Signbond® Aluminium Composite Product and

Fabrication Guide ISO9001:2008 ISO14001:2004

SIGNAGE GRADE

Aluminium Composite Panel

2-METER WIDTH

Aluminium Composite Panel

DIGITAL PRINTING

Aluminium Composite Panel

EMBOSSED

Aluminium Composite PanelSignage Grade

Aluminium Composite Panel

32

1. Products

Signbond® Signage Grade Panel Technical Data

Panel thickness 2mm 3mm 4mm 6mm

Thickness of Aluminium layers (mm) 0.18 0.21 0.3 0.3

Weight (kg/m2) 2.55 3.51 4.75 6.39

Section Modulus W (cm3/m) 0.43 0.68 1.11 1.59

Rigidity (POsson’ratio µ=0.3) E.I (KNcm3/m) 276 701 1620 3487

Modulus of Elasticity E (N/mm2)

Tensile Strength of Aluminium (N/mm2) Rm:>_135 Rm:145w-185

0.2% Proof Stress (N/mm2) p0.2:>_ 100 Rp0.2:110-175

Elongation (%) A50>72% A50>3%

Linear Thermal Expansion 2.0mm/m (100°c temperature difference)

Thermal Resistance R (m2K/m) 0.0036 0.0069 0.0113 0.0180

Heat Transition Coefficient U (w/m2k) 5.72 5.61 5.5 5.3

Range of Application ºC -50~+80

*This specification provides technical data to the best of our knowledge at the time of publishing. Due to our inability to control conditions of use and application, we are unable to make any recommendations or suggestions. Mulford International Inc any of their suppliers assume any liability for use of information presented.

Special Excellence Smooth Surface, Rich Texture, Various Colour: We can provide RAL and Pantone

colours, including high gloss, matt gloss, brushed, mirror, wooden finished board and customized to your needs.

Various Designs and length: Width is from 1000mm to 2000mm. Length can be customized to your requirements beyond the standard size.

Simple Processing, Many Applications: It can be processed to various forms and treatments such as cutting, bending, punching, sticking and painting can be applied.

High adhesive intensity: The American DuPont technology insures the board does not distort, or strip away cockle, shelling during the cutting and bending.

Environment friendly: It is a green building material, no radiation or other pollution.

Superior weather-resistance: Surface treatment with high-grade ultraviolet-resistant polyester paint (ECCA) request.

Signbond® Signage Grade Panel Weather-resist Parameter

Time Colour Variation Chalking

ECCA/T3 ASTMD-2244-89 ASTMD-659-86

Index 1 - 10

5 year 3 8

7 year 3 7

10 year 4 7

E3 = Very Good E4 = Good E5 = Satisfactory Index 10 = No Chalking Index 1 = Strong Chalking

54 5

SIGNAGE GRADEAluminium Composite PanelUsing a specially developed Polyester paint, Signbond® Aluminium Composite comes with a high glossy surface. The Aluminium Sheets on our 3mm panel are .2mm thick which makes for an extremely flat, flawless and light weight panel. Signbond® Aluminium Composite provides a perfect surface for screenprinting, spray painting or applying vinyl adhesive.

Raw Materials

Basic aluminium: high-strength aluminium alloy.

Plastic core: no-toxic low density polyethylene.

Surface coating: Polyester.

Product Specifications

Thickness: 2mm, 3mm, 4mm.

Width: 1220mm, 1500mm, 2000mm.

Panel length: up to 5800mm, Recommended: 2440mm, 3050mm, 3660mm, 4000mm.

Aluminium thickness: 0.18mm-0.5mm, depending on overall thickness and sheet size.

Method of Processing and Construction

Method of processing: blade cutting, edge plane, CNC cutting & moulding, drilling, punching, arc rolling or arc pressing, grooving & flanging.

Method of construction: bonding, chucking, riveting or bolting by Aluminium sections.

Special Advantages that Distinguish this product from other Advertising Panels

Superior dimension precision: excellent tolerance in length, width, thickness, diagonal and angularity.

Convenient and diversified processing options.

