Renowned metal deformation scientist Professor Betzalel Avitzur established the Institute for Metal Forming (IMF) at Lehigh University in 1970. The original objectives of the Institute were to teach the principles and applications of metal forming technology to graduate and undergraduate students, to provide instruction and equipment for graduate research in metal forming processes, and to assist industry by providing solutions to metal forming problems.

Since 1997, under the leadership of Professor Wojciech (Wojtek) Misiolek the IMF is conducting cross-disciplinary research in materials forming and processing. The general objectives of the Institute are not very different, however many faculty members and graduate students are working with their counterparts from other departments using latest material characterization as well as physical and numerical modeling techniques to solve current challenges in structural biology and optical materials.