How an ACM panel is installed.
This guide is written for the installer, contractor, or project owner who needs to specify or install an aluminum composite panel (ACP/ACM) — not for the general public. Ahlum manufactures and sells the panel; installation remains the project installer's responsibility. Here's what to know before you start: fixing methods, tooling, and what the panel itself allows.
Ahlum manufactures the panel.
You handle the install.
Ahlum does not install panels: we manufacture and sell aluminum composite (ACP/ACM), by the unit or in volume, and installation remains the responsibility of the installer, contractor, or sign shop running the job. This guide compiles what an installer should check before specifying or installing the panel — not an official installation manual, but a starting point for asking the right questions of the manufacturer, architect, or project engineer.
Two fixing families,
in brief.
The fixing method mostly depends on the façade system selected by the architect or engineer — not on the panel itself. Here are the two families most commonly seen in the aluminum composite industry.
Visible mechanical fastening
Rivets or screws driven through the panel. A simple method, common on renovations or smaller surfaces.
Rails, clips, cassette
The panel is folded back and hung on rails or clips fixed to the structure — no visible fastener on the façade.
The project's spec
The final choice belongs to the architect, engineer, or façade system manufacturer — always confirm your project's specific requirements before ordering.
These categories reflect common practice in the aluminum composite panel industry; they do not replace construction drawings or the requirements of the façade system manufacturer selected for your project.
What the Ahlum
panel allows.
The Ahlum ACP/ACM panel cuts, folds and installs easily with standard tooling from the aluminum composite industry.
Cutting
A carbide-blade circular saw or standard straight-cutting tool for aluminum composite, as with any ACP/ACM panel on the market.
Folding
Grooving (V-routing) of the inner skin to create a clean right-angle fold, followed by manual or press folding.
Fastening
A rivet gun or screwdriver, depending on the fixing method chosen — see the two fixing families above.
View the full ACP panel spec sheet →
For the detail of each operation: cutting and machining · bending and V-groove routing
The step-by-step,
from delivery to façade.
The typical sequence of a composite panel installation — to be adapted to the fixing system of your project. This sequence prepares the installation; it replaces neither the execution drawings nor the installer.
Validate the project's system
Before any order: fixing method (exposed or concealed), framing, requirements from the architect or engineer. The panel follows the system, not the other way around.
Check the delivery
On arrival: quantity, finishes, pallet condition. Panels store flat, sheltered, film-wrapped. A delivery issue gets resolved within 30 days — not at installation time.
Lay out and cut
Cut plan with the waste margin, then cut with a carbide blade — film on, decorative face up. See the cutting guide.
Route and fold
Returns and corners: V-groove on the inner side, crisp fold at the shop. Set the depth on an offcut before the final piece.
Fix to the system
Rivet gun or screwdriver, moderate torque, gap between panels for thermal movement. Remove the film panel by panel as you go.
The classic ACM
installation mistakes.
The same problems come back on sites where installation was improvised. They're all avoided before the first fastener.
Installing without thermal gap
Aluminum moves with temperature: panels installed tight touch, push against each other and buckle. The panel-to-panel gap is part of the layout.
Overtightening
A rivet or screw driven too hard dents the skin and leaves a visible ring around every fastener. Moderate torque, load-spreading washer.
Leaving the film in the sun
The protective film hardens and glues down after weeks of exposure. Remove it immediately after installing each panel — never "at the end of the job".
What to confirm
before installing.
A few simple checkpoints so you don't get the format or finish wrong at order time.
5005 alloy · PE core
Two 0.5 mm sheets of 5005 aluminum bonded to a polyethylene core. Total thickness 4 mm.
4×8 and 5×10
4×8 (32 sq. ft.) available online by the unit. 5×10 (50 sq. ft.), to limit seams, reserved for distributor accounts.
$5 per finish
Order a physical sample (matte black or matte white) to confirm color and cut behavior before placing the full order.
ACM installation:
your questions.
Does Ahlum install ACM panels?
No. Ahlum manufactures and sells the ACP/ACM panel; installation is carried out by the project's installer, contractor, or sign shop. Looking for a certified installer? Check our ambassador directory.
What fixing methods exist for an ACM panel?
Two broad families: exposed mechanical fastening (rivets, screws) and concealed fastening on rails or clips (cassette systems). The choice depends on the façade system selected by the project's architect or engineer.
Can Ahlum's ACP/ACM panel be cut and folded on site?
Yes. The panel cuts, folds and installs easily with standard industry tooling — a carbide-blade saw, a routing/grooving tool for folds, and a rivet gun.
Confirm the panel before installing.
Order a sample to confirm the finish, or find a certified installer in our ambassador network.