Aluminum plates are uniquely versatile and durable products with numerous applications and use in the modern era industry. Its structural, physical, and chemical properties made it one of the most popular metal sheet products globally. Aluminum sheets or plates result from pressing and rolling the raw form of aluminum into a panel form under particular pressure. These products’ manufacturing process has a unique design to make them thin and lightweight while providing sturdy characteristics to offer perfect versatility and ease of installation and maintenance.
Aluminum plates feature a range of extra coating on the surface that helps create a long-lasting material for use in an outdoor application or other challenging environments or building claddings. However, these products’ lightweight and thin characteristics make them ideal materials for everyday products such as food containers and drink cans that require high volume storage, retail, and transport.
Types of Aluminum Plates
There are various types of Aluminum plates in the market to buy for different projects. Knowing their classes can help customers to choose and buy the most efficient product for their demanding application. The followings are the most common aluminum plate systems that can be useful for industrial and construction projects.
Perforated Aluminum Plates
Perforated aluminum plate’s primary usage is to create aesthetics for the area, particularly in the interior and exterior design works that require sun shades. These panels feature holes and other patterns to allow light to travel through them and provide a heartwarming vibe for both homes and workplaces. The manufacturing system of perforated panels is different from typical sheets that are available in the industry.
Aluminum Composite Panels
Aluminum composite panels, known as ACP or ACM panels, contain two fragile pieces of coated aluminum attached to the outside of the core material. They are perfect for cladding applications and building facades while being ideal for applications that require insulation and folding. Some experts call these products sandwich sheets, which are lighter than solid metal panels. They are straightforward to install and require low maintenance. Another advantage of these panels is that they can quickly receive cutting, bending, and other fabrication methods.
Anodized Aluminum Plates
There is a process in the industry called anodizing, an electrochemical method for increasing the oxide layer’s thickness on the product’s surface. The process can only increase the corrosion resistance of the material, and it can also prime the panels to adhere better to the paint finish, dyes, glues, and other films.
Chequered Plates
The chequered plates are sheet metals with hatch marks on the side, which have a height of around 1.5 millimeters. These plates are also known as checker panels, tread plates, or five bar sheets or floor plates. They are sturdy and relatively thick to improve load-bearing and impact-resistance properties, ideally for exterior and interior areas with high foot and heavy wheel traffic.
Brushed Aluminum Sheets
Brushed aluminum sheets feature uniform patterns or light parallel scuffs and scratches present across a metal sheet’s surface to grant a unique finish. The brushed system is standard on all manner of internal fittings and fixtures. The main reason to buy this type of plate is its aesthetic characteristic which is popular due to its stylistic flourish and polished surface.
Aluminum Plates Applications
As the aluminum plates have handy and unique properties, their usage also varies and widespread to provide a complete application list. This section introduced some of the most common aluminum plate applications that are easy to find throughout the various everyday industry, construction sites, and designs.
Roofing: Aluminum plates are perfect for roofing projects due to their lightweight yet sturdy structure. Additionally, the anti-corrosion property of these plates increased the usage of larger panels for roofing applications.
Ceiling: Composite aluminum panels and Dibond are very often suitable for interior ceiling applications and large tiles. They offer a highly decorative and hard-wearing design due to their reflective, soft, and aesthetic appearance.
Balconies: Once again, thanks to the lightweight, waterproof and rigid characteristics of aluminum plates, their usage for balcony railings and fences is widespread.
Claddings and Facades: Aluminum composite panels are always the leading products for exterior claddings or facades, internal insulation, and other applications in a wide variety of commercial, residential, and industrial installations and buildings. Architects worldwide prefer to use these products in their designs due to their resistance, finishes, coats, and easy installing process characteristics.
High-Stress Applications: Medium strength structural alloys of aluminum sheets with excellent corrosion resistance are ideal for a range of force-intensive applications such as aerospace and automotive structures.
Shelters: Aluminum panels are efficient materials for constructing lightweight yet durable shelters and walkways in workplaces, public areas, and even private houses.
Floorings and Walls: Chequered aluminum sheets can provide anti-slip and damage-masking properties to be practical in high traffic areas. Additionally, decorative and perforated aluminum panels and walls are becoming popular as attractive, aesthetic, and easy cleaning fixtures in workplaces and homes.
Cable Sheathings: Cable metal sheathing commonly features aluminum foils and thin sheets due to their corrosion-resistant and easy treatment process and electrical properties.
Supports and Lifting Gears: Lightweight products in the lifting industry can increase productivity and reduce energy expenditure. Machines and devices that contain aluminum material in their structure are easier to transport to the construction area.
Caravans: Storages and accommodating construction often contain aluminum plates and sheets in their structure, making them lighter to haul and offers excellent resistance to weather conditions in areas with high exposure to different damaging factors.
