Seminario Prof. João Pedro Grosa Magrinho
Sheet-Bulk Forming: From fundamentals and formability limits to tailored laser heat treatment
Prof. João Pedro Grosa Magrinho, IDMEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon
Abstract: Sheet-bulk forming combines the plane stress conditions of sheet forming with the three-dimensional stress states of bulk forming. It produces net-shape sheet parts with local functional features, such as teeth, ribs, bosses and flanges, placed outside the plane of the blank. Integrating these features into a single part reduces the number of components, shortens process chains, and supports lightweight design in the automotive, railway, and defense sectors. The seminar introduces the classification of sheet-bulk forming processes and a process-independent view based on three fundamental material flows: thickening, local thickening and injection. Applications are presented first in sheets, using a flexible laboratory demonstrator, and then in thin-walled tubes, through boss forming and injection forging of flanges. Formability is discussed through fracture in tension, in-plane shear, and out-of-plane shear. Finally, joint work with Politecnico di Bari shows how tailored laser heat treatment of AW6082-T6 sheets reduces forming forces, prevents fracture, and widens the process window. The seminar closes with conclusions and future trends.
João Pedro Grosa Magrinho is a researcher at IDMEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, working on sheet and tube forming, formability and plastic instability. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico (2019), with a thesis on the process limits of sheet-bulk forming, and an MSc in Economics and Innovation Management from ISEG (2024).
Alongside his academic career, he has worked as a product engineer, RDI manager, and R&D manager in tooling and manufacturing companies. He has coordinated various R&D projects totaling more than €40 million and serves as an R&D project evaluator. He has authored 30 journal papers, 36 conference papers, and 5 book chapters (h-index 11), and has supervised 28 MSc theses.