AEC unveils its latest range for Designers & Engineers

The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), the leading association dedicated to advancing aluminum extrusion applications, design and processes, has unveiled the latest resources available to designers, engineers, academics and others. In June, the Council unveiled a newly redesigned website and the 2012 edition of the Council's popular publication, the AEC Buyers' Guide.

The Council's website at www.AEC.org is dedicated to providing information and resources related to aluminum extrusion design, applications, technical and process details, sustainability and more. The updated website includes much of the information that was available on the previous site, with significant enhancements related to applications, sustainability and fabrication. The site is organized into sections, including Extrusion Applications, Extrusion Basics, Extrusion Design Resources, Sustainability, Find an Extruder, About AEC, and Membership Services. Visit www.AEC.org today to learn more.

Another resource available is the 2012 Buyers' Guide, the directory of AEC members and their capabilities. The Buyers' Guide serves to promote aluminum extrusion's material and process advantages to designers, engineers, manufacturers and others by providing the latest information supplied by AEC Members. The guide offers a comprehensive directory of AEC Extruder Members and includes such information as company headquarters, plant locations, contact names, press sizes, maximum circle size, forms produced, and types of services offered. The guide is arranged alphabetically, geographically, and provides an extensive Extruder Member capabilities chart. The Buyers' Guide also includes listings for AEC Supplier and Producer Members.

Other resources currently available include results of an independent two-phase study that confirm the material and economic advantages of using extruded aluminum for solar structural framing applications. The study evaluated Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) mounting systems through a strategic cost analysis of extruded aluminum versus steel frame designs. Both phases of the study concluded that aluminum extrusion mounting systems were an economical alternative to steel when the total costs of materials, other components, shipping, and installation were considered. Results of both the CSP and the PV studies can be downloaded from the AEC website by following the links to "Extrusion Applications", "Energy".