The Aluminum Composite Panel is composite by two pure aluminium panel layers of 0.5mm inside and outside and one intermediate layers of 3mm ~ 4mm polyethylene(PE or PVC), the Aluminum Composite Panel is formed when these materials are rolled and heated. The fluorocarbon paint on the surface of aluminum panel was made by roller coating, it is finished with roll-in and heat seal at one process. The thickness of the coating is about 20μm. The advantages of composite aluminum panel are light, smooth, good flatness and no color difference in the same direction. What’s more, the composite aluminum panel has excellent on-site processing which can provide conditions for handling the changes of external wall size caused by construction error, reducing the processing cycle of workshop and lowering the installation period. There are few domestic studies on the APC bending force in the metal wall. This article takes the finite element method and analyses the maximum stress distribution around the folding edge of ACP, which made a reasonable suggestion for the force analysis of metal wall. I will talk about the folding form of Aluminum Composite Panel below.
1. Aluminum Composite Panel edge folding
The slotting of Aluminum Composite Panel usually are V-groove, U-groove and so on. Several typical slotting methods are shown in Figure 1. The added folding size of ACP should be considered when folding and cutting, generally each side is added about 25mm. The composite panel need to be grooved at each side after cutting. it is to cut a certain wide of the inner aluminum plate and the plastic layer, and the groove depth must be strictly controlled to keep 0.3mm plastic core behind the front side aluminium plate, so as to ensure the Aluminum Composite Panel has enough toughness and prevent the aluminum skin breaks at the folded edge. So that the weight of panel will be stand by four sides of 0.5mm Aluminum plate. Therefore, the grooving and folding is the weakest part of Aluminum Composite Panel process, it is also the first place to be damaged under wind load.
2. Aluminum Composite Panel edge folding reinforcement
The ACP usually increase its stiffness by folding the surrounded edge, this can also avoid expose the core of Aluminum Composite Panel in the atmosphere. The edge of APC can strengthen as needed.The wall panel of APC are not suitable for using aluminum corner as a border, it is supposed to use the aluminum profiles to reinforced the edge. Square,groove and angle shape metal tube are good to be used in reinforcing the edge, it should be reliable linked with the panel and should has anti-corrosion measures. Aluminum rivets can be used as a connection of the frame and ACP folded edge, and this connect should meet the requirements of reliable force transmission. In the actual projects, there are two methods of Aluminum Composite Panel folding process, one of the methods is to strengthen the border according to requirement, the other methods is no reinforcement for the border. The force bearing status is unreasonable when there are no reinforcement for the ACP border. The Aluminum Composite Panel folding process mentioned by this article is no border reinforcement.