What is the manufacturing process of aluminum composite panels?
A fabrication shop equipped to work sheet metal is an asset for any modern siding project. The popularity of metal coatings has grown and shops around the world are revolutionizing their methods to meet the increasing demand for products such as aluminum composite panels (ACP).
ACP, which is formed from raw Aluminum Composite Material (ACM), has become the leading aluminum cladding product, thanks in part to a streamlined custom fabrication process. The transformation of an ACM sheet into ACP ready for coating can be divided into four stages: cutting, slotting, bending and assembling.
Precision and efficiency are the principles of an optimized workflow in aluminum fabrication. This is the standard by which fabrication shops excel compared to the usual practice of forming panels from raw ACM sheets on site. Nothing beats the reliable productivity of a shop floor with a streamlined workflow, constant access to material and state-of-the-art tooling to manufacture quality aluminum cladding products like ACP.
Why an aluminum composite panel?
Panels are the ideal form for metal cladding. Its composition allows the fastening systems to be hidden behind the coating itself, so that the modern and bright appearance of the product is not interrupted by the sight of screws, rivets and brackets. The fact that these brackets protrude behind the face of the panels – attached to the sides – also creates the air cavity between the base wall and the sheathing that is necessary for a rainscreen system.
How is an aluminum composite panel manufactured? Why a panel?
Manufacturers take the designers’ vision from plan to panel and assist installers by providing ACP ready to attach to the exterior of a building. These are the basic steps of ACM panel manufacturing, how a fabrication shop fits into the process and a look at the tools that are transforming the industry.
Basic manufacturing process
Aluminum fabrication is much like creating origami with metal. The composition of the panel, the face and sides are already engraved on the raw material. Fabrication is the process of folding a siding panel from raw ACM. Like any custom work, a fabrication shop starts with a sheet metal.
Basic manufacturing process
Cutting:
ACM comes in raw sheets that are cut into cladding panels that fit the design and can be worked with. The tools used for this purpose can vary from a table saw to a CNC machine equipped with a rotary milling cutter that will mill or cut the material. In any case, fabrication shops are looking for precision, as the rest of the process is based on the product of the initial cut.
Basic manufacturing process – Cutting
No one, for both environmental and economic reasons, wants raw materials to go to waste. The best manufacturers measure to obtain the maximum number of panels from a raw sheet. It’s like doing an upside-down puzzle, and there are few things more satisfying than making perfect use of the material.
For such an assignment, the CNC machine is a fabrication shop’s best friend. Obedience to a well-calculated process is a central feature of CNC technology. There is only a small possibility of error when technicians introduce the most efficient use of raw material according to the final design.
The turrets of a CNC machine – which hold the spindles and the respective cutting heads – can rotate in three dimensions. However, mobility during the cutting phase is mainly provided by slides that slide the milling tool along the x and y axes. These carriages are manufactured to slide along the x and y axes. These carriages are made to slide quickly, as the rotary cutter makes quick work of ACM.
Basic manufacturing process – Cutting
Grooving:
Bending ACM sheets is not easy. To prepare for this phase of the manufacturing process, the freshly cut sheets are grooved. Four incisions are made which will become folds for the sides of the panel. Manufacturers who have access to a CNC machine use this technology to obtain the best results. Not only do these machines work precisely according to the original schematic, but the three-dimensional mobility of their turrets offers precision to complex designs.
The perfect groove is carved with a lathe equipped with a CNC machine spindle. Manufacturers look for sufficient depth to facilitate bending, but a shallow enough groove so that the final cladding panel remains structurally sound. ACM is typically four millimeters thick, which gives an idea of the small margin of error in grooving. This makes many fabrication shops happy to have the precise touch of CNC technology at their disposal.
A secondary element of the slotting stage is the process of drilling holes in the corners of the panel flaps, which will then be used during assembly.
An unwanted but easy to manage by-product of cutting and gouging is the presence of metal debris and dust. Pressurized air is useful for cleaning
Slot:
Bending ACM sheets is not easy. To prepare for this stage of the manufacturing process, the freshly cut sheets are grooved. Four incisions are made which will become folds for the sides of the panel. Manufacturers who have access to a CNC machine use this technology to obtain the best results. Not only do these machines work precisely according to the original schematic, but the three-dimensional mobility of their turrets offers precision to complex designs.
The perfect groove is carved with a lathe equipped with a CNC machine spindle. Manufacturers look for sufficient depth to facilitate bending, but a shallow enough groove so that the final cladding panel remains structurally sound. ACM is typically four millimeters thick, which gives an idea of the small margin of error in grooving. This makes many fabrication shops happy to have the precise touch of CNC technology at their disposal.
A secondary element of the slotting stage is the process of drilling holes in the corners of the panel flaps, which will then be used during assembly.
