At ISME’s (Institute of Sheet Metal Engineering) 75th anniversary Gold Medal Dinner event held on Friday 19thNovember 2021 in The Fairlawns Hotel, West Midlands, Professor Jianguo Lin of Imperial College London and LightForm investigator was awarded the Gold Medal for his contribution to the UK sheet metal industry. Over 50 industrialists and their partners attended the event. 

The institute (isme.org.uk) was founded in 1946 to promote the science and technology of sheet metal for the industry and co-operation between members and provide a body to share knowledge and skills. ISME also works closely with IMechE and IoMMM to encourage the development of sheet metal working technologies and skills through their annual “Sheet Metal Skills Competition” for young people and other activities.      

Professor Lin and his team at Imperial College London has developed sheet metal forming method “Solution Heat treatment, cold die Forming and Quenching”, or known as HFQ®-technology*(hfqtechnology.com), which enables high-strength complex-shaped panel components to be stamped with light-alloys, particularly for high strength aluminium alloys, and it is a key research area in LightForm, where research was conducted to accelerate ageing in formed products and understand their corrosion resistance. HFQ® was commercialised by the Imperial College Spin-Off company, Impression Technologies Ltd, Coventry (impression-technologies.com). The HFQ® enables the UK sheet metal industry to lead the technologies on stamping high strength complex-shaped light-alloy components and has been used to make body and chassis structural components for transportation vehicles for energy saving and CO2 emission reduction. 

*HFQ® is a Trademark registered by Impression Technologies Ltd