Aluminum Composite Material
Aluminum composite material (ACM) uses thin aluminum faces bonded to a solid core. It provides a flat, lightweight panel for printed signs, wall panels, construction signs, displays, and other rigid graphics.
Material
Aluminum-Faced Composite
Common Thicknesses
3 mm · 6 mm
Environment
Indoor & Outdoor
Graphics
Direct Print · Vinyl · Mounting
Overview
ACM combines aluminum faces with a core to create a rigid panel that weighs less than a comparable solid aluminum sheet.
DIBOND, one of the best-known ACM products in signage, uses two pre-painted .012-inch aluminum sheets bonded to a polyethylene core. The smooth faces work well for direct print, mounted graphics, and vinyl, while the panel can also be routed and formed for certain applications.
Thickness
Panel thickness affects stiffness and edge depth. The correct choice depends on panel size, support, mounting method, and exposure.
Panel dimensions, support spacing, wind exposure, mounting hardware, and the specific ACM product all matter.
Material Comparison
ACM and solid aluminum can both carry printed or applied graphics, but their construction changes how they behave.
Printing & Fabrication
The coated faces on sign-grade ACM are made for graphics. Depending on the project, the panel can receive direct print, screen print, mounted prints, or vinyl graphics.
Signs vs Cladding
The aluminum composite used for signs and the panels used to clad whole buildings look alike, but they are bought and approved very differently. Facade cladding falls under building code fire rules and is specified with fire retardant cores by architects and engineers.
A printed ACM sign mounted to a storefront or a tenant panel on a pylon is a sign, and it goes through the town’s sign permit rather than a cladding specification. If a project starts to look like covering a wall rather than putting a sign on it, that is the point to bring the architect in.
Mounting
ACM is light enough that most wall signs need no heavy structure, but the panel still moves with temperature and catches wind. The fixing method is chosen for the wall and the size of the panel.
Pan Signs
Because the core is thin, a V shaped groove routed in the back lets the aluminum skin fold cleanly into a return. That turns a flat sheet into a tray with finished edges, sometimes called a pan sign, without welding a metal box.
It is a neat way to give a storefront panel some depth and hide its edges. See our Dibond signs page for finished panel options.
A flat panel is the economical choice for most wall signs. Folding adds depth and a finished edge, which is worth it when the sign is seen up close or from the side.
Choosing the Material
FAQs
Dibond is one well known brand of aluminum composite material. The term ACM covers the whole category of panels with thin aluminum skins bonded to a plastic core.
Many years. The panel resists corrosion and stays flat, so the printed graphics usually wear before the panel does.
3 mm suits most wall signs and medium panels. 6 mm adds stiffness for larger panels or designs that need a thicker visible edge.
Sign grade ACM is made for signs. Panels that clad a building are specified separately under building code fire rules and usually need fire retardant cores.
It is lighter and stays flatter at larger sizes, which makes big printed signs easier to handle and mount. Solid aluminum is still the standard for parking and regulatory signs.
On This Guide
Quick Facts
Aluminum-Faced Composite
3 mm · 6 mm
Indoor & Outdoor
Vinyl · Print · Paint · Reflective
Wall Signs · Construction · Displays
Related Materials
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This guide covers the material. These pages cover the signs we build from it.