2010 International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition

Student Class Winning Entries

Grand Prize: Extruded hanging LED light fixture by Eric Eisele from Drexel University

1st Place: Trestle sawhorse clamp by Robert Sibley from Purdue University
2nd Place: HALT bicycle disk brake design by Evan Frenz from Purdue University
3rd Place: Electrostatic Speakers by Ryan Michaelis from Carleton University
3rd Place: ZigZag shoe display and storage system by Young Do Kim from Dongseo University
3rd Place: ReNew rehabilitation and resistance system by Alex Hill from Purdue University

Hydro Sustainable Design Award Winner: Affordable Water Purification System by Yasaman Sheri from Carleton University
Honorable Mention: Third World Housing Solution by Frederic Ford Leland from Greenville Technical College

Cash awards and scholarships for the 2010 Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition sponsored by Hydro Aluminum North America, Inc.

Honorable Mention: LifePAC blood handling and transport system by Tae Whang Ki, Chang Hyeon Bang, and Sang Yong Kang from Dongseo University
Honorable Mention: Modular Shelving System by Curtis Herman from Dawson College
Honorable Mention: Americans in Orbit Space Science Module—Solar Panel Deployment Mechanism by Amanda Ball, Chris Krause, Linda Lang, Rob Smith, and Dexter Wimberley from the University of Alabama-Huntsville
Honorable Mention: Aluminum Extruded Violin by Lee Oddy from Carleton University
Honorable Mention: Daybreak Photovoltaic Path-Lighting Park Bench by Corey McMahon from Carleton University
Honorable Mention: Lume light bulb fixture system by Arman Kirim from Purdue University
Honorable Mention: Queuench queue line bench system by Rachel Blake from Purdue University

Honorable Mention award winners received a complimentary license of Mathematica for Students 7 from Wolfram Research.

*Click on the thumbnail of each image to be taken to the larger, higher-resolution image*

Grand Prize: Extruded hanging LED light fixture by Eric Eisele from Drexel University

For only the second time in the history of the competition the Grand Prize was awarded to a student entry. Eric Eisele, a Materials Engineering graduate student at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, won for his design of an extruded hanging LED light fixture, earning him a $3,500 scholarship. Eisele designed the fixture specifying 6063-T5 aluminum, which he explained "offers a good balance between ease of extrusion, machinability, and thermal conductivity. LED light fixtures must properly dissipate the heat generated by LEDs to ensure high efficiency and long life." In his entry, Eisele outlined the benefits of using extruded aluminum for his LED lighting application. "Integrated designs can include heatsink fins, slots, optical cavities, mounting rails, [screw] bosses—all necessary for LED fixtures. Increased design integration reduces part count and cost," Eisele noted. "Durable extruded fixtures can last upwards of the LED lifetime, or 20 years. Also, smooth extrusions need little to no finishing to make thermal interfaces, unlike die casting which must be machined and results in a higher cost.  [Aluminum] extrusion is well suited for many types of LED fixtures." 

The judges found the design to be a great example of how aluminum extrusions can gain ground in an emerging market. "LED lights in commercial and residential space-lighting applications appear to be on the cusp of revolutionizing the whole lighting industry," competition judge David Asher commented. "These lights offer the potential of dramatic energy savings for equivalent light output. While they are very energy efficient, they are also very sensitive to heat and will suffer significant reduction in useful life if heat can’t be effectively dissipated. The concept of using an extruded fixture with integral heat sink, light placement options, and the potential to utilize different types of light diffusers and reflectors would appear to help with the commercialization of LED lighting." Competition judge Craig Werner added, "There may be some technical challenges yet to overcome, but utilizing the light weight, strength, ability to extrude complex integral profiles, and heat conductivity of aluminum extrusions for this growth product was a great idea."

 
 

1st Place: Trestle sawhorse clamp by Robert Sibley from Purdue University

First Place with a $3,000 scholarship was awarded to Robert Sibley, an Industrial Design major from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, for his Trestle sawhorse clamp. Sibley explained that although a sawhorse is nothing new, his design offers a durable, lightweight system that is easy to assemble and disassemble making it convenient and highly portable. "The use of anodized extruded aluminum adds significantly to the perception of high quality, precision, and value," noted Sibley.  "Current designs do not incorporate precision clamping or layout functions along with creating a strong and portable work surface.  By using anodized extruded aluminum, it is possible to machine precise channels and shapes creating a colored-themed, high-quality work surface system that goes beyond the single function of a typical sawhorse clamp." 

