"Impulses and Innovations in Metal Forming" - Celebrations on the occasion of the IUL’s 50th anniversary

On the first day of the festivities the technical symposium "Impulses and Innovations in Metal Forming" was dedicated to the future of forming technology. The international audience was able to discover innovations and the latest processes in six exciting presentations in the fields of sheet metal forming, production of forming machines, forming simulations, material characterization, impulse and high-speed forming, and data-driven models in sheet metal forming. The guests had lively discussions after the presentations with the contributing professors Zhigang Wang (Japan), Peter Groche (Germany), Frédéric Barlat (South Korea), A. Erman Tekkaya (IUL), Glenn Daehn (USA), and Dirk Mohr (Switzerland) from international research institutions.

The second day of the event celebrated a half-century of the institute's history in all its facets. Distinguished guests from the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, universities, industry, and associations honored the institute's successes and developments and emphasized the good cooperation over the past decades in their speeches. IUL alumni honored 50 years of the institute's history by looking back on the beginnings of the institute, which was established in 1972 under the direction of Professor Eberhard von Finckenstein as the Chair of Forming Manufacturing Processes (Lehrstuhl für Umformende Fertigungsverfahren). The chair was founded soon after the founding of Universität Dortmund (later TU Dortmund University). Finally, the speakers illustrated the path to today's Institute of Forming Technology and Lightweight Components (IUL) under the direction of Professor Matthias Kleiner and Professor A. Erman Tekkaya. Today, the institute is one of the most internationally renowned and largest institutes in its field. It is characterized by broad-based, excellent research and a high level of education for students and young scientists. A special moment was also the tribute to Professor Kleiner on the occasion of his retirement. The attendants of the festivities gave a warm welcome to Gerd von Finckenstein, the son of Professor Eberhard von Finckenstein.

During the ceremony, the institute's staff informed the guests about the latest technological developments in forming technology during guided lab tours and demonstrated processes on the machines in the experimental hall. Another highlight was the bicycle tour starting from the institute to Thyssenkrupp's Rothe Erde site in Dortmund. There, on a guided tour of the plant site, the participants gained insight into the production of large-diameter antifriction bearings and seamless rolled rings. The tour continued through the western city center and past the stadium of Dortmund’s famous soccer club BVB 09 back to the IUL.