The publication presents solutions for the specialised rotary systems of positioning glass products of common use in functional layer application processes. The results constitute an element of technical-organisational activities that contribute toimproving the effectiveness of machinery in serial production as product ranges change. Colourful or metallic coatings are often applied to glass containers (glasses, candle containers, plant pots, vases) in the final production phase to create a protective or aesthetic effect. Coating techniques usually consist of spraying a colouring agent onto a product’s surface or depositing metal couples in a vacuum environment. The role of a product positioning system in these technologies is to evenly expose the surface intended for coating to the directional source of the applied coating material and to protect the surface not to be coated. When a product range changes (with some considerable differences in dimensions, weight and shape of the products), the use of effective, automated production lines and special, industrial coating devices becomes problematic. This stems from the necessity of a work-consuming retooling of a multi-socket technological conveyor or limiting the use of the operating space of a vacuum chamber. The authors’ solutions allow for an easy and efficient modification of technological devices in order to improve productivity. The described outcomes are the result of cooperation of Łukasiewicz - Institute for Sustainable Technologies in Radom with the TREND GLASS glassworks concerning the maintenance, development and modernisation of technological equipment.
Zinc oxide coatings commonly known for their biocidal properties were co-sputtered with metallic silver. Coatings were deposited on iron substrates with High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) method for the following durations: 5, 20, 40 and 60 minutes. The influence of deposition time on surface morphology, chemical and phase composition, surface roughness and wettability were evaluated. The results showed that silver segregation was observed on the surface of the coating, with the amount of silver increasing with process duration, while phase composition of all coatings remains consistent. Studies of surface properties show all the ZnO-Ag coatings have low roughness and are highly hydrophobic, with slight increase of the values of these parameters with deposition time.
Burnout represents one of the most pressing challenges in contemporary work and learning environments shaped by rapid technological change, performance pressures, and lifelong learning imperatives. While burnout research has extensively examined corporate employees, healthcare professionals, and entrepreneurs, vocational education and training (VET) teachers remain underrepresented, despite occupying hybrid professional roles bridging education, industry, and workforce development. This article develops a theoretical and conceptual analysis of skills competitions, particularly those embedded within the WorldSkills ecosystem, as a systemic intervention mitigating teacher burnout. Integrating Maslach’s multidimensional burnout theory, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model, the paper proposes a framework that explains how competition-based learning environments transform occupational demands into developmental and motivational resources. Drawing on the organisational logic of WorldSkills-oriented roles (e.g., Skills Expert, Skills Competition Coordinator) and assessment practices (Test Projects, Marking Schemes), the study argues that skills competitions enhance autonomy, competence, and relatedness, while simultaneously restoring professional meaning, recognition, and work engagement. Consequently, skills competitions function not merely as talent-development tools for learners, but also as system-level burnout-prevention mechanisms for educators within contemporary learning economies
The performance of hot-forging tools is governed by temperature-driven thermomechanical degradation and associated wear mechanisms of surface-engineered layers operating under severe contact loading. This study investigates the high-temperature degradation and wear mechanisms of Orvar 2 m hot-work tool steel modified by two industrially relevant but architecturally distinct surface engineering routes: diffusion nitriding and deposition of a nanocomposite CrN-based PVD coating system incorporating a TiC-containing interlayer, without the formation of a conventional diffusion-hardened subsurface zone. Laboratory-scale ball-on-disc sliding tests were conducted at 250–500 °C under contact conditions representative of hot die forging to identify temperature-driven transitions in dominant wear and degradation mechanisms and to assess the thermomechanical stability of the surface-modified layers. The laboratory results were subsequently confronted with observations from industrial forging exposure in order to evaluate the predictive capability of ball-on-disc testing for different surface engineering strategies. The diffusion-nitrided variant exhibited moderate improvements under laboratory conditions; however, under industrial forging conditions its performance was limited by cracking, fragmentation, and localized loss of the nitrided layer, indicating insufficient thermomechanical stability and a temperature-driven overestimation of durability by laboratory-scale testing. In contrast, the CrN/TiC-based coating system, characterized by the absence of a diffusion-based subsurface gradient, demonstrated a fundamentally different degradation response, maintaining structural integrity and stable surface behavior across the investigated temperature range. The low and stable friction response of the coated system was associated with its high thermal stability and resistance to temperature-activated oxidation-assisted degradation. The results demonstrate that ball-on-disc testing reliably captures temperature-driven wear and degradation mechanisms but does not necessarily predict service durability of diffusion-based surface treatments. The findings provide insight into the relationship between surface engineering architecture, temperature-driven thermomechanical stability, and wear mechanisms of hot-work tool steels under realistic forging conditions.
The limited lifetime of hot forging tools, caused by severe wear mechanisms such as abrasion, adhesion, thermal fatigue, and plastic deformation, remains a major challenge in forging operations. The study encompasses the entire process, from concept to industrial implementation. It begins with basic laboratory tests of the innovative material, followed by the application of protective coatings on an industrial scale to forging dies, which were then successfully used in production. The research presents the development and evaluation of novel hybrid surface treatments combining plasma nitriding with nanocomposite coatings based on tungsten boride alloyed with either tantalum (W-Ta-B) or titanium (W-Ti-B). The coatings were deposited using High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) from SPS-fabricated ternary targets. Laboratory characterization included structural, mechanical, tribological, and oxidation resistance analyses. The W-Ti-B films exhibited superhardness above 40 GPa and superior wear resistance, while the W-Ta-B coatings demonstrated enhanced oxidation resistance and adhesion. Both coatings revealed fine columnar microstructures and favorable H/E* and H³/E² ratios, indicating high resistance to plastic deformation and cracking. Industrial trials under hot forging conditions confirmed their effectiveness, with tool life extended by up to 80
