Denis Prokoshev, 22 years' young, was the winner of the lecture competition at this year's GSI Summer School. At the SVARKA/WELDING fair in St. Petersburg, he was convincing with the introduction of his diploma dissertation on the subject: "Project relating to a technology for the diffusion welding of metal/ceramic components of gyroscopic instruments (gyroscope)".
Twelve young engineers from various Russian universities were represented in the lecture competition in St. Petersburg and presented their final dissertations. In this respect, it was primarily the State Polytechnic University of St. Petersburg which did very well because, in addition to the first-placed Denis Prokoshev, his fellow students occupied the second and third places as well. "That is simply the best university in Russia," Prokoshev stated proudly.
As the prize for the first place in the lecture competition, GSI and the DVS society had contemplated an informative short trip around its various locations. The destinations: Berlin, Jena, Düsseldorf and Rostock. This prize was a testimony to the common ideas of promoting the up-and-coming generation on the international level too and extending the joining technology network. Accompanied by his interpreter Irina Pinneker from SLV Mecklenburg-Vorpommern GmbH, Denis Prokoshev thus went on his short trip to Germany on October 6 10, 2014.
This trip was something special for the young graduate in two respects because he had flown for the first time and had travelled beyond Russia's borders for the very first time. For this purpose, he had even taken unpaid holiday from his employer, Nordwerft in St. Petersburg. In this respect, the young graduate has only been working there as an engineer in the fabrication field for all of two months. He develops welding processes, writes the welding procedure specifications and checks whether these are implemented correspondingly. His wish is to perhaps move into the scientific field on occasion later on. However, he would firstly like to gather a lot of practical experience and to make a career for himself in his field. Unfortunately, he has not yet had any contact to German students or firms. "But that can indeed still come," said the young engineer.
The capital. Friction stir welding. SLV Berlin-Brandenburg.
October 6, 2014. Denis Prokoshev gained the very first impression on his trip in the capital Berlin with a guided tour of the Training, Research and Materials Engineering Divisions at GSI-Niederlassung, SLV Berlin-Brandenburg. The young engineer showed particularly great interest in the demonstration of friction stir welding and in the subject of training for welding engineers. The day was rounded off by sightseeing in Berlin, naturally including a visit to the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag.
Zeiss factory. Beam melting installations. ifw Jena.
October 7, 2014. After Denis Prokoshev had arrived at Günter-Köhler-Institut für Fügetechnik und Werkstoffprüfung GmbH (ifw) in Jena, Dr. Ing. Simon Jahn, Head of the Joining Technology Department, introduced the institute and the research activities, especially in the field of diffusion welding, in the form of a lecture. Thereafter, Denis Prokoshev presented the results of his diploma dissertation about the diffusion welding of glass/metal joints. The three diffusion welding installations were viewed during the tour of the institute. Here, the guest and the host had a long conversation about the structure and the technical implementation. Moreover, the beam melting installation for additive fabrication and the newly set-up laboratories for materials testing were of particular interest to Denis Prokoshev. The young engineer was highly delighted to see demonstrations of processes which had been unknown to him until then, such as beam melting. A guided tour of the city including a visit to the Schott villa, the Zeiss factory and the Jentower ensured an entertaining cultural programme in the city by the Saale.
Society work. Publishing house programme. DVS.
October 8, 2014. The winner from Russia had another opportunity to get to know German experts in welding technology also at the German Welding Society (DVS) in Düsseldorf. There, Dr. Ing. Roland Boecking, General Manager of DVS, extended a warm welcome to the young Russian engineer, his companion as well as those students and professors who were present. As a result of the introductory lecture delivered by the General Manager, the guest from Russia learned a lot about the structure and activities of DVS, above all about the field of the nationwide and international promotion of the up-and-coming generation. Dr. Boecking then handed over to Paul Robert Hoene, Publishing House Manager of DVS Media GmbH, who introduced the publishing house programme and drew particular attention to the teaching media in the Russian language. In the subsequent lecture, Ass. jur. Marcus Kubanek from the "Research and Technology" Division of DVS explained to the guests the extensive activities in the Research Association for Welding and Allied Processes of DVS and on the Technical Committee (AfT) in DVS. With the presentations made by DVS and DVS Media, the Russian guest was able to gain an initial impression of the sequences and contents of the society work in Germany.
Thereafter, Prokoshev introduced his diploma dissertation to his hosts. The guest from St. Petersburg explained what experiences he had gathered during his investigations for the final dissertation. There were subsequently interested inquiries and a lively discussion in the Russian and German languages.
Research. Exchanging experience. SLV Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
October 9, 2014. At SLV Mecklenburg-Vorpommern GmbH in Rostock, Denis Prokoshev gained an insight into the focal point activities of training, qualification and research. In addition to the welcoming discussion with the General Manager, Dipl. Phys. Jan Hoffmann, there was a lively exchange of experience with the Head of the Research Division, Dr. Rigo Peters. The wide application range of the laser as a tool aroused the particular interest of the guest from Russia. Furthermore, he was able to get acquainted with the latest testing methods in joining technology during a walk around the specialist departments.
Assessment of the trip: Gathering trips and experiences.
In the visits made during his stay in Germany, Denis Prokoshev was able to gain a lot of insights into the various welding technologies and drew the positive conclusion that the German workers assume extensive responsibility for their activities.
Although the Russian guest's head is now dizzy from the multitude of impressions and different information, he is enthusiastic about Germany. He is very pleased about the friendly reception at the various stops during the trip. He was impressed not only by the welding technology but also, above all, by the wide variety of public transport, the dense traffic on the roads and, in particular, the countless cyclists who can be seen less often in Russia. Moreover, the excursion to Germany has apparently strengthened the young engineer's wish for the future: Gathering trips and a lot of experiences!
Download: Germany trip - A young Russian engineer as a guest at GSI and DVS [.pdf, 1,2 MB]