What are the best ACM panel manufacturers?

In the realm of construction, designers, architects, and custom house builders use various materials for their structure. Looking at history, you can note that not all the materials have been useful for individuals. However, with the emergence of composite materials, lots of creative and innovative designs appeared. Even though the number of composite products is limited, aluminum composite material (ACM) has managed to be the most popular choice among architects and constructors. Today more than 200 ACM panel manufacturers are now producing these composite materials.

3A Composite (previously known as (Alcan Composites & Alusuisse) invented ACM panels in 1964. The invention was a joint effort with BASF, a German chemical company that is the most abundant chemical producer worldwide. 3A Composite commenced a commercial brand, named Alucobond in 1969. Moreover, they licensed the product in 1971, not allowing any other providers to manufacture ACM panels. The patent lasted for more than 20 years. The expiration of the patent allowed other companies to start their commercial brand for aluminum composite materials. More companies such as Reynobond, Alpolic, and Etalbond commenced their business in the ACM world. But before getting to these manufactures, we will briefly discuss aluminum composite materials. Then some leading and well-recognized corporations will be introduced.

What is an ACM Panel?

Composite materials consist of two or more constituent material that is combined. The blending provides some qualities that are not possible with each material alone. Therefore, composite materials offer a condition that can be expanded for different purposes. 

Aluminum composite materials are also the same. Two Aluminum layers are combined with a mineral-filled core or polyethylene. Although some coating and structures are added later for durability and consistency, the main component of aluminum composite material is aluminum and polyethylene. However, polyethylene has prompted arguments regarding fire safety. The problem made providers use non-combustible material in the core, which is now common among ACM panels manufacturers. 

What makes an aluminum composite panel safe regarding the fire issue is the distance between the ACM panel application from the ground. According to one of the ACM panels manufacturers, the range must not exceed a firefighter ladder. In that case, non-combustible materials are essential. In other words, the more the distance to the ground, the more fire retardant materials are needed to be used in the core. With that in mind, let us look at some ACM panel manufacturers in the world. 

ACM Panel Manufacturers: 

3A composites:

As mentioned previously, 3A Composites is the inventor of aluminum composite panels. The company is located in Steinhausen, Switzerland, and is focusing on a variety of market divisions. They are the producer of aluminum composite panels, structural composite materials, plastic sheets, and foam boards. Their primary focus is core materials, architecture, and designs, display, and graphic arts, transport and industry, corporate identity design, fitness, yoga, and rehabilitation. 

With brand names such as Alucobond, Dibond, and Alucore, 3A Composites has now more than 27 branches in Europe, Asia, and North America with more than 60 years of experience. 

Regarding the fire safety issue of aluminum panels, 3A Composites brands use mineral fire retardant cores. Therefore, 3A Composite is one of the few ACM panel manufacturers that produces fire retardant panels. 

Alucomat:

Alucomat is another well-known ACM panel manufacturer, a registered branding of Jyi Shyang Industrial Co from 1966. Their aluminum products can cover interior decoration, exterior cladding, signage, and transportation. Though their main factory is located in Taiwan, they are also available in Europe and North America. 

Alucomot aluminum composite panels have two main aluminum panels and one central core. The core is either filled with a thermoplastic polyethylene or class 1 fire-resistant mineral filled with continuous heat and pressure. Hence, you can choose the core based on your application and also your concern about the fire safety issue. 

Reynobond & Reynoluc ACM panel manufacturers:

Two other ACM panel brands that work under the same brand are Reynobond and Reynoluc. The two inner layers of aluminum in panels are either coil-coated, brushed, or anodized, making the panels firm yet flexible, weighing 3.6 times less than metal and 1.6 times less than aluminum. The panels are available in different colors and finishes that can ensure harmony and durability. 

Furthermore, Reynoluc panels are the other brand of the complex that provides ACM panels worldwide. However, because of their quality and cost-effective solution, Reynoluc panels are mostly used in industrial and commercial applications. 

Alpolic:

Alpolic is another ACM panel manufacturer registered under the name of Mitsubishi Chemicals. The company has branches in several parts of the world. Moreover, it claims that they are the leader of aluminum composite panel providers worldwide. With a variety of products available based on your region, Alpolic has three main products, which are all fire retardant. 

Alpolic F1, Alpolic F2, and Alpolic FR are the main products of Alpolic. They are all fire retardant and meet the requirement of different classes of construction. Alpolic products are easy to process, highly rigid, and are available in several colors and finishes. They also claim that their products have 20 years of quality guarantee.

Etalbond: 

The final ACM panel manufacturer that we are going to introduce is Etalbond. The non-toxic and environmentally friendly aluminum layers sandwiches the polyethylene core in Etalbond products. The thickness of Etalbond products is 2,3 or 5mm with aluminum sheets of 0.5. The widths of sheets are 1250, 1500mm, and the length is from 2000 up to 7000 mm. The total thickness is, therefore, 3,4 and 6mm. 

Etalbond products have all the premium quality of ACM panels. They have increased rigidity, a perfect weight to strength ratio, and their installation is rapid. Etalbond aluminum composite materials can be applied in building renovations, internal partitions, false ceilings, bus stations, gas stations, column covers, machine coverings, signage, and more. 

Final words; What are the best ACM panel manufacturers?

Aluminum composite materials have been in the construction industry for more than four decades, and their realm is still expanding. More than 200 companies provide and manufacture ACM panels for custom house builders, constructors, architects, commercial businesses, and more. The world of ACM panels has grown so much that they are also used in transportation and other industries. It has also been estimated that the industry outcome will increase by 6% by 2022. Therefore you can expect more to come from ACM panels manufacturers.

However, deciding which manufacturer is the best is not an easy task. First of all, you need to ensure whether you would want a fire-retardant core or not. Then, you can limit your manufacturers and choices. Depending on the panel’s characteristics and your application, you can select the provider easier and more reasonably. However, choosing the right provider is not the final task. It would be best if you also had a trustable contractor to install the panels for you. Therefore, try selecting a contractor as well.

Source ACM Panel manufacturers