ET Foundation: educational foundation for aluminum extrusion industry.

INTERNATIONAL ALUMINUM EXTRUSION DESIGN COMPETITION

Examples of aluminum extrusions are found everywhere ... look around.

Aluminum extrusions are found everywhere in our daily lives—at home, work, and play, or on the highways and byways—evidence that extruded aluminum is the material of choice for many designers and engineers. Given aluminum's high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent thermal conductivity, nontoxic properties, design versatility, as well as eco-friendly characteristics combined with the advantages of the extrusion process, it is no suprise to find a vast array of examples.

Home
Aluminum extrusions are used in many of the items inside and outside your home, including:

Doors and windows
Bathroom shower stalls
Ladders
Appliances such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, microwaves, ranges, and air conditioners
Lighting and ceiling tracks: Ceiling Track System Showcase
Picture frames
Greenhouses
Window blinds…the list goes on.

Work

Chances are you are surrounded by aluminum extrusions in the office—literally. Modular office partitions are a common sight in offices around the world, but many more items are made with aluminum extrusions, including:

Computer components: Dissolve Computing 2008 Sustainable Design Winner
Furniture
Window and door frames
Building facades such as cladding and curtainwall: Green Building article
Elevators and escalators
Structural building components
Office machines like copiers, faxes, and scanners
Forklift components.

Play

Aluminum extrusions play a significant role in our leisure activities. Some of the items in which you might find aluminum profiles are:

Bicycles
Bleachers
Snowmobiles
Motorcycles
Boats and personal watercraft: Aluminum Chambered Boat Showcase
Trailers
Golf carts
Sporting equipment and accessories
Audio components.

Photo courtesy of Aluminum Chambered Boats.

On the Move

As the demand for greater fuel economy grows, so does the use of aluminum in road, rail, and air transportation. Aluminum's high strength-to-weight ratio helps reduce the overall vehicle weight and thus improve fuel efficiency. Aluminum extrusions are found throughout the transportation sector, including:

Automobiles: Ford GT Showcase
Bus and train handrails
Luggage racks
Seats and seat fixtures
Airplane bodies and wings
Overhead compartments and other interior equipment
Highway light poles and gantries
Truck trailers and grilles
Bridges

Photo courtesy of Classic Trailer, Inc.

Technology

Because aluminum is nontoxic, corrosion-resistant, nonmagnetic, nonsparking, and cryogenically strong, aluminum profiles are used in equipment, apparatus, and instruments for the medical, aerospace, electronic and food industries such as:

Food display units
Electronic components {2008 winner – Jessica Tebbe}
Heat sinks {lots of DC winners in this group}
Space vehicles and components: International Space Station Showcase
Wheelchairs and ramps: 2002 winner – DT&J Roll-a-Ramp
Prosthesis: Dean Kamen's Luke Arm
Solar panels and structural components: Green Power article

Photo courtesy of SureHands Lift & Care Systems

The goal of the International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition is to promote the understanding and use of extruded aluminum profiles, as well as to highlight innovations and recognize excellence in aluminum extrusion design.

Winning entries will receive well-deserved recognition, as well as prize money and student scholarships. Follow the links below for more details about judging criteria, categories, cash awards, and examples of past winning entries.