The Mechanical Engineering Department was established in 1962 as the Semiconductor and Electrovacuum Mechanical Engineering (SEME) by means of the reorganization of the Production Engineering Department and Меtal-Cutting Tools and Instrumentation Department.
The main objective of the Department at that time was the training of the specialists, engaged in the research, development and exploitation of technological equipment and devices for semiconductor and electrovacuum devices, ultrahigh vacuum systems, spacecraft systems production.
The founders and the first lecturers were Bespalov K. (the head of the Department), Silin R., Shtankov O., Mykhailyshyn Yu., Vasylenko I., Tkachenko M., Shevchenko M, Kozhunkina D., Tykhonov O., Kodra Yu., Stotsko Z., Stratinevskyi G., Minieieva V.
The Department was headed by:
- Bespalov Konstiantyn (1962 — 1977);
- Kodra Yurii (1977 — 1987);
- Stotsko Zinovii (1987 — present).
In December 1964 the first specialists, majored in Semiconductor and Electrovacuum Mechanical Engineering, graduated. In 1965 three research laboratories were created: automation of production processes in instrumentation, film coatings, and vacuum technology. In 1966 the postgraduate course was set up on the basis of the Department. For a long time (1979-1987) the affiliate of the Department functioned at the production association “Kineskop”. Since 1977 till 1991 the branch laboratory Air Hydraulic Units Sealing has functioned.
In 1992, the Department SEME was renamed into the Mechanical Engineering Department (EME). In April 1999 the Department opened the Faculty of Processing and Food Production, and in December 2001 the first defense of the qualification projects in the new specialty took place.
Now the Mechanical Engineering Department is a part of the Institute of Engineering Mechanics and Transport of Lviv Polytechnic National University. The Department has 18 employees, including 12 lecturers; there are modern educational and scientific laboratories:
- technological equipment computer-aided design systems;
- processes and machines of processing and food production;
- computation and design of technological equipment;
- computer-aided control of technological equipment.
More than 80 units of the unique technological equipment for the study of the electron emitter, the high vacuum seals of the cyclophasotron of the world’s first thermonuclear system “Tokomak-3”, the high vacuum systems of spacecraft sustenance, the set of precision devices and rigs for the film coatings production, and the equipment for products packing into the shrink-wrap, bread cutting machines were designed and manufactured in the educational and research laboratories of the Department. The set of state budget scientific research in theoretical bases of vibration machines of 3D processing products with unbalanced drive modeling and design was done. Over ten command technical testimonial materials and branch standards in sealing unit development for vacuum systems and high pressure systems were developed.
The Department’s faculty received more than 100 author’s certificates and patents for inventions; 10 monographs and tutorials and over 450 research papers were published.