Excellent physical properties: high surface flatness, hardness, rigidity and strength, and low area density.

Excellent chemical properties: excellent chemical stability, such as high performance of acid, alkali, oil and salt resistance.

Diversified Specifications: the max width can be made up to 2000mm, and the max length can be up to 5800mm; with the aid of section assembly of Signbond® digital printing composite panel, the large scale overall section assembly for sections of any size can be realized.

Long service life.

Highly Economical: convenient for flat transportation, processing, and moulding; low expenses in transportation, construction and management.

Highly environment-friendly: this product is in conformity with CE Certification as well as RoHS Certification and is recyclable.

6 7

DIGITAL PRINTINGAluminium Composite PanelSignbond® Digital Aluminium Composite has been developed with a special coating for digital flat bed printing. Signbond® Digital ACM has a smooth flat white surface that provides for excellent ink adhesion. Furthermore, Signbond® Digital ACM comes with an easy peel release liner, and is perfect for high-end digital print applications.

Product Features

Aluminium alloy: 3000 series aluminium alloy.

Coating: special coating for digital printing.

Material of core: high pressure and low density polyethylene.

Film: special film for digital printing.

Method of Processing and Construction

Surface Preparation: film sticking, screen printing and flat printing; Range of processing temperature: -30c~70c.

Method of Processing: blade cutting, edge plane, NC cutting & moulding, drilling, punching, arc rolling or arc pressing, grooving & flanging.

Method of Construction: bonding, chucking, riveting or bolting by aluminium sections.

Product Specifications

Thickness: 2mm, 3mm and 4mm.

Width: 1220mm, 1500mm and 2000mm.

Length: Maximum is up to 5800mm for convenient transportation, Recommended: 2440mm, 3050mm, 3660mm and 4000mm.

EMBOSSEDAluminium Composite PanelBoth concave and convex panels will bring a strong three-dimensional feel. Embossed aluminium panels are available with different colour choices.

Raw Materials

Basic aluminium: embossed high-strength aluminium alloy.

Plastic core: no-toxic low density polyethylene.

Surface coating: Polyester.

Product Description

Thickness: 3mm, 4mm.

Width: 1220mm, 1500mm.

Length: 2440mm, 3050mm, 4050mm.

Application

Building exterior & interior curtain walls.

Restoration of buildings.

Decoration of interior walls, ceilings, bathrooms, kitchens, balconies, and shop door decorations.

Display platforms and signboards.

98 9

2-METRE WIDTH Aluminium Composite PanelSignbond® Aluminium Composite Sheets are now available as a 2 metre wide sheet. Our new wide sheets are available in both sign and digital grades to give our customers more design freedom, while reducing installation time and loss of production.

Raw Materials

Basic aluminium: high-strength aluminium alloy.

Plastic core: non-toxic low density polyethylene.

Surface coating: Polyester and Digital.

Product Description

Thickness: 3mm-6mm.

Length: 2440mm, 3050mm, 4000mm.

Aluminium thickness: 0.3-0.5mm.

Coating: Polyester and FEVE.

3a. Cutting There are many different methods in which “cutting” can be accomplished. This guide focuses on four primary cutting methods: Saw Cutting, Router Cutting, Shearing and Punching.

Saw Cutting: Sawing Signbond® panel is an easy process that can be done with ordinary commercial metal and woodworking equipment. Prior to processing large quantities, trial saw cuttings should be done to evaluate both the tool working conditions and the recommended cutting speeds. For marking the panels the use of a soft pencil is adequate.

It is recommended that the swarf formed during cutting should be vacuumed away with compressed air.

The Signbond® substrate is manufactured with a polyester paint finish and care should be taken during the saw operation. It is best to move the saw blade rather than the material when sizing the panels.

Routing: The substrate can be cut to size using either portable commercial or automated routing equipment. Bits should be carbide tipped and kept sharp.

