Technical University in Zvolen OJS
Not a member yet
124 research outputs found
Sort by
DEFORMATION OF WOOD – RESIN PHASE BOUNDARY BY MOISTURE CONTENT CHANGES IN WOOD
No full textIn recent years, casting epoxy resins have been on the rise among wood furniture manufacturers. Epoxy resins can be applied to wood of various qualities, including those with defects and textures. A range of problems arise during the production of wood-epoxy resin products. These problems stem from the different characteristics and properties of these materials. The focus of this article is on studying the dimensional changes of openings in beech wood filled with casting epoxy resin during changes in wood moisture content. The stability of the wood-epoxy resin phase boundary during moisture and mechanical stress was also studied. Experimental results confirmed that the dimensions of the openings in wood enlarged proportionately with wood swelling. This resulted in a disruption of the wood-epoxy resin phase boundary stability. The epoxy resin separated from the sides of the openings in wood. During the shrinking process, a limited shrinkage was observed in the vicinity of the openings. This can lead to the formation of cracks in wood. Swelling of the beech wood samples resulted in a significant height difference between the beech wood and the epoxy resin. On the other hand, the shrinking of the samples showed a more tapered height difference between the beech wood and the epoxy resin. The shear strength test did not indicate an adhesive failure but rather a cohesive failure of the epoxy resin. The failure occurred in the epoxy resin, close to the wood-resin phase boundary. This finding confirmed that epoxy resin has a good adhesion to beech wood.
HEAT BALANCES OF CONCRETE PITS WHEN STEAMING OR BOILING UNFROZEN LOGS
Get PDFAn approach to calculating the heat balance of concrete pits during the steaming or boiling of unfrozen logs intended for the production of peeled veneer is presented. Using our non-stationary model, the heating times of beech logs with a diameter of 0.4 m, initial temperatures of 0, 10, and 20 °C, and humidity of 0.6 kg.kg-1 at an operating temperature in the pit of 80 °C were determined. Using the determined log heating times and our stationary model, the change in total energy required to perform the entire steaming or boiling process, as well as the energy needed for each of the individual components of the pit heat balance, was calculated. Computer simulations were performed for a concrete pit with overall dimensions of 7.4 × 2.8 × 2.5 m, a working volume of 20 m³, and a degree of filling with logs of 45%, 60%, and 75%. The total heat consumption for heating beech logs with a diameter of 0.4 m, an initial temperature tw0 = 10 °C, and a humidity of 0.6 kg∙kg-1 at an operating temperature in the pit tm1 = 80 °C and a degree of filling f = 75% is equal to 114.7 kWh.m³ for log steaming and 152.7 kWh.m³ for log boiling. It was found that increasing the initial log temperature from 0 °C to 20 °C results in a decrease in the total energy consumption of the pit, from 122.8 to 106.3 kWh.m³ for the steaming process and from 159.7 to 145.4 kWh.m³ for the boiling process. Reducing the pit load from 75% to 45% would result in an increase in energy consumption in the pit from 114.7 to 157.0 kWh.m³ in the log steaming process and from 152.7 to 278.8 kWh/m³ in the log boiling process
EVALUATION OF THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POPLAR LAMINATED VENEER LUMBER (LVL) REINFORCED WITH OAK, BEECH, AND EUCALYPTUS VENEERS
Get PDFStructural composite lumber is produced from various tree species, and numerous laboratory studies have examined its mechanical properties. In this study, LVL boards were produced using poplar, oak, beech, and eucalyptus veneers in the outer layers and poplar veneers in the middle layers. Melamine-urea-formaldehyde adhesive was used in the production of the boards. The modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, splitting strength, compression strength perpendicular to the grain, hardness, and screw holding capacity of the produced boards were determined. According to the obtained data, test specimens with oak, beech, and eucalyptus as outer layers had higher mechanical properties than the control group. Furthermore, the modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity of LVL boards with oak on the top and bottom surfaces were 50% and 99% greater than those of the control group, respectively. However, no significant increase in splitting strength was found
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, CONFLICTS, AND NEPOTISM IN WOOD-PROCESSING BUSINESSES
Get PDFThe article is aimed at defining the quality of interpersonal relationships, the frequency of conflicts, and the degree of nepotism occurring in family businesses operating in the Slovak wood-processing industry. The research was conducted through a questionnaire survey of 362 family businesses, and the collected data were analyzed using statistical methods, specifically a hypothesis test of relative frequency and a modal analysis. The results revealed that positive relationships between family members and employees prevail in most family businesses, conflicts occur rarely, and nepotism is eliminated chiefly through transparent management practices. Confirmed hypotheses indicate a strong connection among relationship quality, conflict levels, and the occurrence of nepotism. The findings suggest that social aspects represent a significant factor in ensuring the stability and competitiveness of family businesses in the analyzed sector, contributing to theoretical knowledge and offering practical recommendations for human resource management and strategic development within family businesses in the wood-processing industry
LANGUAGE AS A TOOL OF ASSIMILATION AND SELF-DENIAL IN THE WORK TOXISCHE POMMES “BEAUTIFUL FOREIGN CHILD”
Get PDFThis paper critically examines the linguistic dimensions in the work of contemporary Austrian author Toxische Pommes, focusing on her debut novel Beautiful Foreign Child (2024). The objective of this study is to explore how language operates as a mechanism of assimilation and self-denial within the context of the narrator’s family emigration and her individual experience. Moreover, this paper aims to underscore the persistent centrality of language as a thematic concern in post-migrant literature, where it is frequently conceptualized not only as a communicative tool but also as a fundamental condition for social recognition and active societal participation
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A (INEVITABLE?) COMPONENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LANGUAGE PRACTICE IN THE ERA OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