An unwanted but easy to manage by-product of cutting and gouging is the presence of metal debris and dust. Pressurized air is useful for cleaning.
Folding:
Once cut and slotted, the sheets are ready to be bent. The slot incision helps, but manufacturers still pride themselves on the strength required to bend the sides of the panel. Gentleness joins the effort of training during this stage. Tweezers are used to create temporary grips.
This allows for reliable clamping and even force distribution to ensure that each flap is folded plumb.
This stage ends with a rose and a thorn. The good news is that the panel is already formed. The bad news: if the sides can be folded up, they can also be folded down just as easily. This problem is solved in the last stage: the assembly.
Assembly:
Basic manufacturing process – Assembly
Assembly is the time when manufacturers attach the sides of the panel to ensure its long-term strength. Do you remember the holes drilled in the fins during the slotting phase? At this point they are useful, as manufacturers take some E-bars, L-brackets and rivets, the only non-ACM components needed to make ACP.
First are the E-bars, four extrusions cut to the size of each side of the panel. They are drilled with holes aligned with those of the panel itself. L-shaped brackets, also perforated accordingly, are placed at the corners of the panel. These will not only solidify the sides of the panel so that they cannot bend downward, but will also fit and hold the E-bars.
Rivets join the L-brackets, E-bars and panel sides. These fasteners are inserted into the holes in the four corners of the panel and fastened for permanent fastening. Sixteen rivets, two per corner, are all that is needed for structural stability.
Once these steps are completed, what was once a simple ACM is now a manufactured ACP. It’s time to load the trucks and begin installation.
Basic manufacturing process – Assembly
How can a manufacturer help you with your project?
Fabrication shops optimize and streamline the aluminum coating process by adapting their workflows to quickly produce quality ACP. Beyond the tools, experience is the main asset. Practice makes for accuracy and speed, so a dedicated team of fabricators is a good bet for a job well done.
These manufacturers are an asset to the entire coating process and a great ally for installers looking for quality ACM coating that arrives with no surprises and ready to go. The exteriors are clad with ACP according to a unique and specific design. Failures in the manufacturing process can cause an installation to fail, as each panel is fixed based on the position of the previous one.
How can a manufacturer help you with your project?
Mistakes are a waste of time and material, so the controlled environment of a fabrication shop is a fantastic asset. Experienced manufacturers know how to ensure quality and work on a scale where errors – which will always occur to some extent – are not detrimental to the cost of supply. From small to large projects, specialized manufacturers offer their partners the value of a large-scale operation, taking advantage of both volume rates and the most efficient tools.
CNC machine
Computer numerical control, the technology used by the most prolific manufacturers to cut and groove their ACM, is revolutionizing the coating industry (along with many others). CNC machines are named not for the specific jobs they perform, but for the programming that automates those jobs.
The CNC machine – Autodesk
For ACM purposes, CNC machines employ milling and turning tools adapted to create smooth cuts and incisions in the metal. Of the two CNC machines we use in our fabrication shop the last one is a laser cutter. The value of CNC machines lies in their compatibility with popular design applications and schematics, such as Autodesk.
The bridge between the machines and these programs is a computer-aided design (CAD) file. These CAD files contain all the data needed by both designers and manufacturers, while facilitating consistent collaboration between the two teams. Architects can rest easy knowing that their plans will clearly translate into the finished product. Data points fed to the CNC machines are digested quickly, and ACM meets the cutting head quickly.
CNC machine
How much does it cost to manufacture ACM?
If you work as a siding installer, or if your business involves any type of sheet metal, you may be wondering how much it costs to hire the services of a fabrication shop. At Wiedehopf we want to help you, and our CNC machine is ready to get started for your specific project.
ACM has utility in a wide range of applications beyond coating, so we have adapted our manufacturing process to accommodate a wide range of purposes. Whatever your business, we invite you to call our office, without obligation, for a free estimate of what our services will cost. Typically, fabrication prices range from $13 to $27 per square foot for fabrication alone. We will treat your project with the same care we put into our own and use the best tools in the industry to achieve our common goals.
Conclusion
The manufacturing process – Conclusion
If you are looking for a manufacturing partner that offers quality-assured aluminum composite panels with fast turnaround times and careful assembly, we can help you.we have been optimizing our workshop for years to meet the modern needs of the cladding industry. Our mission is to serve our partners by manufacturing panels to their exact specifications in a timely manner.
With a fully tested aluminum fabrication team and the help of two state-of-the-art CNC machines, we look forward to helping you get the best ACM panels for your metal cladding project. Whether you are an installer looking to grow your business or a contractor looking for someone to completely take care of the siding aspect of construction, our shop is ready to serve you. Manufacturing is not just a process. For us, it is a passion.
