12^th International Seminar

„Track Maintenance Machines in Theory and Practice - SETRAS 2004“

The Scientific and Technical Society at the University of Zilina in co-operation with other organisations organised 12 ^th International Seminar „Track Maintenance Machnies in Theory and Practice - SETRAS 2004“ which was held in GAMA Club at the University Campu on Octobber 13 and 14, 2004.

The Seminar opened prof. Ing. Marián Dzimko, PhD., vice rector of University of Zilina, Ing. Zoltán Ádám, director of the Research and Development Institute of Railways Zilina, doc. Dr.Ing. Milan Sága, vice dean of Faculty of Mechanical Engineereing of University of Zilina and doc. Ing. Daniel Kalinčák, PhD., head of Department of Rail Vehicles, Engines and Lifting Equipment and chairman of the Programme and Organizing Committee of the Seminar.

The Seminar was aimed on the track maintenace machines and mechanizms, technologies of railways track construction and maintenace, track measurement devices and cars etc.

This year the preferred topics of the Seminar were machinery for modernised railway track, rail/road vehicles, equipment for diagnostics of railway track (track recording cars, rail profile measuring equipment, measuring of rail support stiffness etc.), welding of the rails and measuring and guiding systems for track maintenance machines.

Some lectures were related to relationship between track and dynamics of rail vehicles and problems of contact weel/rail.

The Seminar enabled exchange of experiences, served as the source of new information and supported establishing new contacts between specialists.

In the programme of the Seminar were included 29 lectures specialists from Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, United Kingdom and Slovakia. At the Seminar 15 companies presented their activities in various forms (oral presentation, panels, exhibiton of products etc.). This presentations raised great attention of participants of the Seminar and there were established a number of business contacts.

More than 210 participants from Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Russia, United Kingdom and Slovakia registered at the Seminar. At the end of the first day of the Seminar was evening reception at the University Canteen. Almost all participants of the Seminar took part in this social evening which offered repose after busy day. Many casual and usefull contacts between participants of the Seminar were initiated at the party.

All 29 papers were published in the Proceedings of the Seminar on 226 pages.

Next Seminar „SETRAS 2005“ will be held at the September 2005 as a part of the Week of Railway Activities “RAILINFORM 2005” and will be connected with the 8^th International Exhibition Railways and Transport “ŽEL-RAIL 2005” in the town Martin.