The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) and the Extrusion Technology Foundation (ET Foundation) have announced the winning entries in the 2025 International Aluminum Extrusion Student Design Competition. University, college, design, and high school students from around the world submitted 70 entries for the opportunity to receive a cash scholarship award.
AEC Extruder Members Almag Aluminum, Brampton, ON, Canada; MI Metals, Inc., Oldsmar, FL; and Pennex Aluminum Company LLC, Wellsville, PA, sponsored the cash scholarship prizes, which totaled $15,500. Judges for the competition included Mark Butterfield, AEC Chairman, ET Seminar Committee Vice Chairman and President of MX Holdings/Pennex Aluminum Company LLC, Wellsville, Pennsylvania; ET Immediate Past Chairman, Craig Werner, President and CEO of Werner Extrusion Solutions LLC, Lake Forest, Illinois; and Shane Tredup, At-large member of the AEC Board of Directors and Sustainability Team Leader and President of Custom Aluminum Products Inc., South Elgin, Illinois.
Ava Cannedy, a sophomore studying Industrial Design at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, received the First-Place award of $5,000 for her “Sylvani” self-sustaining kitchen garden, made from extruded aluminum components. The hydroponic garden structure automates plant care and brings freshly grown herbs and produce within easy reach. Her winning design provides a space-saving, efficient solution to growing vegetables and herbs at home in limited space, promoting healthier eating and sustainability. Hydroponics grows plants without soil using nutrient-rich water to deliver essential minerals directly to plant roots, allowing faster growth and efficient use of resources.
