The Department of Welding was founded in the mechanical department of the Kiev Polytechnic Institute in 1935 on the initiative of famous scientist and engineer Paton E. O. He became its first head. Groups on the 2nd and 3rd courses of study were formed through the transfer of students from other disciplines and since 1938 the first issue of 17 mechanical engineers with the specialization in "Equipment and technology of welding production" was made.
An outstanding scholar and teacher Paton E. O. based training in welding engineering on principles of combination of theoretical and practical training, obedience training content to practical task of welding, high standards for students, wide usage of modern science and technology. Today the department staff is committed to this principle.
The members of organized in 1934 Institute of Electric USSR Academy of Sciences (IES) took part in the educational process at the department in those years. Among them were V.I.Dyatlov, A.M.Sydorenko, V.V.Shevernytskyy, F.E.Sorokovskyy . Specialized disciplines were taught by invited members of other Departments - I.P.Trochun and N.V.Pines who were associate professors, assistant and H.K.Blavdzevych who was the chief metallurgist of aircraft factory M.M.Bort.
Paton left KPI in 1938 because of the workload as a director of IEZ. The department was headed by the associate professor V.L.Ulasyk. However Paton provided comprehensive assistance to the department, developing cooperation both of his offspring.
When the Great Patriotic War began, the KPI was evacuated to Tashkent. A lot of staff and students were mobilized in the Red Army, some moved to plants, and therefore the training of engineers for welding production ceased.
The Department immediately renewed its activity after returning from evacuation of KPI to Kyiv in 1944. The first postwar issue of mechanical engineers in the specialty of "Equipment and technology of welding production" was in 1947. From July to November 1944 the head of the department was professor H.I.Pohodin-Alekseev, from late 1944 to 1947 – associate professor I.P. Trochun and some time in 1947 associate professor M.M. Hapchenko and M.M.Bort. Great contribution to the development of the department did K.K.Hrenov academician who headed the department from 1947 to 1957. After K.K.Hrenov the department was headed by professor I.P.Trochun (1957-1967) and professor V.I.Dyatlov (1967-1969).
In 1969 the head of the Institute of Electric professor B.S.Kasatkin was invited to the post of the Head of Department. He led the department until June 1972 and substantially expanded the cooperation between the department and IEZ of Paton.
In the early 70s a joint training center for training and development engineers and welders was set up on the basis of KPI and IEZ. In September 1977 the Department moved to a new teaching and research building with area of 6000 m2, with modern equipment and appliances (now – building 23 of "KPI"). UNIDO seminar, training of national experts in the field of welding and training courses for welders started working on the basis of Welding Training Centre. Such scientists of IEZ as A.H.Potap'yevskyy, H.I.Leskov, A.I.Chvertko, V.R.Ryabov, V.M.Zamkov, V.E. .Moravskyy, V.I.Mahnenko, A.A.Rossoshynskyy, B.A.Movchan and others were invited for teaching at the department.
From 1972 to 1974 the head of the department was Ph.D. M.M.Hapchenko, and from 1974 it was headed by professor I.R.Patskevych. In 1978 the Department of welding equipment was separated from the Department of Welding under the guidance of professor V.P.Chernysh.
In 1991 the Department of machine parts recovery was separated from the Department of Welding. It was headed by PhD. V.M.Duhno, and since October 1993 – by professor V.M.Korzh. In 2001 the department was headed by professor V.D.Kuznetsov, and it was called " The Department of surface engineering." It had to prepare "Technology and equipment of renewal and improving the durability of machines and structures." From May 1989 to March 26, 2015 the Head of the Department of Welding was professor V.M.Prohorenko.
In 1975, the Department of Welding resumed its work. Slivinskiy A. M. was the dean and since 2002, WD is headed by professor S.K.Fomichov. Research work has been conducted at the department since its inception. The research work on the arc (H.B.Serdyuk, V.E.Moravskyy, H.V.Vasylyev, L.O.Byalotskyy), development of ceramic fluxes and their production technology (D.M.Kushnarov, I.M.Zhdanov, M.P.Hrebelnyk et al.), the development of ceramic fluxes for welding and welding technology (M.A.Horpenyuk, Yu.A.Yuzvenko, M .S.Samotryasov) were carried out Under the direction of academician K.K.Hrenov. Important work on theoretical issues of welding were performed under the supervision of V.I.Dyatlova.
Under the leadership of M.M.Hapchenko the weldability and brittle fracture of metals were studied at the department. These results were summarized in a series of monographs and doctoral theses.
