The gathering was hosted in collaboration with the Department of Vehicles and Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering. Its head and at the same time the chairman of the Board for the Curriculum for the Field of Study in Transport, dr hab. inż. Damian Batory, TUL professor, spoke about the opportunities a degree in this field opens given the rapid development of the freight forwarding and logistics market. Transport and Logistics Day drew the attention of 170 people, technical high schools students and teachers, TUL students, representatives of manufacturing companies, and business clients seeking technical solutions.
The section of the event held in the patio of the Factory of Engineers included a presentation by Wielton, a leading manufacturer of trailers, on the research the company has conducted on their main product. Those who listened closely to the talk and decided to take part in the competition had a chance to win small prizes. Next, demonstrated were STABAUTECH forklift-mounted vision inspection systems as well as STILL's autonomous mobile robot which circled the patio while its navigation and control systems were explained.
The parking lot in front of the Factory of Engineers was were equipment used in logistics and transportation was showcased: a high-tech semi-trailer (Wielton), a new generation forklift (STILL), vision systems to improve the safety of internal transport (STABAUTECH), and finally WANZL sets. It is worth noting that WANZL was the first company to patent shopping baskets and carts for self-service stores.
One of the Day’s participants commented:
We had the opportunity to have a look at technological innovation in transportation industry. The companies discussed their business in greater detail. Other valuable information was provided by a a representative of the Roads and Transportation Authority, Mr. Michał Niedźwiecki, who discussed vehicle inspections.
The plenary section designated for the presentation of papers belonged to TUL students. Jan Nowiński, in the third year of a degree program in Transport explained and demonstrated how to control a mechanical arm fitted with a gripper, which he himself built. Next, Julia Fornalek, a fourth year student of logistics, delivered a very engaging paper on the types of transportation in the Paris metropolitan area and on how to get around the city efficiently. Another very interesting paper was given by Krzysztof Pigla from STILL who presented hydrogen drives and forklift innovation which have been transforming intralogistics, also known as or internal logistics.
The attendees felt that the gathering was very worthwhile: 'I think that this type of events are useful for students,' one of them said.
The previously mentioned Jan Nowinski remarked:
The Day of Transportation and Logistics is a really positive event that helps these young people facing major life choices about their studies and their future career to get a better idea of what the direction they are interested in is likely to offer. Such gatherings can also provide a lot of inspiration for their own work and pursuit of their interests. All who wanted to seek answers to their questions had the opportunity to do so. Organizing such events is the right thing to do, not least because it shows how many opportunities modern transportation industry and this field of study at Lodz University of Technology offer.