Deadline:
March 24, 2025
Location(s)
Online
Overview
The Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition strives to challenge and empower the next generation of designers to think about how aluminum extrusions can shape a better, more sustainable world and continue to improve the quality of people's lives.
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) and its educational and research organization, the ET Foundation (ETF), are inviting students interested in product design, industrial design, design engineering, manufacturing, and other fields from around the world to share their vision for the future using aluminum extrusions.
Details
Student scholarships totaling $15,500 are co-sponsored by leading industry aluminum extrusion companies and AEC members, ALMAG Aluminum in Brampton, ON, Canada; MI Metals, Inc. in Oldsmar, FL; and Pennex Aluminum Company in Wellsville, PA.
Entries for the 2021 Aluminum Extrusion Student Design Competition will be accepted through March 29, 2021. Entry in the competition is free and judging will take place following the entry deadline. .
The aim of the Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition is to promote the understanding and use of extruded aluminum profiles, as well as highlight innovations and recognize excellence in aluminum extrusion design. Winning entries will be those that demonstrate the benefits of extruded aluminum—whether by inventing a new product or improving an existing one—by achieving the competition’s criteria and objectives of creativity, practicality, product/process improvement or advantage and market impact/potential.
About the ET Foundation
The Extrusion Technology for Aluminum Profiles 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 conducts the International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition to raise awareness and reward aluminum extrusion design innovation, and the International Aluminum Extrusion Technology Seminar & Exposition to gather the worldwide industry every four years for technical exchange and networking in order to propel the industry forward.
About AEC
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) is a trade association representing approximately 75-percent of North American aluminum extrusion production. AEC is dedicated to advancing the effective use of aluminum extrusion in North America and is committed to bringing comprehensive information about extrusion's characteristics, applications, environmental benefits, design and technology to users, product designers, engineers and the academic community. Further, AEC is focused on enhancing the ability of its members to meet the emerging demands of the market through knowledge sharing and best practices.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
To be eligible to participate, you must be currently enrolled as a student in high school, college/university, technical college, or graduate school.
Eligibility Tips for a Winning Design
To ensure your best chance of winning an award in the 2020 Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition, it is highly recommended that you conduct research and consider these tips prior to beginning your project:
- Visit AEC.org to review the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) sections on: applications, extrusion design and sustainability.
- Visit the AEC YouTube channel (YouTube.com/aec) to view educational design webinars.
- Download/read “Designing to the Limit of Your Imagination” PDF in the Design Competition/For Students section.
- Demonstrate the knowledge gained from viewing the educational information noted above was carefully incorporated into your design.
- Size matters. See the shaded circle on the Brochure page to ensure your shape fits within the 10-inch circle (no larger); if your profile doesn’t fit within this circle size, you won’t win.
- Presentation is important. A winning design will demonstrate an innovative product made with extrusions, and the use of an innovative extrusion design. Spelling and grammar counts!
- Extra consideration will be given to entries that supply a 3-D printed sample or other forms of prototyping of your profile.
- Do your research: is your design idea new, or has it been done before? Have you considered the market and performed research to support your product development?
- Provide a variety of supporting materials (a video, explanation, drawings, model, PowerPoint, etc. Include as much as possible to explain and demonstrate your design and why it should win.
- Be certain that your entry adequately addresses all four judging criteria and is supported in your presentation materials
Dates
Deadline: March 24, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
Students studying design and engineering at universities, colleges, and technical, trade and design schools around the world are invited to participate. Student Scholarships will be presented as cash awards to the top student designs, including $5,000 for First Place, $4,000 for Second Place, and $3,000 for Third Place. Students also may compete for the Sustainable Design Challenge Scholarship Award of $3,500.
This special design category challenges students to think about aluminum extrusions as a holistic solution to a design problem by designing a product that, in addition to the four basic design criteria, best addresses societal and/or environmental challenges or concerns. Essentially, the winning entry 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.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
