The predecessor of our Institute was established in the early period of higher technical education, in the academic year 1963/64, initially as the independent Departments of Materials Science and Manufacturing Technology. In 1987, the two Departments were merged under the direction of Dr. Béla Angyal during the reorganization of the college (institutionalization). The professional autonomy and profile of both Departments was maintained within the established Institute of Mechanical Engineering. During the reorganization in 1990, the Departments became independent again, with Dr. Antal Kisfaludy, Dr. Imre Czinege and Dr. György Sárossy in charge of the Department of Materials and Technology Engineering, and Dr. P. Sándor Nagy, Dr. András Váradi and Dr. Sándor Sipos in a leading position in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. As a result of the organizational changes brought about by the integration of the College in 2001, the departments became Institutional Departments again. The Director of the Institute was Dr. Béla Palásti Kovács, the Deputy Director Dr. Mihály Réger.
From 1 January 2007, as a result of the unified structure of the Budapest Polytechnic, they continued to operate in the form of specialized groups under the direction of Dr Gyula Bagyinszki and Dr Balázs Mikó, vice-directors of the Institute.
From 1 January 2010, after the transformation into a university, our institute continued its activities under the name of the Óbuda University – Bánki Donát Faculty of Mechanical and Safety Engineering – Institute of Materials and Manufacturing (AGI), under the leadership of Dr. Béla Palásti Kovács, Dr. Mihály Réger and later Dr. Pál Rácz.
From November 2016, the Institute is headed by Dr. Péter Pinke, the Head of the Department of Materials Technology is Dr. Tünde Kovács, and the Head of the Department of Manufacturing Technology is Dr. Gabriella Farkas.
From October 2022, the name of the institute has changed, and its educational and research and development tasks will be carried out under the name of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (GTI), directed by Dr. Péter Pinke. The Institute continues to be composed of two departments, the Department of Materials Technology, headed by Dr. Istvánné Ráthy, and the Department of Manufacturing Technology, headed by Dr. Gabriella Farkas. The Department of Materials Technology will be headed by Dr. Viktor Gonda from 1 September 2023. The Institute will bring together the teaching, research and scientific work of the departments and set the direction for the modernization of curricula and teaching methods in the context of mechanical engineering education.
The activities of the Department of Manufacturing Technology (GYT) cover the fields of machining technology, tooling, computer-aided design and manufacturing technology, metrology and quality. The Department of Materials Technology (ATT) focuses on materials science and heat treatment, forming technology and welding technology, which have been extended to include machine design because of the new institutional structure of the Bánki Faculty.
The GYT is responsible for the CAD-CAM-CNC specialization of the BSc. in Mechanical Engineering and the specialization in Combat Vehicle Engineering. The ATT is responsible for the specialization in Mechanical Engineering (BSc.) and the specialization in Welding Technology (MSc.). Both departments have a significant stock of machinery, technological equipment and testing instruments. Our equipment is effectively applied in teaching, in faculty research projects and in the implementation of R&D (research and development) tasks in the framework of extensive industrial-economic cooperation.