On May 25 and 27, 2026, the 82nd Student Scientific and Technical Conference was held at the Department of Technological Equipment of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty of BNTU (rooms 405 and 316, Building 6). Thirty-seven undergraduate and graduate students participated in the "Metal-Cutting Machines and Tools" section, presenting 41 papers. The conference program was extensive and covered a wide range of topics: from classical analysis of cutting patterns to the application of artificial intelligence technologies in tooling.
All papers were prepared under the supervision of department faculty, allowing undergraduate and graduate students not only to delve deeper into the fundamental principles of metal cutting but also to propose original engineering solutions relevant to modern machine tool manufacturing. A number of presentations focused on computer modeling and finite element analysis: conference participants examined the load-bearing systems of welded metal tanks for storing agricultural liquids, a portable printed nutcracker, and a robotic loading system. Particularly noteworthy were the studies on verifying a mechanistic model of cutting forces during grinding of modified ceramic coatings and selecting materials for FDM printing of housing parts.
A significant section of presentations was devoted to tooling and process equipment. Undergraduate and graduate students examined improvements to the technology for machining fastening holes in a gearbox housing on a CNC machining center, analyzed the efficiency of machining holes in a torque converter housing using combined tools, and developed technical proposals for machining the "Lever" component of a Belarus tractor gearbox, including the design of a special broach. Of particular interest were presentations on toolholding systems in lathe turrets, tooling systems with BMT and VDI clamping, and modern tool tapers—7:24, HSK, and the polygonal PSK taper. Conference participants examined in detail the design features of collet tool chucks, polygonal clamping mandrels, and thread-cutting chucks for CNC machine tools.
Traditionally, the section's strengths included work on shape theory and non-traditional machining methods. Speakers discussed the kinematic formation of end-face gear contours using a continuous indexing tool head, polygonal turning of multifaceted surfaces, non-circular and planetary turning of profile surfaces, rotary turning of sinusoidal surfaces, and improvements in machining methods for parts with Reuleaux triangle profiles. These studies clearly demonstrate how a deep understanding of cutting geometry and kinematics enables the technological capabilities of standard lathes and milling machines to be expanded without dramatically increasing production costs.
Equally prominent was the focus on automation, robotics, and modern drives. Conference participants presented papers on automated workpiece clamping devices in CNC lathes, the development of pneumatic cylinder designs and hose-type pneumatic cylinders (so-called pneumatic muscles), and combined pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders in process automation devices. Quick-release couplings in pneumatic drives, proportional control in hydraulic and pneumatic drives, the modular design of automation systems, and modern coupling designs in machine tool drives were discussed. Separate presentations focused on threaded locking—a seemingly isolated yet crucial task for any mechanical engineering production.
The conference was particularly relevant due to the papers addressing the intersection of mechanical engineering and digital technologies. One of them was dedicated to the automation of semantic searches for patents in the field of tooling for machine tools using artificial intelligence. The other was dedicated to SLM production of titanium parts and components for aerospace applications, which is one of the most dynamically developing technologies in modern metalworking. Master's and undergraduate students also participated.
