In Memoriam

Excerpt

Professor José Joaquim de Almeida Grácio dedicated his research career to the study of material forming at different scales. Motivated by the understanding of the low scale physical factors that control the mechanical behavior of materials, he contributed to the development of constitutive models and their applications to numerical simulations of manufacturing processes. The multi-scale concept was so strong in his mind that he applied it at all levels of his professional life. Following the model of materials, for which a particular composition with an organized microstructure leads to desired properties and performance, he selected individuals and associated them “at different scales”, namely: i) Very small clusters of experts assembled in sub-working groups, ii) Scale transition to larger size groups dedicated to traditional fields of mechanical engineering, nanoengineering, transportation technology, biomechanics and applied energy and finally, iii) Integration of all these groups into the Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation - TEMA - a R&D unit that he created and led to international recognition. Professor José Grácio was a visionary and, by designing TEMA 20 years ago, he created nothing less than a contemporary research unit not only capable of developing high quality research but also suited for convergence engineering in support of the Portuguese industry.

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