With the theme “Staying in Step with Change: Strategic Solutions for Anodizing Challenges,” the conference will focus on the challenges and solutions for achieving a high-quality anodic finish, as well as other anodizing-related content. The Anodizing Conference is a weeklong educational experience starting on Monday, October 5, with preconference classes, followed by the Conference kicking off officially with the Welcome Reception on Tuesday, a General Session, and Focus Sessions on Wednesday, and concluding on Thursday, October 8, with the closing General Session. The Anodizing Exposition is a two-day marketplace for anodizing suppliers to share their latest innovations, products and services on Tuesday evening through Thursday morning, open during receptions, meals, and coffee breaks.

“This year, attendees can expect a revised format and refreshed agenda designed to create more opportunities for learning, discussion, and meaningful industry connection. Developed for anodizers, by anodizers, the program is being shaped to deliver relevant content, practical takeaways, and conversations that matter to the people doing the work every day,” said AAC Chairman Jon Ledin, General Manager of AaCron, Inc. in Minneapolis, MN.

The preconference education includes classes on Monday and Tuesday, October 5 and 6. On Monday, Part 1 of the Anodizing Essentials class is conducted in the afternoon. On Tuesday, Part 2 of the Anodizing Essentials class will be conducted in the morning, and the Advanced Anodizing class will be conducted in the afternoon. Designed to increase the knowledge and ability of anyone involved in operating an anodizing line, Anodizing Essentials details the foundation of quality anodizing taking the learner through the entire process – beginning with the metallurgical properties of aluminum alloys commonly anodized through to the final rinse and sealing processes. The Advanced Anodizing class delivers anodizing concepts discussed in scientific terms which are directly tied to the engineering processes of decorative and hard anodizing. Specific attention is paid to pulse anodizing and anodizing difficult alloys manufactured by way of cast and wrought processes.

Registration opens in June. Stay tuned to anodizing.org for additional updates as the program continues to take shape.

The Call for Papers for the 35th Aluminum Anodizing Conference is now open. Professionals that have a case study, insights, best practices or technical topic that could benefit the industry are invited to submit an abstract at members.anodizing.org/call4papers.

Registration Open for AAC Regional Forum in Utah

Judy Runge, PhD, AAC Education Committee Chair and experienced Metallurgical Engineer and Surface Scientist, was interviewed for an article with ALCircle. In the article, Dr. Runge talks extensively about the importance of understanding aluminum metallurgy to achieve a good anodic oxide layer.

"Changes in grain boundary density, and/or the size, shape, population and distribution of particles in the microstructure, change the visual appearance of the finished anode. Recycling processes that don’t take into consideration the formation of new discrete particles by disregarding variations in trace element ratios or the reduced solubility of certain alloy constituents over time can also result in microstructures for the same alloy designation that don’t look the same after anodizing," she explains.

Dr. Runge goes on to say, "There is a rule of thumb: the more complex the alloy, the more difficult it is to anodize. Aluminum alloys are usually designed with specific mechanical properties in mind, and seldom with how the metal should be finished. I believe that many designers think of the anodic oxide as a deposit similar to an electroplated finish or something to be applied like a lacquer or a paint, which covers the component surface rather than develops it. However, the beauty of the anodic oxide that showcases the metal quality is often a part of engineering designs."

"I believe that if component industrial designers would incorporate metal finishing as an important detail in their initial designs, as a mechanical property, and involve their metal finishers in the design discussion, these challenges could be minimized, and even overcome," she continues.

Read the full interview HERE.

Wauconda, Illinois; July 15, 2025 -- The Aluminum Anodizers Council (AAC) and the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) are joining forces to bring aluminum anodizing and aluminum extrusion industry business and technical information to their members and industry professionals. The AAC 34^th 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, 2025, at the Atlanta Hilton in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The wide-ranging program addresses critical challenges faced by the aluminum extrusion and anodizing industries, including aluminum metal market analysis, status of aluminum tariffs, workplace safety, sustainability, and more. The program will include two general sessions covering relevant information to both groups, 24 Focus Sessions organized into six tracks, four sessions each, with three tracks concentrated on anodizing issues and three tracks focused 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 set up registration fees for members and nonmembers 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 processes, learn a new technique, 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 & GenAI Tools for Anodizers and Extruders, and from 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, Metals Global Engagement & Intelligence Director for S&P Global Commodities, who will share insights into the current market conditions for aluminum, especially on extrusion billet. Other sessions highlight sustainability, coexisting through communication and an emerging anodizing technology for creating antibacterial surfaces for medical applications.

The Closing Keynote will be presented by Gene Marks, a former columnist for both the New York Times and the Washington Post. 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 be offering their one-day Anodizing Essentials Class, designed to expand the knowledge and ability of anodizing production personnel at every skill level – from the line operator to the production manager. The class is open to members and nonmembers alike.

AEC will be offering their popular Extrusion Excellence: Applied Fundamentals for Aluminum Extruders one-day seminar to 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, anodizing to meet specifications, processing solutions for anodizing complex alloys, and effective troubleshooting. The Anodizing Quality & Troubleshooting Workshop is open to nonmembers as well as members of 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.About AECThe 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 bringing comprehensive information about extrusion's characteristics, applications, environmental benefits, design and technology to users, product designers, engineers and the academic community.  Further, AEC is focused on enhancing the ability of its members to meet the emerging demands of the market through sharing knowledge and best practices.  For more information, visit  www.aec.org and follow AEC on Facebook, LinkedIn , and X.

About AAC

The Aluminum Anodizers Council serves to promote the common interests of its members and the progress and growth of the aluminum anodizing industry through educational programs, technical bulletins and networking opportunities that include 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.  For more information, visit www.anodizing.org and follow AAC on Facebook , LinkedIn , and X.

A regular contributor at the AAC Annual Anodizing Conferences over the years, Mr. Schaedel provided new insights and expertise, sharing his vast knowledge freely with the anodizing community. Schaedel was awarded the Robert L. Kersman Award of Excellence for Best Paper, “Practical Additions Including Anodic Test Evaluation Cells (ATEC),” at the 2017 Anodizing Conference.

“If you have the pleasure and privilege to meet Fred, take a look at his lapel pins: you’ll see NASA, U.S. Navy and F15, just to name a few – this should immediately tell you why you might not have met Fred until the last 20 years (top secret!) – but it should also give you insight into the work he has done: anodizing for the defense, aircraft and aerospace industries, developing anodic oxides for toughness, fatigue, wear and corrosion resistance on some of the most complex aluminum oxides,” Thomas continued.

“Fred’s greatest contribution to the industry is that he shares all of his experience and knowledge now. He has participated in AAC conferences and classes over the last several years, and we have all benefited from his experience. And going beyond, Fred is eager and willing to take new things that he continues to learn, bringing us new ideas and reasons why the anodic oxide should be the finish of choice for aluminum,’” Thomas concluded.

Private services will be held by the family at the Aloia Funeral/Home Attentive Cremation Service, 180 Harrison Avenue, Garfield, New Jersey 07026 (973-340-7077). Condolences visit www.aloiafuneral.com

One of the greatest environmental advantages of aluminum is its tremendous recyclability. According to data from the Aluminum Association and the International Aluminum Institute (IAI), about one-third of all aluminum produced in the U.S. and Canada today is from recycled sources. This recycled aluminum requires about 95 percent less energy required to produce aluminum compared to raw materials. The longevity of aluminum speaks for itself with some 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced still being used today.

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