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.

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.

The main objective of this work was to assess and compare the structure and mechanical properties of the TiN and TiAlN coatings deposited on a new WC-Co tool using the cathodic arc evaporation vacuum deposition (CAE-PVD) technique. The cutting tool was sintered at high temperature and high pressure using a powder tungsten carbide matrix ligated with cobalt (WC-Co). Powdered grain growth inhibitors (TiC, TaC, and NbC) were admixed into the matrix to enhance its strength and to facilitate the adhesion of the Ti base coatings. Detailed scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were performed, aiming to substantiate the effectiveness of the inhibitor additions. XRD data were thoroughly exploited to estimate the phase contents, average crystallite sizes (D), coating thicknesses (t), texture coefficients (T_hkl), and residual stress levels (σ). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to calculate the average roughness (Ra) and the root mean square (Rq). The microhardness (µHV) was measured using the Vickers method. The TiAlN characteristics (D = 55 nm, t = 3.6 μm, T₂₀₀ = 1.55, µHV = 3187; σ = −2.8 GPa, R_a = 209 nm, R_q = 268 nm) compared to TiN ones (D = 66 nm, t = 4.3 μm, T₁₁₁ = 1.52, µHV = 2174; σ = +2.2 GPa, R_a = 246 nm, R_q = 309 nm) substantiate the better adequacy of the TiAlN coating for the WC-Co substrate. The structural features and data on the TiN and TiAlN coatings, the tool type, the different stress kinds exerted into these coatings, and the way of discrimination of the coating adequacy are the novelties addressed in the paper.

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.

Electrical discharge machining with solid electrodes represents an efficient solution to generate blind cavities with complex geometry. Vegetable oils represent an alternative to conventional dielectrics, which are considered harmful for the environment and human health. This study tested the feasibility of two widely used vegetable oils, sunflower and soybean, under intense machining of three alloys with application in aeronautic industry, aiming for high process productivity and a good surface quality. The results have revealed that vegetable oils are capable to ensure an improvement of the material removal rates that can reach up to 55.15 % compared to mineral oil. Also, the vegetable dielectrics allowed an improvement of surface quality for non-ferrous alloys, up to a maximum of 19.70 %, whereas for the stainless steel, the mineral oil has provided a better surface finish.

In the original version of our article