses only locally, a numerical model was then elaborated to inspect the distribution of residual stresses throughout the whole part. It was found that a favorable state of residual stresses and implicitly a good accuracy of parts can be obtained when small values of tool diameter and tool vertical steps, respectively high values of feed rate and spindle speed, are used.

One main drawback of electrical discharge machining (EDM) is related to the dielectric fluid, since it impacts both the environment and operator health and safety. To resolve these issues, recent research has demonstrated the technical feasibility and qualitative performance of vegetable oils as substitutes for hydrocarbon-based dielectric and synthetic oils in EDM. However, due to the higher content of unsaturated fatty acids, vegetable oils lose their stability, due to several factors such as heating or exposure to light or oxygen. The present study is a first attempt to analyze the extent to which the physic-chemical properties of vegetable oils change during EDM processing. Refractive index, dynamic viscosity and spectra analyses were conducted for sunflower and soybean oils. The results revealed that, under the applied processing conditions, no structural changes occurred. These findings are very promising from the perspective of EDM sustainability.

Single point incremental forming (SPIF) is a process during which at any moment a very small part of the sample is actually being formed. This progressive highly localised deformation is performed by a simple tool, whose trajectory is numerical controlled by a CNC machine. Since no support for the metal sheet is used during forming, large levels of deformation occur, which in turn, induce highly non-uniform residual stresses that affect the accuracy of the processed parts. The aim of the present paper was to inspect, experimentally and by simulation, the state of the residual stresses induced in SPIFed double frustums of pyramids made by A1050. The hole drilling method was used for the experimental measurements and the LS-Dyna software for simulation.

The paper presents the results of a survey conducted among a total of 155 industrial engineering students from a Romanian public university to assess their awareness and concern about the facts and challenges imposed by the ongoing digital transformation. The study is based on a statistical analysis of the answers obtained from a questionnaire that contained closed-ended questions with predefined answers and open-ended questions where the respondents could express a personal point of view. Understanding the students’ needs and expectations, as well as the impact of the digital transition on their professional training and integration in a sustainable economy, will serve as a background upon which the quality of study programs can be improved by implementing appropriate measures. The results highlighted the necessity to supplement the curriculum with specialized courses in emerging technologies, to intensify students’ counseling on the digital transition, to upgrade the university’s infrastructure with equipment and software in the field of emerging technologies, to assist students with insufficient resources, and to stimulate women to participate in skilling, upskilling, and reskilling programs in STEM fields. These changes will expand the sustainable development principles in formal university education, ensure competency-centered learning, and increase access to inclusive and quality education.