The ET Foundation announced the winning entries from the 2005 International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition at the Aluminum USA show and conference during National Manufacturing Week in Chicago. The Foundation received nearly 100 entries for this year's competition-the most ever for the contest, which was open to students and professionals alike. Entries were received from all over the world. Judges, recruited from the aluminum extrusion industry, academia, and the trade press, looked for original designs with at least one extruded aluminum component that best demonstrated extruded aluminum's inherent attributes-effective use of close tolerances or complex profiles, extrusion process improvement, innovation in design, and/or likelihood of market success.

Professional Class Winning Entries by Category
Grand Prize: Vertical Windmill
Commercial/Industrial: Heatsink in a touch-screen kiosk
Structural/Consumer: Co-Axial Joint and Super Wonder Wedge
Transportation: Retractacycle
Honorable Mention: Ultrafine Grained Products Extruded from Aluminum Alloys

Student Class Winning Entries by Category
1st Place: Ramp XY
2nd Place: Extruded Computer Mouse
3rd Place: MiniBrite Task Light

Cash prizes were sponsored once again by Hydro Aluminum North America. In addition to the winning categories above, the Hydro Sustainable Design Award was presented to the student whose design best demonstrated its benefits to society and the environment.

Hydro Sustainable Design Award
Winner: Mobile Sediment Pond Barrier
Honorable Mention: Salmon Ladder
Honorable Mention: Produce Container
Honorable Mention: Thermoelectric Device

For more information about aluminum extrusion, visit the website of the Aluminum Extruders Council at www.aec.org.

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