DESIGN AND ENGINEERING EDUCATORS

Here is an opportunity to provide an excellent hands-on learning experience with the potential for your students to gain recognition, cash awards, and scholarships. Make plans to incorporate the International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition into your curriculum. Entry deadline is March 28, 2008.

See Past Design Competition Winners

See Extrusion Basics section at aec.org for technical and design information on aluminum and the extrusion process, as well as academic resources.

 STUDENT CLASS PRIZE AWARDS
Enter the competition to receive the recognition you so richly deserve; gain pride and a sense of accomplishment. And, of course, there are the cash awards and scholarships totaling $8,500!

	Student Class scholarships:
	1st place 2nd place 3rd place	$3,000 $2,000 $1,000
	Hydro Sustainable Design:	$2,500
	Grand Prize awarded across all categories and classes	$5,000

Cash prizes are 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. See details below.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Winning entries will be those that demonstrate the benefits of aluminum extrusions, whether by inventing a new product or improving an existing one, by achieving the following objectives:

Creativity: innovative design, new application capability, methods to meet a new design challenge
Practicality: ease of fabrication and assembly, cost-effectiveness
Process improvement: customization or improvement of extrusion processes, close tolerances
Market Potential: design marketability and likelihood of market success.

DESIGN IDEAS  

There are no categories to limit your imagination. First, Second, and Third Place Awards may be presented to any design that best satisfies the judging criteria, in addition to the Hydro Sustainable Design Award. Think! We want to see your original design. Here are some ideas to get you started:*

Structural—Office component systems, exhibit displays, furniture, architectural façades, windows, bridges, and modular building systems are just a few of the applications that will be categorized as Structural.  We want to see your design!

Engineered Products— Bicycles, sporting goods, ladders, lighting, picture frames, appliances and other durable household goods are categorized here.  This category also includes aluminum extrusions used for industrial and commercial applications such as scientific equipment, machine components, and food display and refrigeration equipment.  How will you use extruded aluminum?

Transportation—With automotive, aerospace, and mass transit manufacturers trying to reduce the weight of their vehicles more every year, it’s no wonder aluminum extrusion is playing an ever-increasing role in transportation design. Seat runners, roof rack rails, steering columns, and radiator frames are just a few of the extruded parts typically found on today's vehicles.  Submit your ideas for how to achieve weight savings, safety improvements or improved performance through the use of aluminum extrusions! 

Other—Anything goes. Be creative.

Hydro Sustainable Design

The Hydro Sustainable Design Award will be presented to the student entry that meets the following criteria:

• The four basic ET Foundation Design Competition judging criteria: creativity, practicality, process improvement, and market potential
• Best addresses societal and/or environmental concerns
• A viable extrusion-based product that meets the demands of the environment while contributing to the quality of life for its intended users.

An example that helps to explain the nature of a design that would be considered for this award is:

• A device that helps a third world farmer increase crop yields with less labor or an item that facilitates daily living for the handicapped or elderly

Examples of past winners include:

• A mobile sediment pond barrier
• A portable salmon ladder
• A thermoelectric device
• A sleek modern-looking traffic light post.

See photos and details of past winners for design ideas.

Interested student applicants should indicate that they are seeking consideration for the Hydro Sustainable Design Award on the Design Competition Entry Form and explain, in their written brief, how their entry meets the criteria.

*The competition is not limited to the examples listed; these are just a few of the possible applications for aluminum profiles. Designs must be original and make use of at least one extruded aluminum component.  Multiple entries may be entered. If any category yields no entries deemed by the judges to adequately address the competition’s criteria, a prize will not be awarded in that category.

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