ET Foundation Announces Winners of the 2011 Aluminum Extrusion

Student Design Competition

(Wauconda, Illinois – June 15, 2011) Six students received accolades for award-winning designs submitted under the ET Foundation’s 2011 International Aluminum Extrusion Student Design Competition. The ET Foundation awarded $8,500 in scholarships, sponsored by Hydro’s North American extrusion unit, to recognize the winning designs—featuring extruded aluminum components—developed by students studying industrial design at schools around the world.

The designs were judged by professionals in the aluminum extrusion industry, including Craig Werner, President of Werner Extrusion Solutions LLC in Lake Forest, Illinois; David Asher, plant manager for Bon L Manufacturing Company in Kentland, Indiana; and Shane Tredup, Vice President of Operations for Custom Aluminum in South Elgin, Illinois. “Each year we are impressed with the entries submitted—with the creativeness of the participants and with their exceptional presentation capabilities,” said Werner. “The competition highlights why we, as an industry, need a world of these types of creative professionals helping to drive the use of aluminum extrusions, both through design and through high-quality presentation and marketing of the resultant designs. I am certain that the students who participate in the design competition, whether they are focusing on engineering, architecture, industrial design, or other courses of study, will remember, recognize and properly evaluate aluminum extrusions for future design needs in their professional careers.” 

First Place, with a $3,000 scholarship, was awarded to Jimmy Page, a sophomore studying Industrial Design at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Page designed the “RL Door,” a garage door that functions like window blinds. Page describes his product as “a new and more efficient design than the average garage door.” Using aluminum extrusions provides flexibility in the design, including ventilation and privacy, according to the student. “The individual panels rotate to a 45-degree angle or parallel to the ground. Using aluminum extrusion for this process would reduce costs, weight, and increase ceiling [storage] space in the garage,” noted Page.

The judges felt this design would provide many opportunities for customization since the design could be retrofitted for any opening, making it a very versatile product. “One of the primary judging criteria is commercial viability,” said competition judge David Asher.  “This garage door design uses a lot of extrusions and has a lot of potential applications.  Not only can it be used as a garage door, but also as an enclosure on existing buildings such as shelter houses which have limited overhead clearance.” 

Second Place, with a $2,000 scholarship, was awarded to Ryan Michaelis, a senior studying industrial design at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, for his “Dock” design. Based on the concept of marina boat docks, the Dock is a home office accessory docking system that allows different elements to slide onto a track mounted on a work surface so that the user can customize their space. “This system creates more work space by raising certain elements [off of the desk surface] to create a layering storage effect, as well as manage cables and power [cords]. Everyone has a different way of working; this concept allows users to customize their desktop to suit their workflow,” commented Michaelis. The extrusion is attached to the back edge of a work surface. Three identical slots allow for various options to be installed at any point along the track and in any orientation. Options include electrical plug-in with cable management, charging station for peripherals, note boards, a pencil tray and a laptop station. The extruded track allows the system to be used on any length desk.

The judges appreciated that the design could be customized to fit any surface. They also foresee many market opportunities for this product. “The concept of the “Dock” home office accessories docking system represents an easily adaptable and transferrable system for use on existing desks or designed into new desks, allowing accessories to be added and rearranged both above and below the desktop surface” said Werner.  “The strength, aesthetics and functionality of aluminum extrusions are an ideal fit with this design concept.  The modular design of this system could be ideally suited to sales and distribution [through retail outlets] such as IKEA or high-end mail-order retailers, as the basic mounting frame with the chosen selection of accessories can be shipped ‘knocked down’ [for easy assembly later],” suggested Werner.

Third Place, with a $1,000 scholarship, was awarded to Miroslav Florjancic, a senior studying industrial design at Megatrend University, School of Art & Design, in Belgrade, Serbia. His “Wall Tray” design is a track system for fast food trays to be used in cafeteria settings. The track provides users a hands-free solution to holding trays. The concept incorporates LED lights, offering an attractive, functional lighting option in the design.

The judges thought the interlocking feature on the track provided uses outside of the food industry, including shelving for retail and workshops, making this design adaptable to a variety of applications. “It would work well in small spaces where large crowds can gather.  It also could have an application in worksites where easily presenting different parts to workers could be beneficial,” suggested Asher.

Werner also noted, “As designed it would be difficult to incorporate as a retrofit, but visionary architects could build in this functionality to their designs allowing for flexible, secure, easily rearranged uses.”

An Honorable Mention was awarded to Steven Barach, a sophomore studying industrial design at Purdue University, for his “Utiles Seating System”. The design, inspired by the student sitting on the university’s hallway floor waiting to enter his classroom, incorporates extruded aluminum in the wall mount, seat mount, and seat frame. Comfort was the driving factor in the design development, according to Barach. Not only would the fold-up seating system provide a comfortable place for students to sit in the hallways, Barach explained, “I also included a molded surface on the bottom of the chair so those student who didn't want to sit down could still be able to lean up against something more comfortable than the wall.” The student envisioned his design being utilized in other venues as well, including in sports stadiums, public transportation, and office waiting areas.

Even though the judges felt the design needed more development, they decided to recognize the student’s work because of its potential for high-volume production and versatility. “This design was a good example of how two extrusions can work together to create an interlocking system to solve a design problem,” said competition judge Shane Tredup. The other judges agreed. “The hallway seating system is a clever space-saving design that has potential applications in any area where people may be waiting, such as bus shelters.  It might also have an application in transportation seating including [military] troop transport,” suggested Asher.

