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Cutting Dibond - how to cut an aluminum composite panel

21/04/2021 11:25
Cutting Dibond - how to cut an aluminum composite panel

ACP sheet is an extremely popular material.
We offer several solutions for cutting aluminium sandwich boards.

Advantages

Aluminium composite sandwich board (ACP: aluminium composite panel or ACM: aluminum composite material) is a popular material. It is neither get broken nor get warped by greater physical effect. It stays rigid for a long time, can withstand UV radiation. Available in several colours. It can be printed by screen printing or digital UV printer, can be well decorated with foil. Due to its multi-layered structure, can be engraved to create contrasting inscriptions. Available in natural, white, coloured or brushed surfaces. It has a longer service life than PVC sheet. Excellent value for money, low self-weight material.

Areas of application

Advertising industry (billboards, decoration), interior design (room divider, furniture), architecture (facade cladding).

Structure

In the aluminium composite material board for the advertising industry, two 0.1-0.3 mm thick aluminium sheets sandwich a hard polymer plastic core. Total thickness 2-3 mm.
Well-known brands: Dibond, Alubond, Reynobond, XL Bond, Alupanel Lite.

The materials used in the construction industry are made with a thicker, 0.5 mm aluminium coating and a 4-5 mm thick PE or refractory core.
Well-known brands: Alucobond, Alupanel, Etalbond, Prefabond.

Machining, processing

Aluminium sandwich sheets are well machinable, customizable, cold bendable, can be cut, sawn, milled, engraved, drilled. Here are some tips for cutting. How to cut an aluminium sandwich board? There are several methods to cut sandwich boards. It is worth considering whether you cut occasionally or often, undertake the post-production or simply do not want to deburr or file the cutting edges.

  • The most simple way is scoring and snapping. Thinner Dibond plates can be cut with a razor knife, next to a straight ruler. The blade has to be pushed on the material several times, and if it is sufficiently weakened, the material can be broken in half.
    This YouTube video from 3:20 to 8:40 shows someone using a utility knife with a breakable blade. The blade got worn while cutting a single sheet and must be replaced.

  • CIAK Professional can be used similarly when supplemented with a Dibond Kit, special Dibond cutting blade must be pushed through several times, lowering the blade deeper and deeper, after a few cuts, the plate must be broken in two. The cutting edges can be smoothed with the deburring knife supplied with the Dibond kit.
    If you need to cut larger quantities of aluminium composite sheet or want a more beautiful result, you should choose the Bomber or GLADIUM Rebel cutting machines instead.
    What you need: CIAK Professional Cutter + Dibond Kit + Dibond Blades + Dibond finishing hook blade
    Video: Ciak Professional + Dibond Kit cuts aluminium sandwich panel.

  • The best value for money, the perfect quality tool is the CIAK Bomber horizontal cutting machine with the motorized milling head. Note that due to the thickness of the milling tool, 6 mm is "lost" from the material.
    What you need: CIAK Bomber electric cutter + Dibond Milling Tool
    Video: Dibond cutting with CIAK Bomber electric cutting machine

  • The GLADIUM vertical industrial sheet metal cutting machine allows the cutting of aluminium sandwich panels with less effort. GLADIUM cuts thinner boards with a hardened steel blade, and when paired with a REBEL motor saw, it easily handles even the toughest material.
    What you need: GLADIUM panel cutting machine + Dibond blades
    or GLADIUM panel cutting machine + REBEL Motor Saw + Saw blade for aluminium
    Video: Gladium cutting machine with REBEL motor saw cutting the aluminium composite sheet in half - from 0:35 to 1:10.

  • The V-REBEL 'V-cutter' option is available for GLADIUM machines and allows V-grooving for bending plates. The grooving and incision are also required for fitting and bending Alucobond boards.

  • While the above-mentioned methods allow the board to be cut in a straight line only, any shape can be cut using a router or a milling machine. The sandwich sheet can be milled, its surface can be engraved (eg. for inscriptions) or folded by grooving.


Comparison Table


CIAK Professional
+ Dibond Kit
BOMBER GLADIUM GLADIUM
+ REBEL
MCUT
horizontal cutting bar horizontal cutting machine with milling head vertical cutting machine vertical cutting machine with motor saw horizontal CNC router utility knife saw laser cutter
straight cutting + + + + + + + +
form cutting - - - - + - - +
V-cut, grooving - - - V-Rebel
option
+ - - -
price of the machine ** *** **** **** ***** * * ******
cutting thickness of ACP [mm] 3 5 5 12 12 2 5
cutting length [cm] max. 310 max. 310 max. 205 max. 205 max. 300
the quality of the cut ** ***** **** **** ***** * * ***
cutting tool blade milling tool blade circular saw blade milling tool blade saw laser
position lying lying standing standing lying lying
handling manual manual manual manual PC manual PC
- - - - -
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