Assessment of the supervision process:

The main communication with the PhD candidate regarding his thesis topic was conducted through regular weekly meetings. More detailed discussions of the dissertation topic, including planned experiments, partial results, and proposals for further steps, then took place approximately every four to six months. The PhD candidate also actively discussed specific topics of prepared studies with other experts in the materials characterisation field. Throughout the study, communication went smoothly, and disruptions and slowdowns in activities occurred only during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assessment of the candidate's ability to work independently:

The PhD candidate proved his ability to work independently. From the beginning of the studies, he participated in several research projects. The tasks he received were completed on time and to a high standard. He proved capable of guiding students on bachelor's and master's theses. The PhD candidate prepared and solved one educational faculty project for the subject Additive Technologies and one faculty internal project related to his PhD topic “The strategy for wire arc additive manufacturing of overhangs”. During the projects, he showed that he can independently plan experiments, evaluate the results, and prepare final research reports. The PhD candidate also demonstrated the ability to formulate hypotheses on his own research and test them with experiments he designed. During his studies, he initiated cooperation with researchers from STU Bratislava and TU Delft.

Assessment of the contribution that the research makes to knowledge in the field:

The dissertation makes a significant and original contribution to the field of wire arc directed energy deposition (WADED) of magnesium alloys, addressing several important research gaps that have limited the wider application of this technology. The work provides a systematic investigation of deposition path planning, characteristic CMT process parameters, and thermal management, establishing clear relationships between process conditions, geometrical accuracy, microstructural evolution, residual stresses, and defect formation. Particularly valuable is the comprehensive study of AZ61 magnesium alloy, for which fundamental knowledge on process optimisation has previously been limited. A major contribution lies in the development of practical processing strategies that enable stable fabrication of thin-walled, overhanging, and volumetric components while improving component quality and process robustness. The dissertation also introduces new experimental equipment and methodologies, including customised thermal management and filler wire preparation systems, which substantially expand the research capabilities in this area. The successful fabrication of a representative structured demonstrator confirms the practical applicability of the developed approaches. Overall, the research advances both the scientific understanding and industrial potential of WADED processing of magnesium alloys and provides a solid foundation for future developments in lightweight structural additive manufacturing. The quality and scientific relevance of the research outcomes are evidenced by four publications in peer-reviewed impact journals, with the PhD candidate being the first author of three publications and a co-author of one. Furthermore, the research results have been disseminated through presentations at two international scientific conferences.

Conclusion:

A PhD thesis of Jakub Slavíček is an independent scientific work that presents a novel solution to a significant problem in the research area and demonstrates the candidate’s ability to conduct independent research. I recommend it for the defence.

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