Alucobond

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Contents 1 Material analysis 1.1 Traditional uses 1.2 Emerging uses / trends 1.3 Finish and aesthetic qualities 1.4 Surface forms / shapes 1.5 Cost analysis 2 Material properties 2.1 Primary structural use 2.2 Material performance 2.3 Dimensional and opening restriction 2.4 Acoustic property 2.5 Manufacturing process and assembly 3 Environment and Life Safety 3.1 Environmental impact 3.2 Flammability rating 4 References 4.1 Notes 4.2 Student contributions 5 See also 5.1 Similar materials 5.2 Building references 6 External links 6.1 Leading manufacturers

Material analysis

MasterFormat Number: Wall panel - 07 42 00, Roofing - 07 40 00, Faced panel - 07 44 00, Signage 10 14 00, Coloumn Covers05 58 13

Traditional uses

• Alucobond was traditionally used as cladding for many diverse applications such as office buildings, hospitals, convention centers, airports, hotels and for critical design elements such as entrances, canopies, column covers .^[1]

Emerging uses / trends

• Canopies
• Glazing panels
• Soffit and fascia panels
• Sound attenuation
• Architectural exterior and interior signage
• Column covers .^[2]

Finish and aesthetic qualities

• Alucobond is a most versatile and weather-resistant base material for signs, presentation boards and bands(for creative advertising) used indoors and outdoors.
• Its smooth surfaces are ideal for screen printing, and three-dimensional displays and presentations are quickly and efficiently made using the routing & folding technique.
• Perfect results with large photo laminating: Alucobond surfaces are absolutely smooth and hence ideal for laminating, even with large format motifs.
• The perfect surface finish supports professional photo mounting and prevents the formation of air bubbles. ^[3]
• Alucobond is available in 30 standard colours and 44 pre-formulated colours. Custom colours are available on request. ^[4]

Surface forms / shapes

• It can be curved, and bent to form corners.
• With certain techniques, it may be bent to have tight outside corners bent at 90 degrees. ^[5]

Cost analysis

• Price - 45$ /SFT

Material properties

Primary structural use

• Wall cladding (interior and exterior)

Material performance

• It is weather-resistant, unbreakable, shock-resistant, vibration absorbent and easy to install. .^[6]
• Can be bent, cut, drilled, punched, stamped and easily shaped.
• Cleaned easily with a sponge and soft alkali-free detergent in water.
• 4mm thick Alucobond has the same rigidity as a 3,3mm thick solid Aluminium sheet but is almost 40% lighter
• Alucobond absorbs vibrations 8 times faster than an Aluminium sheet. ^[7]

Dimensional and opening restriction

• Thickness - 3mm, 4mm, and 6mm thicknesses (the aluminum sheets remain 0.02" thick)
• Weight - [kg/m²] 4.5 (for 3mm, 5.5(for 4mm), 7.3(for 6mm)
• Width - 1000, 1250 & 1500, special widths on request
• Length - to specification max 8000mm ^[8]

Acoustic property

• Sound absorption factor as Average = 0.05 for all panel thicknesses.^[9]

Manufacturing process and assembly

• Alucobond is a light-weight composite material consisting of two pre-finished 0.02" (0.5mm) thick aluminium cover sheets heat-bonded (laminated) to a core made of polyethylene plastic.
• The 0.02" thick sheets of Aluminum are pre-painted, with an extremely durable paint system called Kynar. This paint stands up to exterior weather for 20+ years without fading, chalking, or peeling. ^[10]

Environment and Life Safety

Environmental impact

• Neither during the production of Alucobond nor after being applied as a building cladding, are volatile propellant agents of type CFC set free.
• Alucobond core material does not contain nitrogen, chlorine or sulphur.^[11]
• Alucobond is fully recoverable. The polyethylene in its core is one of the most energy-efficient materials to recycle and can be reheated and reused indefinitely. The aluminum that comprises its skins is also one of the most recycled resources in the world. In fact, the aluminum used to manufacture Alucobond already contains, on average, nearly 85% recycled material.
• The painting process used in producing Alucobond is called coil coating. During this process, 99.9% of all fugitive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are captured. Excess paint is recovered and used to cover the non-visible side of Alucobond, so no excess paint is burned as waste. All solvents used to clean the machinery are collected and used again. ^[12]

Flammability rating

• The non inflammable aluminium cover sheets protect the plastic core.

References

Notes

1. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alucobond
2. ↑ http://www.buildcore.com/showproduct.aspx?&productid=10036616:074243:10570
3. ↑ http://www.selector.com/company/Alucobond_Architectural/Alucobond_Signage/Features
4. ↑ http://www.alucobond.co.nz/colour-charts/
5. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alucobond
6. ↑ http://www.alucobond.co.nz/
7. ↑ http://www.alucobond.co.nz/products/alucobond-pe
8. ↑ http://www.alucobond.co.nz/products/alucobond-pe
9. ↑ http://www.alucobond.co.nz/technical-info/acoustical-properties
10. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alucobond
11. ↑ http://www.selector.com/company/Alucobond_Architectural/Alucobond(r)_Composite_Panels/Ecology
12. ↑ http://www.alucobondusa.com/docs/alucobond_environmental_guide.pdf

Student contributions

• Neha Shah, Spring 2009

See also

Similar materials

• PVC Wall-cladding

• Fiber cement

Building references

• Blue Cross of Minnesota
• Vancouver International Terminal

External links

Leading manufacturers

• Alcan Composites USA, Inc.