Shearing: The substrate can be easily sheared. However, a slight roll-down of the aluminium cover sheet may occur on the impact side. This “roll-down” area is often referred to as the “edge zone.” In this area, the polyethylene core is compressed and can lead to increased stress between the core and the aluminium cover sheet. Due to this additional stress, shearing should be avoided when the edge of the panel is exposed to the environment. When shearing the substrate, light markings on the material may be caused by the hold down pads. In order to avoid these markings, the hold down on the shear should be fitted with a shock-absorbing rubber pad to prevent damage to the substrate.

Punching: Signbond® panels of any thickness can be punched with conventional sheet punching machines. For clean cuts use evenly ground tools and the narrowest possible cutting gap. This punching method also causes a slight drawing of the panel cover sheet.

1110 11

3. Processing

2a. PackagingSignbond® comes standard with a clear protective film, designed to be removed just before installation to offer protection from surface damage.

Signbond® material should always be stored in a cool dry area where temperatures are relatively stable. Excessive temperature fluctuations may cause condensation to form on the stored sheets possibly resulting in permanent damage. Do not allow moisture to reach stored material and storage exceeding 6 months should be avoided.

2b. Handling Signbond® panels should be handled carefully. When removing the panels from storage all panels must be lifted off the pallet by two people holding all four corners. When removing panels from a pallet / stack never drag the panel and ensure they don’t slide over a rough surface to avoid panel damage.

Individually carry the panels vertically and wear gloves to avoid making any marks on them.

2c. Storage Vertical stacking of Signbond® material is not recommended so to prevent warping or bending, store Signbond® panels horizontally.

Avoid stacking Signbond® of different sizes together as the surface or panel can be damaged by the edges of the smaller pieces.

Store the pallets so that they are protected against any wetness penetrating due to rain and spray water and avoid any condensation forming (e.g. when transporting cold panels to warmer rooms: think dry atmosphere).

2. Storage and Handling

3d. Fastening Joining / fixing technique: Signbond® panel can be joined by means of standard

processes used in metal and plastics technology. If Signbond® panel is to be joined to structural parts of metals other than aluminium, or if fasteners (e.g. bolts, screws) are to be used, the following material guidelines should be observed:

1. Fasteners and structural parts made of aluminium, plastic or stainless steel should be suitable for the assembly with Signbond® panel.

2. When using other materials please insert insulating washers etc. or apply protective coating to prevent corrosion.

3. Thermal expansion of the panel needs to be taken into for outdoor use of Signbond® panel to avoid jamming or deformation.

4. The minimum gap depends on the expected expansion of the panel.

5. The linear thermal expansion of Signbond® panel is determined by the aluminium cover sheets. At a temperature difference of 100 DcG the longitudinal deformation is 2.4 mm/m.

Threaded Fasteners: Threaded fasteners will allow the removal of the panel if needed in future. Placement of the threaded fasteners should not be less than .75” from the edge of the sheet.

It is not recommended to torque fasteners due to the cold flow of the core material, one turn past finger tight is common practice.

To avoid jamming, the hole diameter in the panel must allow for the expansion.

It is always recommended to trial various joining techniques to ensure success.

Riveting: Signbond® panels can be fastened together or joined to other materials with rivets common to aluminium constructions. Countersink rivets do not allow for panel expansion and are therefore unsuitable for outdoor use.

When riveting Signbond® panel expansion of the needs to be taken into account when riveting for outdoor use.

3e. AdhesivesFor interior design purposes, high strength contact adhesives that do not require lengthy setting times can be used. Where moderate cure times are acceptable, construction adhesives and silicones can be used to obtain a stronger bond than with contact adhesives.

Care must be taken in the selection of an adhesive regarding the thermal expansion of the materials to be joined. Where significant thermal expansion can occur (i.e. exterior applications) adhesives should be of medium or low modulus materials to allow for movement without shear or loss of bond.

1312 13

3b. Router Bending and Folding Technique The Signbond® composite panels can be shaped by means of a simple processing technique such as routing and folding. This allows for a variety of individual shaping and design to be manufactured.

A V-shaped or rectangular grooves are routed on the rear of the panels with disk or end milling cutters, whereby the aluminium cover sheet at the front and part of the polyethylene core are retained.

