Engineering Mechanics

Prague, May 18, 2012

Dear colleagues,

First, I would like to thank everyone again for her/his active participation in the 18th ENGINEERING MECHANICS 2012 Conference in SVRATKA. I hope you enjoyed the meeting.

During last four days 223 experts from the Czech Republic and abroad have had the opportunity to listen to two keynote lectures and 173 contributions in five parallel sections. 24 posters entered the competition of the general manager of ZDAS. The main prize has been awarded to the poster Mechanical design of the active orthosis by T. Ripel, J. Krejsa.

Thanks to all of you, our main scientific objective to share novel scientific ideas and projects, has certainly been successful. Science communications very much live or die according to what the participants are willing to share and I really appreciate everyone's contribution.

To remind the event, several photos have been posted in the gallery. I would be glad if you can share your pictures and supplement our humble collection. If you should have any further requests or suggestions about the conference, please do not hesitate to contact us.

My special thanks are addressed to the young authors. Scientific work is not easy, often tedious and painful, but don’t lose your hearts. Let the thoughts of one of the greatest thinkers of the world, chosen as motto of the this year’s conference, inspire your continuous effort:

• Mechanics is the paradise of the mathematical sciences because by means of it one comes to the most beautiful fruits of mathematics.
• Just as eating against one’s will is injurious to health, so studying without a liking for it spoils the memory, and it retains nothing it takes in.

(Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519)

In this place, I would like to greatly thank to all, who contributed their effort to the conference success. These are namely
- my closest colleague Cyril Fischer, PhD. for most of the preparation work,
- general manager of ZDAS Miroslav Šabart, MSc. and managing director Ivan Trajteľ, MSc. for favor, noticeable support and great collaboration,
- Michael Formánek, MSc. and Ivo Křivánek for excellent management of the cooperation between ZDAS and the organizing committee,
- the both ladies, Radka Hračová and Libuše Mokrá, who welcomed you in the registration and solved every single problem which had appeared,
- all the assistants in the lecture halls – Mr. Tomáš Brůna, Jan Koleš, MSc., Martin Wünsche, MSc., Ondřej Vála, MSc. and Petr Koudelka, MSc. – for smooth course of the presentations,
- all the colleagues of the Institute of theoretical and applied mechanics, AS CR, who participated in preparation and during the konference,
- manager of the hotel Svratka, Matúš Molčan, MSc. and all the personnel of the hotel for very kind and co-operative support,
- and to all others who has contributed to the success of the conference.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the conference EM2012 is over. However, the next year’s conference EM2013 in Svratka is going to be held in May, 13-16, 2013. The event will be organized by the Institute of thermomechanics under the guidance of Igor Zolotarev, PhD. We invite you to follow the further announcements.

With my best regards and wishes for an inspiring year.

14 – 17 May 2012, Svratka, Czech Republic

Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i.
Institute of Thermomechanics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v. v. i.
Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics and Biomechanics Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Technical University of Brno
ŽĎAS, a.s., Zdar nad Sázavou
IFTOMM Member Committee of the Czech Republic
Czech Society for Mechanics
Association for Engineering Mechanics

The objective of the 18th conference is to provide a forum for researchers to discuss the state-of-the-art in Mechanics of Solids, Fluids and Thermomechanics, this particularly in connection with problems under investigation in the Czech Republic. Problems of Engineering Mechanics related to the contemplated topics can be discussed, and their solutions presented, during the sessions of the Conference, held at the Hotel of the ŽĎAS, a.s., situated in the beautiful countryside of the Žďár Highlands.

EM2012 aims to provide an forum for researchers, industry practitioners, engineers and postgraduate scholars to promote, exchange and disseminate knowledge and experiences of the most recent results and advances in a wide range of topics in Engineering Mechanics, including, but not limited to:

• Biomechanics
• Fluid Mechanics
• Kinematics
• Mechatronics
• Thermomechanics
• Dynamics
• Fracture Mechanics
• Mechanics of Solids
• Reliability of Structures
• Historical Structures

All of the posters exhibited at the Conference will be accepted into the competition for the prize of the general manager of the ŽĎAS company. Proceedings are going to be submitted to Thomson's ISI database.