Judging Criteria: Ideas taking shape

Rewarding and showcasing the BEST in aluminum extrusion

Winning entries will be those that best 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, use of extruded aluminum over other materials or processes, will a typical size extrusion press be able to produce your shape? Refer to the Design Tips section for more information.
  • Product/Process improvement: customization or improvement of extrusion processes, close tolerances, takes full advantage of extrusion capabilities to improve a product
  • Market Potential: design/product marketability and likelihood of market success.

Competition Rules

Entries must be received by the ET Foundation® by the deadline date noted on the ET Foundation Design Competition website and in the Call for Entries. Submission of an entry acknowledges the right of the ET Foundation to use it for exhibition and publication. All entries received shall become the property of The ET Foundation. However, entrants may request that their entries be returned at the conclusion of the Competition at their own expense. The ET Foundation is not responsible for any lost, late, or damaged entries. Winners shall be selected by a panel of independent judges chosen by the ET Foundation. If any category yields no entries deemed by the judges to adequately address the competition criteria, a prize will not be awarded in that category.

Winners will be announced via a news release posted to the AEC website and disseminated to the media. All taxes due on cash awards are the winner's responsibility. Entry into the Competition constitutes permission to use the entrant's design and his, her, or its name, likeness, and affiliation for promotional purposes without further compensation.

Any person signing the application on behalf of a company, firm, or organizational entity represents and warrants that he or she has authority to enter the Competition on the company's behalf and bind the company to any and all Competition rules. All entrants agree to be bound by any and all additional rules established by the ET Foundation for the Competition.

Student Class Eligibility

Entrants for the Student Design Competition must currently be enrolled in a 2-year, 4-year, trade, or technical school to be eligible to participate, which includes graduate students. High school students are also eligible. Graduate students are also eligible, provided the student is currently enrolled as a full- or part-time student.

Entry Materials and Submissions

  • Individual and Team submissions will be accepted
  • Multiple entries from individuals or teams will be accepted
  • Entries from any country will be accepted.
  • An Official Entry Form MUST be submitted for each design complete with all information requested, including the school's name, student's permanent address, phone, and e-mail address. Note: Please include an appropriate, descriptive design name as it will be used to identify the entry.
  • Entry materials may be submitted as a PDF (no larger than 10 mb), which can be emailed to mail@ETFoundation.org or saved on a CD-ROM disk or flash drive and mailed to the ET Foundation at the address noted on the Official Entry Form. Submission of the entry on a presentation board no larger than 17" x 11" is also acceptable, however digital images are preferred.
  • Any drawings or CAD models should be saved as JPG images
  • Special consideration will be given to entries that include a printed 3-D model of their extrusion profile design and/or include a video
  • The more supporting material that is available, the better the entry will be able to be accurately judged.
  • Entries must be received by the ET Foundation at the address noted on the entry form no later than the competition deadline date (see the Design Competition main page for the deadline date).
  • Entry materials may be submitted as a PDF (no larger than 10 MB), which can be emailed to mail@ETFoundation.org or saved on a CD-ROM disk or flash drive and mailed, along with any additional supporting materials, to the ET Foundation at the address noted on the Official Entry Form

Professional Class

The Professional Design Competition is held periodically (typically every even year).  Professional engineers, designers, architects, fabricators, and manufacturers are encouraged to enter their design in the competition. Aluminum extruders are encouraged to team up with their customers to submit an entry. The more supporting material that is available, the better the entry will be able to be accurately judged.