2nd Place: HALT bicycle disk brake design by Evan Frenz from Purdue University

Second Place with a $2,000 scholarship was awarded to Evan Frenz, majoring in Industrial Design at Purdue University for his HALT bicycle disk brake design. Frenz discovered while researching his design that although disk brakes are "far superior" to other brake designs on the market, they are very expensive due to the processes involved in manufacturing. "I found a very simple way to extrude the brake caliper housing and decided to build my design off of that," explained Frenz. He incorporated fins into the design which dissipates heat caused by friction during braking, "also the thick aluminum walls of the brake’s housing makes it strong and durable."  The student also noted another advantage of using extruded aluminum was its ability to handle wet weather conditions and corrosion resistance. 

3rd Place: Electrostatic Speakers by Ryan Michaelis from Carleton University

Ryan Michaelis a third-year Industrial Design student at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada won for his design of Electrostatic Speakers, a type of audio speaker "where sound is generated by a force exerted in a membrane suspended in an electrostatic field." With the use of aluminum extrusions he was able to simplify the manufacturing and assembly process to create a simple but elegantly designed and more affordable speaker, according to the student. "An honest design approach uses the extrusion profiles as a design feature; [the] cost-effective production process and ease of assembly reduce the market price of the speaker making it affordable to new customers," Michaelis explained. "Aluminum has a high-perceived value that can be used for high-end products and it's 100% recyclable," two qualities that are appealing to manufacturers.

3rd Place: ZigZag shoe display and storage system by Young Do Kim from Dongseo University

Young Do Kim, a junior studying Product Design at Dongseo University in Busan, South Korea was awarded 3rd Place and a $1,000 scholarship for his ZigZag shoe display and storage system. The self-stacking system can be assembled without any fasteners or detailed instructions and is easily disassembled and stacked neatly in a small space, according to the student.  The ZigZag can be used for several applications including home shoe storage in the entrance hallway or for commercial use to help organize shoe displays in shop windows or in any other location in the stores where shoes would be displayed. 

3rd Place: ReNew rehabilitation and resistance system by Alex Hill from Purdue University

Alex Hill, a sophomore studying Industrial Design and Sports Movement Science at Purdue University, won a $1,000 scholarship for his ReNew rehabilitation and resistance system. "I decided to merge my knowledge of both undergraduate programs to design a product that took advantage of all the benefits aluminum extrusion has to offer," noted Hill.  "The final concept was a walking beam for people who had suffered from a serious injury and were on the road to recovery.  The ReNew system is light weight, simple to adjust and assemble, and easy to store."  The design utilizes aluminum's durability, strength and light weight characteristics.     

Honorable Mention: LifePAC blood handling and transport system by Tae Whang Ki, Chang Hyeon Bang, and Sang Yong Kang from Dongseo University

A team of students from Dongseo University in South Korea, including Tae Whang Ki, Chang Hyeon Bang, and Sang Yong Kang, won for their LifePAC design. "LifePAC is an IV blood bag packaging system that is composed of eight color-coded extruded aluminum racks and six ice packs in each carrier box. It was designed to improve the handling and transportation of IV (intravenous) blood bags from collection locations to the central processing and distribution centers, and ultimately to the end users," the students explained in their entry.

Honorable Mention: Modular Shelving System by Curtis Herman from Dawson College

An Honorable Mention was also awarded to Curtis Herman of Dawson College in Westmont, Quebec, Canada for his sleek modern-looking Modular Shelving System.  Herman chose aluminum for his design because of its reflectivity and aesthetic attributes, high recyclability, strength, and corrosion and wear resistance.

Honorable Mention: Americans in Orbit Space Science Module—Solar Panel Deployment Mechanism by Amanda Ball, Chris Krause, Linda Lang, Rob Smith, and Dexter Wimberley

A team of students, including Amanda Ball, Chris Krause, Linda Lang, Rob Smith, and Dexter Wimberley—all Engineering Design students—from the University of Alabama-Huntsville in Huntsville, Alabama won for their Americans in Orbit Space Science Module—Solar Panel Deployment Mechanism. Their design entry incorporated hardware made of extruded aluminum that is intended to be used in a low-earth orbit application.  The product requirements were set forth by a customer that is intending to provide commercial space launches and deploy various scientific experiments into low-earth orbit.  This team of students was charged with the task of designing the solar panels that will power the module containing the experiments.  According to the students, aluminum extrusions were used in this design because of the material's strength and light weight properties. 

