Home / Processing Guidelines
Purpose: The V-Groove is routed on the rear of the ALUCOLUX® sheet to form a tray panel.
Tool: : V-Shaped Milling Cutter — 90°/120°/135° bits
– Clean the platform to protect the surface of ALUCOLUX®.
Place the ALUCOLUX® panel on the platform and position the starting point for routing. The CNC will process it according to the prepared routing path/diagram converted from the tray panel fabrication drawings.
Purpose: Drilling holes and cutting.
Tool: Drill Bit – To drill into the ALUCOLUX® panels the use of an Extreme 2TM HSS-G metal drill bit is recommended.
The V-Shape Milling Cutter gets replaced with a drilling bit automatically on completion of the routing process.
– 4.2 mm staggered holes are drilled for fixing angle brackets.
– Machine cuts along the perimeter to form an M2M (Made to Measure) ALUCOLUX® panel.
– Clean the panel and platform with a low-pressure air blower.
Use emulsifiers to reduce heat & noise and to protect the equipment and the product.
ALUCOLUX® panel can be notched/punched using conventional sheet metal punching machines. For clean cuts use sharp tools and die with a minimum cutting clearance of 0.1mm.
Before starting the fabrication process make sure the temperature of ALUCOLUX® is between 30°C to 40°C.
This could be done by using electric blankets, heating films or by pouring warm water onto the panel or dipping it in the warm water bath.
– Install a plunger chip and a press die according to the length of the edges to be folded.
– Add cushioning on the press die to prevent the edges from getting damaged.
– Fold the edges along the routed/grooved lines using a break press or edge folding machine.
– Measure the folded angles with a right-angle gauge
Purpose: To weld stiffener rib to fix brackets.
Tool: Grinder, Arc stud welding gun, Riveting gun, Socket spanner
Stiffeners should be fixed to the back of the panel based on the size of each panel and wind load calculations of the project site. The distance between stiffeners should not be more than 600mm. The stiffeners can be stud-welded or stuck using VHB tapes at the back of the panel.
If in case it is stud-welded, then it should be done using the right stud-welding tool.
Recommended depth of the welding: Between 1.5mm-2.3mm on a 3mm ALUCOLUX® panel.
Arc stud welding gun
Normally, the backside of the ALUCOLUX® sheet has a protective primer coat. Therefore, use the grinder to clean or polish the spots that need welding on the rear of the ALUCOLUX® tray panel.
– Position the stiffener rib and keep a 2mm gap between the folded edges.
– Weld the aluminium screw stud in the centre of the slot hole on the stiffener with the arc stud welding gun.
– Tighten the nuts.
– Remove the protective film from the folded edges before fixing the brackets.
– Rivet the fixing brackets to folded edges of the ALUCOLUX® tray panel with a pneumatic rivet gun.
– Bending of ALUCOLUX® can be done by using a roll bending machine.
– This can be done using three or four-roll machines.
– The panel to be bent is clamped between two cheeks.
– The projecting edge is bent around the upper clamping cheek or former using the movable swivel bar.
– The bending radius is determined by interchangeable formers attached to the upper clamping cheek.
– Minimum bending radius: r=400mm
Perforation can be done using CNC or NCT machines in various designs and patterns as required.
– Holes of a minimum 3mm diameter can be punched.
– Minimum gap between the holes (measured from edges) should be greater than the thickness of the panel.
– When using the NCT machine for perforation, spray the emulsifier on the panel surface in advance to protect the equipment, punch tools and the surface coat.
Annual cleaning is recommended. The surfaces should be cleaned either manually using a soft brush or using a high-pressure cleaner (max. 50 bar) with clean water. If necessary, a mild cleaning agent (pH 6-7) may be added, up to a maximum of 10%. Cleaning should take place from top to bottom. After cleaning, rinse with water to remove any residue that could be left behind by a cleaning agent.
Do not clean surfaces heated by the sun (>40°C). Do not use highly alkaline cleaning agents such as potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate or caustic soda, any strong acid products or highly abrasive cleaning agents such as household cleaning products that could corrode the paint.
To protect ALUCOLUX® pre-coated solid aluminium panels from mechanical damage and weather, please follow the instructions thoroughly:
– Handle the pallets with utmost care during transportation and loading.
– Upon delivery, examine the pallets for any damage due to transportation or moisture.
– Any panels that are exposed to moisture must be dried to avoid spots or corrosion. In case of damages please report it to the respective forwarding agent.
– Store the pallets away from moisture, rain or any other form of contact with water or liquids. Avoid condensation when moving the panels from colder to warmer rooms.
– Stack only three pallets of similar dimensions horizontally above one another with the heaviest at the bottom. Do not let the panels stand vertically.
– While lifting, do not slide the panels over each other to avoid scratches. The panels must be carried by two people securely holding all four corners with gloves to avoid staining.
– Do not put anything between two panels while stacking, to avoid markings.
To ensure optimum care from the protective film please follow the instructions thoroughly:
– Storing the panels for more than three months may render the protective film tough to remove. Exposure to direct sunlight or fluctuations in temperatures could reduce the durability of the film.
– Do not mark the protective film with inks (markers), tapes or labels. The solvent or plasticizer may penetrate the film and affect the lacquered surface.
– Partial peeling of the protective film may cause dirtying of the edges that could affect its bounding property.
– Remove the protective film not longer than 45 days after the assembly. Exposure to natural elements may make it difficult to remove later.
– Do not remove the protective film at temperatures under 0°C.
Bending of ALUCOLUX® panels can be done either by using a roll bending machine-mainly with three or four-roll machines. The panel to be bent is clamped between two cheeks. The projecting edge is bent around the upper clamping cheek or former using the movable swivel bar. The bending radius is determined by interchangeable formers attached to the upper clamping cheek
Minimum bending radius: r=25Xt (t: panel thickness)
Can be done using either CNC, NCT (punching machine) or using laser cutting machine in various design and patterns as required.
ALUCOLUX® panels can be notched/punched using conventional sheet metal punching machines. For clean cuts, use sharp tools and dies with minimal cutting clearance (0.1mm).
Stiffeners are fixed to the back of the panel based on the size of each panels and wind load calculation of the project site. The span between each stiffeners needs to be maintained at 600mm. The stiffeners can be Stud Welded or stuck using VHB tapes at the back of the panel. In case it is stud-welded then it should be done using the right stud-welding tool.
Recommended depth of the welding: Between 1.35mm-1.5mm on a 3mm ALUCOLUX® panel.
