The Shapemakers by The Aluminum Extruders Council

Andrew Halonen of Mayflower Consulting talks with AEC Industry Promotion consultant Lynn Brown about aluminum extrusion use in cross-car beams, or instrument panel structures. Andrew discusses the key requirements for instrument panel structures, the various materials (including steel) that OEMs are using, how extrusions can be used in hybrid material solutions, and what other types of vehicles might benefit from extruded aluminum instrument panel beams.

With many auto builders turning their focus to producing battery electric vehicles (BEVs), Andrew Halonen of Mayflower Consulting shares his insights on the use of aluminum extrusions in battery enclosures. The role of aluminum extrusions in this growing market, what is driving the trend toward extrusions, how other aluminum material processes fit into the mix and what he is seeing down the road for materials in battery box construction will be covered in this enlightening episode.

Jeff Henderson, AEC President, and Robert DeFrancesco, AEC's lead trade attorney, discuss the Department of Commerce's recent decision in the important Reflections Window & Wall scope challenge. They will review the outcome and next steps.

In this podcast Jeff Henderson, AEC President, will have a discussion with the AEC's Lead Attorney in its Ongoing Trade Case against China about circumvention, transshipment, and the difference between the two. To most of us, circumvention is the catchall for all illegal maneuvering to avoid paying duties. However, the law sees them differently. This discussion will define those differences and what it means to us when we file a claim.

Jeff Henderson, AEC President, and Robert DeFrancesco, AEC's lead attorney discuss the ongoing Trade Case against China and the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) program. The AEC has participated in this program since its inception in 2015. Learn more about the program and how the AEC and its members can use it to defend the extrusion industry against violations of the anti-dumping and countervailing duties orders and U.S. Trade Law

Many aluminum extruders (as well as manufacturers in general) are challenged to hire talent with the critical skills needed in today's manufacturing environment to operate and maintain equipment that is becoming increasingly higher tech. Duncan Crowdis, AEC Academic Engagement Leader, Chuck Stout of Pennex Aluminum, and Jessica Borza of the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition discuss the collaborative efforts between regional manufacturers in eastern Ohio and a local technical college to develop, implement and manage a balanced training program—in this case focused on robotics. Learn why this initiative was so important, how they got started, how the training program works, the benefits achieved to this point and what's next.

Tom Culp, PhD, AEC's consultant on building and energy codes, discusses his work with various code and ratings groups. Tom is privy to the next round of ever more stringent energy codes, such as ASHRAE 90.1 and 189.1, International Building Code, National Fenestration Ratings Council, and Canada's National Energy Code for Buildings—and he is on the frontline defending aluminum's place in the building and construction market. He will tell us what trends he is seeing in current and upcoming codes across the U.S. and Canada, and how they will likely impact architects, building developers, specifiers, manufacturers and aluminum extruders.

Studies have shown that students and parents start to make curriculum choices that will guide potential career paths as early as middle school. This podcast focuses on the hands-on, interactive work that is being done by a company in the Richmond, Virginia area to engage and start to educate middle and high school students, their parents and school guidance counsellors on the attractive career opportunities within today's aluminum extrusion manufacturing industry. Duncan Crowdis, Director with Alexandria Industries discusses this topic with Congetta Kelly, Vice President Career Development with Service Center Metals in Virginia.

In this second episode in our series covering the various components of a trade case, we'll discuss Administrative Reviews. The Department of Commerce conducts a full review of our trade case each year. Through this process, Commerce establishes our duties for the previous year. As a result of the AEC's strategic play in these reviews we have seen our combined tariffs against Chinese extruders climb to just over 100%. Learn more about this process, why it is important to our case and our industry, and what lies ahead for this year's review in our discussion with our lead attorney, Robert DeFrancesco.

In this podcast, AEC's lead trade attorney, Robert Defrancesco of Wiley Law, discusses a key victory in our trade case. Kingtom, with an operation in the Dominican Republic, was found guilty of comingling Chinese and local extrusions for export into the United States. Find out what this means to our industry and what happens next.