Dr. David Briesenick wins the Südwestmetall award

On April 22, 2026, the employers' association at Südwestmetall honored eight early-career researchers from state universities in Baden-Würtemburg. The awards were given for dissertations that demonstrate particular relevance for the industrial world of work. „ Through their outstanding dissertations, the award winners bring the research achievements at Baden-Württemberg’s state universities to life for us in a direct and highly diverse way “, said Peter S. Krause, chair of Südwestmetall,at the awards ceremony.

This year, the winners once again include a doctoral researcher from the University of Stuttgart: Dr. David Briesenick received the award, endowed with 5,000 EUR, for his outstanding dissertation, completed at the Institute for Metal Forming Technology (IFU).

“Sustainable solutions for industry emerge where innovative technologies and sustainability converge – a potential that is far from being fully realized, even in established fields such as metal forming.” This is clearly demonstrated in David Briesenick's work. “Congratulations on winning the Südwestmetall Award,” says Prof. Peter Middendorf, Rector at the University of Stuttgart.

The use of high-strength steel sheets enables the construction of components that are both extremely durable and lightweight. This makes high-strength steel an interesting material, for example when used for load-bearing structures in car body construction, or for the aviation and aerospace industries. A process known as metal forming is used to shape sheet steel into the form required for a specific application. During this process, steel sheet is formed using forming tools and targeted force. "High-strength steel sheet is a particularly challenging material for conventional forming processes", says Dr. David Briesenick. “Processing this material requires extreme force or additional heating – and thus energy. Furthermore, the production of components made from high-strength steel tend to require more material.”

For his dissertation, Dr. David Briesenick developed a new procedure for forming high-strength steel sheet. "The deep pressing process is a modification of the widely used deep drawing technique", explains Briesenick. In conventional deep drawing, the flat sheet metal is pulled over forming dies under tensile forces using a controlled sheet-holding mechanism. “To do this, the sheet metal used must be larger than the final component shape.” This means that the production of every component results in manufacturing-related material scrap, which in some cases can amount to as much as 50 percent.” Briesenick has “reversed” the deep-drawing process: In deep-pressing, forming elements push the sheet metal under pressure into the forming die, closely following the final contour. This requires less material and uses less energy than deep drawing. Furthermore, this new process enables precise forming due to reduced springback of the high-strength steel sheet.

The new process enables significant material savings and improved energy efficiency. “Given the scarcity of raw materials and high energy prices, deep pressing is an attractive option for industry, not least for cost reasons,” says Briesenick, who has overseen the development of the patented process at the Institute for Metal Forming Technology (IFU) from the ground up since 2019. “It all began with basic research and laboratory-scale testing.” The IFU has since entered into a contractual agreement for a technology transfer partnership with a company. The aim is to increase the process's technology readiness level through practical testing.

The Südwestmetall award emphasizes the practical relevance of this process. "Above all, the award has made it clear to me that the idea is resonating with people even outside the professional community. At the same time, the award confirms that the further development of classical manufacturing processes offers significant leverage for greater sustainability and efficiency", emphasizes David Briesenick.

David Briesenicks enthusiasm for his rather “exotic” field of study was sparked during his Master’s program in “Automotive and Engine Engineering” at the University of Stuttgart. “I actually wanted to go into engine development. But then, through Prof. Liewald’s lectures on vehicle body construction at the Institute for Metal Forming Technology, I discovered my fascination with production engineering and the design possibilities offered by metal forming.”

After successfully completing his dissertation – which was awarded a summa cum laude – David Briesenick moved into the private sector. He wants to continue to explore new areas and is currently working as a development manager at a medium-sized company specializing in metal forming technology. “The field of metal forming is a relatively small professional community, but our expertise is in high demand in the industry – there is a huge demand for skilled workers!”