Innovative Designs Sought for Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition

October 22, 2009

Wauconda, Illinois - The ET Foundation—the educational and scientific organization devoted to promoting and advancing aluminum extrusion processes and technologies—is seeking entries for the 2010 International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition. Professionals along with students studying design and engineering are invited to enter their exceptional aluminum profile designs for an opportunity to win cash prizes. Hydro Aluminum once again will be the sole sponsor for the cash awards, totaling $18,000, including a Grand Prize of $3,500. The ET Foundation will accept entries for the 2010 International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition until February 15, 2010. Entry in the competition is free.

The 2010 competition is divided into two classes: Professional and Student. Winning entries will be those that best demonstrate the benefits of aluminum extrusions. The designs submitted should address any combination of the following objectives:

•  ease of fabrication and assembly
•  cost-effectiveness
•  innovation and/or customization in design
•  new application capability
•  demonstration of aluminum extrusion’s product and process advantages, and
• l ikelihood of market success.

Designers Encouraged to Innovate
Innovation is a key objective of the competition, which encourages extruders, designers, fabricators, engineers, manufacturers and students to hone their skills and develop new techniques and uses for aluminum. “Often, designers and engineers are at the forefront of innovation; thinking outside the box is standard practice,” said Tom Schabel, Chairman of the ET Foundation Board of Trustees and CEO of Alexandria Extrusion Company in Alexandria, Minnesota. “The Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition encourages these innovators to use aluminum profiles in their product designs, and in turn, learn more about the countless material and process advantages of aluminum extrusions.”

The advantages of the aluminum extrusion process are numerous; most beneficial to designers is the freedom from standard-shape restrictions. The aluminum extrusion production process can accommodate a broad rand of profile designs, allowing the designer to create the exact shape needed. In addition, the aluminum profile can be formed to facilitate manufacturing and assembly, increase product reliability and durability, simplify maintenance and repairs for the product’s final use, and build in an attractive appearance that can make the final product more appealing to the customer. Moreover, aluminum extrusions offer shorter lead times than other processes translating to product delivery within weeks rather than months, and provide a more cost-effective option as extrusion tooling is less expensive than other manufacturing methods.

Professionals to Compete for Cash Prizes
Individual architects, designers or engineers, as well as companies, are eligible to enter the Design Competition. Aluminum extruders are encouraged to team up with their customers and enter the competition. Entries received in the Professional Class will be divided into three categories: Structural, Transportation, and Engineered Products. First-Place cash prizes in the amount of $2,000 will be awarded to the best design in each category. The Structural Category may include designs for such applications as architectural façades, fenestration products, modular building systems, exhibit display booths, ladders and scaffolding, bridges and bridge decking, and office component systems. The Transportation Category may include designs for applications in the automotive, truck/trailer, recreational vehicles, rail, aerospace, and marine markets. The Engineered Products Category may include designs for applications such as sporting goods components, lighting, furniture, appliance and electronic components, scientific or industrial equipment, and food display and refrigeration equipment. These are only a few possible applications for aluminum profiles. Visit www.ETFdesign.org to view winning entries from previous competitions.

Students Compete for Thousands of Dollars in Scholarship Awards
Exposing students to new ideas and challenges stimulates their creativity and encourages them to explore unique concepts of their own. Scholarships will be presented as cash awards to the top student designs, including $3,000 for First Place, $2,000 for Second Place, and $1,000 for Third Place. Students also may compete for the Hydro Sustainable Design Scholarship Award of $2,500. The Sustainable Design Scholarship Award is presented to recognize the student design that best addresses environmental and/or societal concerns, and must be a viable extrusion-based product that meets the demands of the environment while contributing to the quality of life for its intended users. Past Sustainable Design winning entries included a portable modular shelter for disaster victims, a mobile sediment pond barrier, and a streamlined traffic-light post.

Newly Updated Website Provides Design Tools and Resources
Aluminum profiles can be the solution to many design challenges. In order to communicate the advantages of extruded aluminum to engineers, designers, students, and others, a variety of tools and resources are available at the ET Foundation’s Design Competition website at www.etfdesign.org. From an overview of the aluminum extrusion process and choosing the right aluminum alloy, to design considerations and useful publications, the website contains a wealth of valuable information and resources to help with the design process. A new slide presentation, “Designing to the Limits of Your Imagination,” is available to download from the site. The educational presentation, developed by the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) and the ET Foundation, provides an overview of designing for aluminum extrusions and outlines the advantages of aluminum and the aluminum extrusion process. Other resources include a page on Designing for Aluminum, which features information on aluminum extrusion design parameters, and a useful Press Availability Matrix that illustrates the relationship between profile design size and the availability of extrusion presses to produce the profile. The page also includes a number of links to valuable information and resources available on the Aluminum Extruders Council website.

A Call for Entries for the 2010 Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition, including the official entry forms, will be available to download at www.ETFdesign.org, or to request a copy to be mailed contact the ET Foundation at mail@etfoundation.org.

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. The ET Foundation is dedicated to providing superior educational programming and opportunities to promote the global exchange of new and improved technologies in aluminum extrusion.

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