Honorable Mention: Aluminum Extruded Violin by Lee Oddy from Carleton University

Lee Oddy, a junior studying Industrial Design at Carleton University won for his unique Aluminum Extruded Violin.  Oddy noted that using extruded aluminum to create a violin would greatly enhance the durability of this instrument and provide a sustainable end-of-life solution once the violin is no longer in use.

Honorable Mention: Daybreak Photovoltaic Path-Lighting Park Bench by Corey McMahon from Carleton University

Corey McMahon, a senior studying Industrial Design at Carleton University, won for his Daybreak Photovoltaic Path-Lighting Park Bench, a seating solution with solar-powered LED lights incorporated into the design.  According to the student, this design minimizes the use of various parts and fasteners and features aluminum extrusion cross supports which contain a series of solar panels and high efficiency LED lights.   

Honorable Mention: Lume light bulb fixture system by Arman Kirim from Purdue University

Arman Kirim, a sophomore Industrial Design major at Purdue University, won for his Lume light bulb fixture system.  According to Kirim, "[The] Lume is an innovative light bulb fixture system which is an alternative to standard light bulb sockets.  It has a simple, but effective function.  Users can screw a light bulb in, decide on its position by sliding it wherever they want, and tighten it to fix its position.  With the advantage of its extruded form, multiple light bulbs can be screwed into a single socket." 

Honorable Mention: Queuench queue line bench system by Rachel Blake from Purdue University

Rachel Blake, a sophomore Industrial Design major at Purdue University, won for her Queuench queue line bench system.  "The aluminum extrusion itself simply pinches the aluminum bar and then is held together by pins," said Blake.  "After the pins are inserted, a weight to make the seat swivel back to a vertical position would be inserted into the negative space made by the extruded piece.  To cover the internal pieces, two plastic caps would simply snap into place, keeping unwanted hands out of the assembly." 

Hydro Sustainable Design Award Winner: Affordable Water Purification System by Yasaman Sheri from Carleton University

The Sustainable Design award was established by Hydro to foster innovative solutions to growing societal and/or environmental issues. "Again this year, there were a number of quality entries," commented Lynn Brown, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hydro Extrusion Americas in Linthicum, Maryland, "but one entry stood out for the way it addressed sustainability issues and the elegant simplicity of the design." Hydro chose the Affordable Water Purification System submitted by Yasaman Sheri, a junior studying Product Design and Industrial Design at Carleton University, as this year’s winner of the Sustainable Design award, which earned her a $2,500 scholarship.

Her extruded aluminum design exploits many of the design possibilities inherent in the aluminum extrusion process. She uses a single profile to form both halves of the main compartment and integrates filter guides in the extrusion design so that minimal post-extrusion fabrication is needed. Her product is modular for easy customization and shipping, is simple to assemble in the field, recognizing the realities of the use environment, and can use local materials. The judges were also impressed with the quality of her presentation. Most importantly, her innovative water filtration/purification system addresses a critical need of third-world countries: easy and inexpensive access to clean drinking water.

Honorable Mention: Third World Housing Solution by Frederic Ford Leland from Greenville Technical College

"A second entry also addressed societal benefit and demonstrated a good understanding and application of extrusion design principles," said Lynn Brown, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hydro Extrusion Americas in Linthicum, Maryland. Frederic Ford Leland, an Industrial Design major from Greenville Technical College in Greenville, South Carolina, was awarded an Honorable Mention earning him a $500 scholarship for his Third World Housing Solution, a modular shelter and water collection system.

The student explained that although the unit could be used in any impoverished area, his design was specifically created for a tropical climate where insulation is unnecessary, such as Mumbai, India. "Due to the nature of India’s intense Monsoon seasons, [the] unit has been outfitted with a flotation mechanism," explained Leland. "Not only does it provide a safe environment for personal possessions, but it provides a green solution that could save lives during flash and nighttime flooding." He notes that the roof design is one of the greatest features of the product, with a built-in extruded gutter system that collects fresh rainwater. "Many impoverished communities have no access to clean water, but with the ability to capture and recycle their own fresh water, [they] will have a higher chance of surviving the desolate conditions." 

Leland goes on to explain, "The tarp is stretched upwards and downwards by the side rail and roofing tiles, but the real framework is the corner support bar.  This bar not only frames the tarp like a canvas, it supports the roof as well.  The corner support bar looks like it requires extrusion and welding, however this piece of hardware is created solely by extrusion.  The only difference from a normal extrusion is that the device that cuts the extrusion in half, leaves a notch and a hook."