History

Milestones:

1937    establishment of M. R. Štefánik Technical University

1939    changing the name into Slovak Technical University

1940    beginning of autonomous Mechanical Engineering study

1950    opening of Division of Mechanical Engineering

1951    foundation of Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

1963    completion of new faculty building in main university campus

2001    reconstruction of the building in Mýtna street

2005    reconstruction of the building in Pionierska street

Autonomous mechanical engineering studies at the Slovak Technical University date back to 1940. On the basis of a decree promulgated by the Government, in that year a new division of Mechanical Engineering was opened within the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, established at the Slovak Technical University by a law of 1939.

In 1950 the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering was renamed the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering by the Higher Education Act. In 1951 this Faculty was split into two independent faculties: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Faculty of Electrical Engineering.

The profile and credit of the faculty has been built up by many significant personalities, such as professors J. Čabelka, E. Foit, J. Garaj, J. Gonda, A. Hebký, E. Hirschfeld, J. Kováč, J. Kožoušek jun., V. Křivánek, J. Nemessányi, O. Puchner, E. Škrabal, M. Škrabák, G. Stegmann, E. Šišolák, F. Šujanský, J. Lendel, and others.

In the fifties the number of students and teachers was increasing rapidly, purposive scientific and research activities were developing  and the co-operation of the Faculty with industrial factories, research institutes  and the Slovak Academy of Sciences was extended. In the eighties the foundation of consultation centers of a technological and economical character became very important  in the education structure  of mechanical engineers. In the course of time the original intention to have a graduate with one profile was re-considered and substituted by a principle of providing sufficient knowledge of a general character and acquiring deeper knowledge  in a certain sphere – specialization.

In 1940 the division of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering had a section of Mechanical Engineering, a section of Electrical Engineering and a section of Aviation Engineering. The division which originally had its seat in the historic building in Vazovova Street moved to a recently erected building in Mýtna Street in 1947. In 1948 the foundation stone of a new building was laid in today's Námestie slobody 17. The building was completed in 1963. The majority of today's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering moved there. Later the Faculty acquired other premises in Pionierska and Vazovova Streets.

The Department of Materials and Technologies, originally called the Department of  Mechanical Technology, can be found not in the campus of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering but in Pionierska Street. This Department came into being in 1986 and was established after the foundation of the Faculty of  Mechanical Technology of STU in Bratislava. It follows the tradition of the Institute of Mechanical Technology (1942) and the Department of Mechanical Technology (1950). In 1965 this Department was divided into the Department of Forming and Forming Machines and the Department of Physical Metallurgy, Welding and Casting.

The Department of Thermal Power Engineering belongs among the oldest departments of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. It was established as the IV. Institute of Machine Construction and was renamed the Institute of Steam Generators and Engines in1948 and Department of Steam Generators and Engines in 1950. The Department of Heat Engineering has its origin in the Chair of Compressors and Cooling Machines (1943) which developed into the Institute of Compressors and Cooling Machines (1945).

In 1941-1942 the Institute of Technical Mechanics was founded, in 1951 it was renamed the Department Technical Mechanics. This Department which was originally offering courses for the whole school has been developing its activities till now with its unchanged name.

In 1945 the Institute of Machine Parts and Cranes detached from the former IIIrd Institute of Machine Construction. After its union with the Institute of Technical Drawing and the Institute of General Engineering in 1951, the Department of Machine Parts was established. Later it was renamed the Department of Machine Parts and Gearing and since 1990 it has been called again the Department of Machine Parts.

The Department of Chemical Machines and Equipment was founded in 1952 with the aim of educating engineers for chemical, food and processing industries. In 1958 the Cabinet of Strength of Materials was constituted at the Department of Technical Mechanics. From this Cabinet an independent Department of Strength of Materials was established in1959. In 1962 the independent Department of Electrical Engineering was established. Later it was renamed the Department of Mechanical Applied Electrical Engineering and in 1999 again the Department of Electrical Engineering . In 1964 the Department of Automation and Regulation was established by some of the staff of the Department of Steam Generators and Engines using some rooms and equipment that had belonged to this department. The Department of Automation and Regulation was later renamed Department of Automation and Measurement.

The present Department of Physics has its origin in the Institute of Technical Physics(1938) and the Department of Physics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering from which it detached in 1961. The independent Department of Mathematics was also established in 1961 after the division of the Department of Mathematics at the STU. The Department of Physical Education was established in 1962. At the beginning it provided physical education for students of all the faculties of the STU. An independent Department of Languages was constituted in 1990. It originated as a department which was responsible for teaching languages at the whole STU.

In 1960 – 1986 the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering had a Department of Organization and Management of Mechanical and Electrical Production which continued the activities of the Department of the Engineering Industry (1952) at the former Faculty of Economic Engineering at the STU.

In 1985 the Faculty of Mechanical Technology with its seat in Trnava was established. It consisted of several branches of study detached from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Bratislava.

The Computing Center of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering was established in 1978 as a part of the Institute of Computation Techniques of the STU. Till 1989, its main aim was to increase the computer support of the education at the Faculty and computing service. The independence it was given in 1992 and a new status of the center defined its tasks in the Faculty structure.

The Library and Information Center has formed an independent section of the Faculty since 1963. Its funds contain more than one hundred thousand books, text books, journals and official documents.

The first lectures in mechanical engineering for about 100 students were begun in the academic year 1940/41 in provisional premises in Mýtna Street. The thousandth graduate obtained his diploma in 1957, the five thousandth graduated in 1973 and in 1983 the ten thousandth mechanical engineer completed his studies. The total number of graduates reached by 2005 nearly 20 000.

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering had in 1951 eight departments and three study branches (mechanization and transport, power engineering ant technology). In 1985 the number of departments increased to seventeen and within three streams  (technology, economy and engineering design) to eleven study branches. Today the Faculty is accredited to provide study in thirteen MSc branches, five BSc and ten PhD branches covered with the pedagogical staff of more than 148 teachers. The studies are provided by fifteen departments.