“The high strength-to-weight ratio of aluminum extrusions coupled with the inherent corrosion resistance and maintenance-free surface seem an exceptional match with the need to improve fuel economy in buses or other transit systems,” said Werner.

Hydro Recognizes Two Students for their Sustainable Designs
Hydro recognized two students that incorporated sustainable design elements in their entries. The Sustainable Design award was established by Hydro to foster innovative solutions to growing societal and/or environmental issues. “Even though there were a small number of entries this year,” commented Lynn Brown, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hydro’s Extrusion North America unit in Linthicum, Maryland, “there were two entries that were both original in their design and effectively addressed sustainability issues.” In addition, the judges were impressed by the thoroughness of the preparation and the quality of both presentations.

Hydro chose the VAPOR Evaporating Cooling Canister, submitted by Zachary Green from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, and the HYDRORAIL Hydroponic Gardening System, submitted by Jesse Charles also from Purdue University, as the co-winners of this year’s Hydro Sustainability award. The winners will each receive an equal share of the $2,500 scholarship award.

Green’s VAPOR design is a portable cooling canister based on the pot-in-pot system commonly used in Northern Africa. The VAPOR is an elegantly simple device that keeps food items cool by using evaporative cooling. “Food is put into the middle of the canister and sealed shut with the rubber stoppers,” explained Green. Sand is placed outside of the aluminum extrusion and water is poured into the sand. The VAPOR is then placed in the shade. “As the water in the sand evaporates, it cools the inner layer of the aluminum, cooling extremely fast due to the temperature transfer capabilities of the aluminum,” Green continued. Because the water used for cooling never touches the food, it does not require clean water for safe operation. And, because it would be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, it has the possibility of reaching a large number of potential users. All of these benefits fit well with the overall goal of the Hydro Sustainability award for societal benefit.

The VAPOR consists of a main compartment (made from an aluminum extrusion), a rubber base, and a rubber lid. The product could be made from a single extrusion, or two extrusions joined together. It takes full advantage of aluminum’s inherent heat transfer properties and the design possibilities that the aluminum extrusion process provides.

Charles’ HYDRORAIL Hydroponic Gardening System allows gardening to take place anywhere there is little available space and access to water. “With the increase of food deserts, areas in the industrialized world where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain, community gardens are becoming more prevalent,” explained Charles. “Often the biggest hurdle in creating a community garden is finding the land to use. This is especially problematic in dense urban settings. As a solution to this problem, I have designed the HYDRORAIL—an extruded aluminum, portable hydroponic gardening system.”

This urban gardening solution provides a cost-effective method for growing fresh vegetables in areas where land for traditional gardens is not available, such as driveways, rooftops, porches, and basements. “Everyone needs high quality food, and many prefer to have total control over their food's quality by growing it themselves,” Charles explained. “HYDRORAIL makes this idea more affordable and practical than ever.”

The single–extrusion design accommodates cavities for water, sand, nutrient solution, filter media, and a heating element. It incorporates gravity filters, fins to heat the water, attachment rails, and clips for a cover. It even provides a slot for ID tags. The sophisticated extrusion profile design takes full advantage of the ability to build in functionality and even takes advantage of aluminum’s heat transfer capabilities.

Visit www.ETFdesign.org to view the winning entries from the 2011 International Aluminum Extrusion Student Design Competition, as well as view winning entries from past student and professional Design Competitions.

The ET Foundation will be inviting entries from both students and professionals for the 2012 International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition. Judging will take place in time to display winning entries at the aluminum extrusion industry’s most respected educational event ET ’12; the Tenth International Aluminum Extrusion Technology Seminar is scheduled for May 15-18, 2012 in Miami, Florida. Look for the Call for Entries for the 2012 Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition to be available in fall 2011. Visit www.ET12.org for more information on ET ‘12 and visit www.ETFdesign.org for information as it becomes available regarding details for the 2012 Design Competition.

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About the ET Foundation
The Extrusion Technology for Aluminum Profiles Foundation (ET Foundation) has been established for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes to develop, promote, provide, and fund education and research related to aluminum extrusion processes and technologies. Through programs such as the International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition and the International Aluminum Extrusion Technology Seminar and Exposition, the ET Foundation works to advance the knowledge and use of extruded aluminum profiles among academics, design and engineering professionals, as well as expand the expertise of aluminum extrusion industry professionals. For more information, contact the ET Foundation at 1000 N. Rand Road, Suite 214, Wauconda, Illinois 60084, USA. Telephone: 847/526-2010; fax: 847/526-3993; mail@etfoundation.org. Or visit the website at www.etfoundation.org.

About Hydro
Hydro is a global supplier of aluminum with activities throughout the value chain, from bauxite extraction to the production of rolled and extruded aluminum products and building systems. Based in Norway, the company employs 23,000 people in more than 40 countries. Rooted in a century of experience in renewable energy production, technology development and progressive partnerships, Hydro is committed to strengthening the viability of the customers and communities we serve.

For more information, contact the ET Foundation:

Nancy Molenda, Communications Manager
1000 N. Rand Road, Suite 214
Wauconda, Illinois 60084, USA
Telephone: 847.526.2010
Fax: 847.526.3993
mail@etfoundation.org
www.etfoundation.org