In 50-60 years the work in flame processing of metals was performed under the direction of A.D.Kotvytskiy and M.M.Bort. The research work in the field of welding stresses and strains was conducted under the leadership I.M.Zhdanov and I.P.Trochun. In the 60's the research work on thermal deformation processes in welding (works of I.M.Zhdanov, I.M.Chertov, Ye.O.Korshenko, V.M.Prohorenko, A.S.Karpenko , V.M.Korzh, B.V.Medko) was conducted under the leadership of I.M.Zhdanov. M.I.Kopersak and A.M.Slyvinskyy studied alloying flux through the weld pool, as well as the processes of heating, melting and solidification of welding fluxes. From 1962 to 1978 under the direction of V.P.Chernysh the work on creating the methods of a magnetic control of welds crystallization was performed at the department (V.P.Chernysh, V.V.Syrovatka, I.V.Malinkin, V.D.Kuznetsov, V.A.Paharenko).
In 80s new scientific fields appeared at the Department of Welding. The study of surface phenomena in welding began under the supervision of I.R.Patskevych and with the participation V.P.Boyko. V.T.Kotyk, V.I.Prohorov, V.M.Kopersak, O.A.Hayevskyy, L.A.Zhdanov led by A.M.Slyvinskiy were involved in the creation of new welding materials. Methods of improving the accuracy of welded structures were intensively studied under the guidance of I.M.Zhdanov and with the participation of B.V.Medko, V.V.Lysak and others. Many interesting results were obtained by the employees V.V.Batyuk, B.O.Bobyn, S.M.Minakov, I.M.Hrysha and others who specialized in developing devices and technologies of nondestructive testing of welding residual stress in various welded structures. Significant results were obtained under the direction of V.M.Korzh in the development of equipment and technologies for welding hydrogen-oxygen flame. The research of temperature control of the weld pool and the electrode drops were made by V.M.Duhno and S.M.Hetmantsev. A great range of activities of improving the corrosion strength of welded structures were done under the leadership of S.K.Fomichov. Issues connected with fault detection and quality control of welded joints has been intensively developed since 1987 at the department under the guidance of I.P.Bilokur. The direction connected with the development of computer-aided design welding processes develops under the direction of I.P. Korinetz and with the participation of V.P. Boiko and Y.U. Ohaya. The results of these researches were summarized in a series of monographs and doctoral theses. K.O.Zvorykin with H.O.Kryvovym issued the fundamental book "Production of welded structures", which in 2015 became the winner of the university competition.
In recent years, the younger generation of teachers continues researches of their predecessors. The research of stressed state of welded structures are conducted by O.V.Prohorenko, A.O.Perepichay; the study of the properties of the arc is continued by V.L.Kovalenko; N.M.Strelenko and V.V.Hayevskyy explore the technological possibilities of welding and soldering. O.A.Slyvinskyy with magisters and postgraduates study the problems of structural welding of sheet metal using modern welding machines.
For 80 years the Department has produced thousands of highly qualified professionals. A lot of graduates have become prominent figures of science in welding production. There are more than 350 candidates and 45 doctors of technical sciences, including academicians and corresponding members of the NAS of Ukraine among the graduates. It is difficult to name all known graduates in this article. We note only a few names, including academics B.I.Medovar, I.K.Pohodnya, S.I.Kuchuk-Yatsenko, A.M.Makar and K.A.Yuschenko. A lot pf graduates have high managerial positions in industry. Our graduates successfully work not only in Ukraine but also abroad.
A lot of glorious pages in the history of the department were described by its students. They actively work in student construction brigades in Tyumen, Sakhalin and other regions of the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. In the years 1985-1987 the specialized department student teams participated in large-scale scientific and technological experiments on building pipelines from polyethylene pipes for water supply and gasification of settlements in Novoodesky district of Mykolayiv region. It was a good example of good cooperation between department and IEZ Paton when students led by teachers were involved in the implementation of scientists’ development.
The students of department are permanent members of the Ukrainian student competition in welding, and they take the first prizes in individual and team competition. Students and postgraduates regularly make presentations at scientific conferences. In 2010 our team won a prize in Ukrainian engineering competition and presented Ukraine to European competitions.
The Department of Welding was glorious by its activists who took part in the Days of the faculty, student production of large-newspapers, broadcasting organization in our building, creating a faculty library of several thousand books on welding.
The best students of the department get fellowship of E. O Paton and B.E. Paton, rector’s scholarship and mayor’s scholarship.
A lot of students from China, Iran, Vietnam, Cuba, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and other countries studied at the department of Welding. In recent years the number of students study abroad on program of a double diploma with University Otto-von-Guericke in Mahdeburh (Germany) and the Federal University in Uberlandia (Brazil). Some of our students received master diplomas of Ukrainian and German sample, and Brazilian and Ukrainian sample. Recently, the department staff has considerably updated. Young teachers has come. The department has been headed by professor V.V.Kvasnytskyy.
The staff of the Department of Welding "KPI" meets its 80th anniversary with resolution and is ready to continue high-level training of professionals and researchers.
