Henri Iglesis

A boilermaker by trade, Henri Iglesis invented a process in 2008 that makes steel breathe: blown sheet metal.

Three generations of workshops

Born in 1964 in Perpignan, he grew up in his father's workshop, a turner-toolmaker; his grandfather was a blacksmith. In 1981, he finished his schooling with dual qualifications as a boilermaker and welder, and worked in a manufacturing workshop.

The invention of blown sheet metal

In 2008, while creating a statue that resembled his son, he had the idea of injecting air into a previously welded assembly of sheet metal. He cut two pieces, welded them, then deformed them with compressed air: the volume swelled like a balloon ready to escape.

A patented process

He refined and developed this shaping method, which is now officially registered; the term "blown sheet metal" is a trademarked term.