Cutting ACM Panels; The Best Tools Introduced

Selecting the ideal construction material can be a problem for most people while trying to build a custom house or involving in a big project. But the main problem with the construction elements is usually with the installers and the installation process. Thus, choosing a professional installer can always make your job easier and more straightforward. However, cutting ACM panels is not an easy job and requires more explanation and precision. In order to cut ACM panels, you need to have more information about the panels themselves, and the cutting procedure. For more information about the ACM panels, you can also visit ACM Wall Panel.

Cutting ACM panels is not straightforward if you are not a professional in installing aluminum composite materials. Thus, in this article, we will try to mention how to cut ACM panels with great precision. This will greatly help you to have a better understanding of the process even if you don’t plan to do so. We will also try to take a look at the installation process. Finally, we will give our verdict on the ACM panels and their overall quality. 

What tools do you need for cutting ACM panels?

Before starting to cut the ACM panels, you need some special tools to get the job done. These tools are critical for cutting ACM panels; however, all of them are not necessary, and having one of them might be sufficient. Here are the tools that you need to cut the ACM panels:

• Standard Saws
• Aluminum Laser Cut
• Shearing
• CNC Router
• Circular Saw
• Jigsaws
• Cold Chisels

Cutting ACM panels is possible by using all of the above tools. However, the end result can be different for each one of the tools above. Thus, to serve our purpose of giving you more information better, we will try to mention each method and its advantages and disadvantages. 

Standards Saws:

Using a hacksaw can be a useful tool to cut the ACM panels. However, if you are trying to do that with a large piece of aluminum composite panels, you may need to use the carpenters jack saw. Bear in mind that the blade should not be too fine and coarse. Another important caution is that the blade choice is critical in the process. If you choose a standard coarse timber blade, there is a high possibility that it will get destroyed before you actually cut the panels.

Aluminum Laser Cut:

Cutting ACM panels is possible by applying laser cuts. Apart from the aluminum composite materials, you can cut the reflective materials with a fiber laser system as well. To do so, you need a high-power laser. The advantage of a high-power laser is that it will not have any effect on the end result, meaning that no cut trail will be observed on the panels. 

Another advantage of aluminum laser cut is their ability to cut complex structures and shapes without actually leaving any trades. However, this is not possible with the CNC router mentioned below. Therefore, the advantages of aluminum laser-cut will be much more efficient and useful than any other method, yet their cost is more. 

Shearing for cutting ACM panels:

Perhaps one of the oldest tools for cutting ACM panels is shearing. This is pretty much like using scissors to cut the panels. If you want to cut thicker panels, the gap between the shearing material must be more. Also, there are two kinds of shearing materials available to cut the ACM panels. That is, the two types of shearing include guillotine and swing bear; the former is hydraulic and the latter is mechanical. 

CNC Router:

One of the most common ways to cut anything in the industry is CNC routers. This machinery is also used to cut any ACM materials related. Moreover, most manufacturers and providers apply CNC routers to fabricate the panels as well. 

Aluminum composite panels are known for their durability and stickiness. Therefore, when you try to cut the panels with a router, you need to bear in mind that you need to remove the cut panels precisely. To remove this possibility, you can use a lubricator.

To make the CNC Router more precise, you can also use a feed rate calculator. Finally, we recommend removing the chips on the machine regularly. You need to vacuum the remaining parts otherwise, this can also be problematic while using a CNC router as a cutting tool.

 Circular Saw as another method for ACM cutting:

One of the easiest methods of cutting ACM panels is a circular saw. However, this method is mostly used if you want to cut the panels in a straight line. Bear in mind that this method can be dangerous. Therefore, having the correct safety procedures is essential for circular saws. Never turn on the saw, if the blade is put on the material. Therefore, we also recommend wearing safety glasses if you want to use circular saws to cut the ACM Panels.

Apply Jigsaw for cutting ACM panels:

Jigsaw is another common method to cut the aluminum composite panels. This particular tool is very versatile and is able to cut any kind of thickness. As you’ve already known, aluminum composite panels are available in different sizes and thicknesses. Therefore, having a tool to be able to cut through different thicknesses is essential. For more information about their thickness, you can also visit ACM Boards.

One of the main advantages of the jigsaw as a cutting tool is that it can provide angels and curves after the procedure. To cut the panels smoothly, you might require a very smooth blade. For this particular purpose and aluminum composite panel cutting, we recommend using a 24-toothed blade. The more the number goes up, the more smooth cut you will experience. 

Cold Chisels:

Cold chisels are another appropriate tool to cut thick materials mostly mansories. Therefore, you can use cold chisels to cut the ACM panels. However, to use cold chisels for cutting aluminum composite materials, you need to make the chisel one inch wider than the material itself. After doing so and selecting the appropriate chisel tool, you need to sharpen the tool up to a 60-70 degree bevel. Then, put the aluminum composite panels into the center of the vice and tighten them firmly. Bear in mind that using a claw hammer is strongly prohibited. 

The main advantage of this particular method is the speed. You can cut the panels in less than 30 seconds. Anything longer than that means there is a problem with the chisels. Therefore, you need to check the chisel to make sure you have selected it correctly.

Our verdict on ACM panels and the cutting tools:

Aluminum composite materials are durable, rigid, and flexible materials. Their features are so unique that is hard to find in any other materials. To find out more about the panels, you can further visit ACM Boards. In this particular blog post, we mentioned some of the main tools for cutting the ACM panels. Doing so requires safety measures as well. Therefore, you need to do that on your own responsibility. However, we strongly suggest asking a professional to install, fabricate, or cut the panels. 

If you also have more questions that you can not find on our website, you can call our experts. They are available during work hours to answer your calls. Furthermore, you can put your comments down below for any further inquiries. 

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