The small thickness of the remaining material then allows folding by hand. A brake press is not required. The groove shape determines the radius of the bend. The grooves can be produced with both a panel saw or with routing device. The routing and folding technique can be used for composite panels of all standard surfaces.

The convincing advantages of the routing and folding techniques are:

Minimum investment.

Simple operating technique.

Folding need not be done in the workshop, it can be done on site; this means low transport and storage costs.

Low-cost manufacture of preformed decorative elements, advertising boards, large signboards and many more are possible.

Versatile formability.

Good economy.

Shapes are not restricted by machine dimensions.

3c. DrillingSignbond® material can be drilled with twist drills usually used for aluminium and plastics, and on drilling machines customarily used for metals.

Working Specifications

Drill bit: Twist drill, high speed steel.

Tip Angle: 100-140 degrees, or counter-bore grind with centering tip.

Cutting speed: 164 RPM to 984 RPM.

Quick removal of chips can be achieved by a high RPM, slow feed speed and occasional lifting of the bit.

Signbond® should be regularly cleaned following the method below. The surface of the panel will commonly accumulate dust, dirt and other airborne particles. In the case of panels used externally, various hydrocarbons from airborne exhausts are also likely to need removal. It is also possible that surfaces could be contaminated with synthetic hydrocarbons from other exhausts such as synthetic grease, oil, hydraulic fluids, lubricants or stains from vegetation like plant or animal matter.

Cleaning MethodWe recommend a 4-step cleaning method:

1. Flush Signbond® with water from a hose.

2. Wipe lightly with a soft cloth.

3. Use pressure washer.

4. Use detergent in a power wash or with a soft cloth for hand wiping and flush with water.

Material CompatibilitySignbond® is an extremely durable material that has been designed to withstand significant exposure to environmental conditions. It is unlikely to be compromised by any cleaning process that would conceivably be used on the material. However, in the interests of maintaining the finish of the material, it is recommended to select products with a pH of 10 or less and which do not contain bleaches, ammonia or caustic ingredients such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or sodium metasillicate. It is also recommended that you avoid abrasive materials or tools such as scouring powders, fibre pads or brushes.

1514

5. Cleaning

15

3e. Adhesives continuedWhen using an adhesive to hold dissimilar materials, select one that will allow thermal differential movement without shearing. Use a low modulus sealant where greater amounts of movement are expected (i.e., plastics to Signbond® material), and medium modulus sealants if minimum movement is expected (i.e., bonding aluminium to Signbond® material).

3f. Tapes / Velcro tapesDouble-sided tapes (such as the 3M Isotac products or acrylic foam) can be used for interior design applications with low tensile or transversal strength requirements. Velcro tapes are available for detachable joints.

4. Thermal ExpansionAll the materials used in construction and sign making will expand when exposed to high temperatures and shrink when temperature falls down.

Each material has its own thermal expansion rate. In metric system it is measured in mm/m/100DC and shows how many millimetres one meter long material will expand when temperature changes 100 degrees Celsius.

For example for steel and concrete rate is around 1,2mm and for PVC it is 5,2mm. When different materials are fixed together it is always necessary to take into account their expansion rates and exposure of those materials to different temperatures.

Sometimes it may happen that substrate on which Signbond® is designed to be installed is rigidly fixed without taking thermal expansion into consideration. In this case this substrate can bow and deflect causing subsequent bowing of Signbond® fixed to this substrate.

Signbond® Thermal ExpansionSignbond® consists of 2 aluminium layers bonded to polyethylene core. Thermal expansion of Signbond® is determined by properties of aluminium skins. Thermal deflection of aluminium is 2,4 mm/m/100DC. So, panel 2440mm long with 100DC temperature fluctuation will expand 5,86mm and its length will become 2445,86m under new temperature conditions. The same time if 2 edges of the panel are fixed tension in Aluminium skins will lead to panel bowing. Bowing deflection in this case will be 73,2mm. It is very important to make sure that when installation is done in the conditions where essential temperature fluctuations are expected fixings shall be designed to allow free thermal expansion of the panels.