Get PDFScientific conference entitled Artificial Intelligence – a Revolution in Foreign Language Teaching? Language Education in the Digital Age took place on 16 October 2025 and was organised by the Institute of Foreign Languages of the Technical University in Zvolen. The intended scope of the conference covered AI, opportunities of its application, threats and challenges of its use in foreign language practice, i.e. in foreign language teaching, translation and terminology work. The organisers hosted over 50 participants from eight Slovak universities. The plenary session of the conference presented two key speakers, whose lectures discussed the application of AI in translating literature and the possibilities of implementing AI in terminology practice. The subsequent afternoon session was devoted to three sections, each with presentations dealing with practical experience with AI in teaching practice and translations and literature
THE INFLUENCE OF TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF CNC MILLING ON THE SURFACE QUALITY OF BEECH PLYWOOD
Get PDFThe milling process is one of the most used methods for machining wood and wood-based materials. This paper is focused on the analysis of the effect of technical and technological parameters on the surface quality of plywood. Beech plywood was used in the experiment, and the samples were machined using a 5-axis CNC machining centre under different feed speed settings and tool variations. Surface roughness (Ra, Rz, Rp, and Rv) was measured using a Keyence VHX-7000 digital microscope. The results show that by an appropriate combination of technical and technological parameters, it is possible to minimise surface roughness and eliminate defects such as fibre pull-out, fuzziness or surface irregularities. The paper contributes to a better understanding of the relation between CNC milling parameters and the resulting surface quality, thereby providing valuable information for optimising the production process in the woodworking industry.
COLORISTIC SOLUTION FOR COMPLEX MOSAIC IMAGES LASER-ENGRAVED ON WOOD
Get PDFThe results of developing a coloristic series with a greater number of visually distinct color shades for laser engraving complex mosaic images on beech and aspen wood are presented in the paper. Two independent methods used to study the engraved wood shade yielded consistent results: instrumental, based on determining color coordinates in the Lab system, and visual, based on tone expert evaluation. The reduced discretization step of the tone gradient ΔEs to two Е units combined with simultaneous tone gradient spread, allows increasing the number of shades and extending the coloristic series of engraved beech and aspen wood. The successive power elevation caused by the computer template raster (resolution) density growth results in the formation of three distinctive regions on the tone gradient: the light-toned region, the darkened region, and the lightened region. The integrated coloristic index Е decreases in the first two regions but increases in the third one due to the light reflection by carbonized wood cells
INTRODUCTION TO HEALTHCARE INTERPRETING IN SLOVAKIA
Get PDFHealthcare interpreting represents a specialized domain of public service interpreting that has long remained on the periphery of academic and institutional discourse in Slovakia. This article analyzes the current state of healthcare interpreting services in the country, identifying key challenges related to their institutionalization, professionalization, and legislative framework. The study focuses on the absence of systematic mechanisms for ensuring healthcare interpreting, the lack of quality regulation in interpreting practice, and limited educational opportunities in this field. Through an analysis of relevant legal frameworks, it highlights the discrepancy between patients' right to receive information in a comprehensible language and the actual conditions in healthcare institutions, where communication with patients facing language barriers is often managed through improvised solutions, such as reliance on family members or ad-hoc interpreters. The article also examines the critical role of non-governmental organizations in providing linguistic support during periods of heightened migration pressure, using the Ukrainian refugee crisis as a case study to illustrate the growing demand for systematic solutions in this field. The concluding section formulates research objectives that are partially integrated into an ongoing doctoral research project while also aiming to stimulate interdisciplinary academic interest in healthcare interpreting, as this issue intersects with linguistics, sociology, medicine, law, and public policy
REDRAWING THE BOUNDARIES OF LSP PEDAGOGY: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF AI ADOPTION AND ACCEPTANCE BY HIGHER EDUCATION LSP INSTRUCTORS AT UNIZA
Get PDFThe evolution of Artificial Intelligence has shifted from a theoretical concept to an integral component of higher education, significantly transforming academic environments in deep and persistent ways. Educators actively involved in the pedagogy of Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) navigate a field influenced by artificial intelligence, which offers both significant prospects and intricate challenges. As a rapidly evolving element of digital transformation, artificial intelligence tools are becoming increasingly vital to educational methodologies, content generation, language assessment, and learner engagement. Neglecting AI is no longer an efficient strategy; instead, it has become essential to understand, adjust to, and engage thoroughly with AI to guarantee educational relevance and promote professional development. The paper presents a comprehensive examination of the perceptions and degrees of acceptance concerning AI tools among LSP instructors within the higher education context at UNIZA. The examination of the collected data focuses on determining the key factors, perceived benefits, and challenges that influence educators' decisions concerning the integration of AI into their teaching practices. This study examines into the broader implications of integrating AI into educational frameworks, focusing on the evolving responsibilities of educators, the degree of autonomy in teaching methodologies, and the ethical considerations that arise within the context of language instruction. The ongoing impact of artificial intelligence on the methodologies employed by educators in the design, delivery, and evaluation of their teaching requires a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing its acceptance. This understanding is essential for fostering effective, responsible, and human-centered applications of technology within the realm of language education