The Aluminum Anodizers Council (AAC) and the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) are collaborating to provide their members and industry professionals with business and technical information related to the aluminum anodizing and extrusion industries.
The AAC 34th Annual International Aluminum Anodizing Conference & Exposition and the AEC Management Conference will be co-located, forming the 2025 Aluminum Summit. The event will take place from Tuesday, September 16, through Thursday, September 18, at the Atlanta Hilton in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The comprehensive program addresses critical challenges faced by the aluminum extrusion and anodizing industries, including analysis of the aluminum metal market, the status of aluminum tariffs, workplace safety, sustainability, and more. The program will include two general sessions covering relevant information for both groups, 24 Focus Sessions organized into six tracks, with four sessions each. Three tracks will concentrate on anodizing issues, and three tracks will focus on extrusion issues.
The Aluminum Marketplace, a small-scale Expo composed of exhibitors that supply products and services to anodizers and extruders, provides a forum for networking and camaraderie between the two associations and the attendees.
Conference websites have been created to share program and registration details with attendees. AAC has established registration fees for both members and non-members to register at www.members.anodizing.org/AluminumSummit. AEC members should log in and register at https://aec.org/AluminumSummit.
The Opening General Session on Wednesday morning, September 17, highlights insurance inspections, trade and government affairs as they pertain to aluminum extrusions, a study on the North American Anodized Aluminum market, among other topics.
The Focus Session Tracks on Wednesday afternoon cover a wealth of information that anodizers and extruders can use to improve their processes, learn new techniques, make informed decisions, and more. The Tracks include Anodizing Fundamentals, Anodizing Tools, Anodizing Innovations, Management & Business Improvements, Extrusion Finishing Workshop, and Industry Intelligence. From Heat Treatment Impact on the Anodic Oxide Quality of 6000-Series Aluminum Extrusions to Machine Learning and GenAI Tools for Anodizers and Extruders, and Innovations in Electrolytic Color to the Outlook for Automotive Extrusions and Using Data to Optimize the Extrusion Process, the Focus Sessions have something for nearly everyone involved in aluminum anodizing and extrusion operations.
The Closing General Session on Thursday morning, September 18, features an Aluminum Market Analysis and Outlook from Karen McBeth, Director of Metals Global Engagement & Intelligence at S&P Global Commodities, who will share insights into the current market conditions for aluminum, particularly regarding extrusion billet. Other sessions highlight sustainability, coexisting through communication, and an emerging anodizing technology for creating antibacterial surfaces for medical applications.
Gene Marks, a former columnist for both the New York Times and the Washington Post, will present the Closing Keynote. In his keynote address, “Navigating 2025 and Beyond: Strategic Moves for Your Industry”, Marks will share practical, real-world strategies and tactics that forward-thinking leaders are using to navigate economic uncertainty, political instability, and the complex decisions surrounding technology and the workplace, positioning their companies for sustained growth and long-term success amid change.
Three in-conjunction workshops are being offered before the Aluminum Summit to provide a well-rounded educational experience for the week. On Monday, September 15, AAC will offer its one-day Anodizing Essentials Class, designed to expand the knowledge and abilities of anodizing production personnel at every skill level – from line operators to production managers. The class is open to members and nonmembers alike.
AEC will be offering its popular “Extrusion Excellence: Applied Fundamentals for Aluminum Extruders” one-day seminar to its members. This educational course, taught by Professor Wojtek Misiolek, Director of the Loewy Institute at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, brings together aluminum extrusion theory and practice to provide a fundamental engineering approach to the aluminum extrusion process. The Course is open only to AEC members and can be added to the Aluminum Summit registration, or members can register for the course only by visiting AEC.org/AluminumSummit.
On Tuesday, September 16, AAC will conduct the Anodizing Quality & Troubleshooting Workshop. The one-day technical workshop focuses on all aspects that influence anodizing quality, conducted by industry experts, and featuring Anodizing technical presentations and table discussions. Among the topics explored are aluminum metallurgy, manufacturing, and microstructure, as well as anodizing to meet specifications, processing solutions for anodizing complex alloys, and effective troubleshooting. The Anodizing Quality & Troubleshooting Workshop is open to both non-members and members of the AAC.
AAC is offering both member and non-member pricing for the Aluminum Summit and Anodizing classes. Visit members.anodizing.org/AluminumSummit for program and registration details. AEC members should visit AEC.org/AluminumSummit for program and registration details for the Aluminum Summit and the Extrusion Excellence course.
The Aluminum Anodizers Council promotes the common interests of its members and the progress and growth of the aluminum anodizing industry through educational programs, technical bulletins, and networking opportunities, including the annual International Anodizing Conference and Exposition. AAC is a progressive and influential industry force, a reputation proudly earned through years of dedication, commitment, and involvement by its members. Visit www.anodizing.org.
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) is a progressive trade association dedicated to advancing the effective use of aluminum extrusion in North America. AEC is committed to providing comprehensive information about the characteristics, applications, environmental benefits, design, and technology of extrusion to users, product designers, engineers, and the academic community. Furthermore, AEC is focused on enhancing its members' ability to meet the emerging market demands by sharing knowledge and best practices. Visit www.aec.org.
