ACM trays fabricated to approved shop drawings
Aluminum Composite Panels for New Jersey Projects
We fabricate aluminum composite panels in NJ for storefronts, fascias, canopies, column covers and building entrances. Every panel is routed and folded into a tray in our shop to approved shop drawings, then delivered in New Jersey or picked up for your installer, who puts up the wet-seal or dry-joint system. Architects and general contractors can send plans for a quote; the owner of a single storefront can request a quote.
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- Delivery or shop pickup
What is ACM made of?
Aluminum composite material is a flat sheet built from two thin aluminum skins bonded to a non-aluminum core. The common thickness for wall cladding is 4 mm. The trade calls it ACM; the building code uses the broader term MCM, for metal composite material.
The skins carry the painted face and give the sheet its stiffness. The core keeps it light and flat. Together they make a sheet that can be routed on the back and folded into a crisp tray, which is where ACM gets its sharp edges and tight reveals.
| Item | Typical ACM spec |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 4 mm typical; other thicknesses confirm on the submittal |
| Skins | Aluminum with a coil-coated face |
| Core | Standard core or fire-rated mineral core |
| Fabrication | Route and return: routed, folded and fastened into trays |
| Joint system | Wet-seal (sealant joints) or dry-joint (rainscreen) |
| Finish | PVDF in solid, metallic and mica colors from the panel maker’s chart |
| Panel size | Set by the design and the sheet sizes available; confirm on the submittal |
| Attachment | Extrusions, clips or pins per the system; confirm on the submittal |
Standard core or fire-rated core?
The core decides where a panel may be used. Standard cores are usually polyethylene-based. Fire-rated cores are mineral-filled and are the usual choice where the code calls for tested fire performance.
In its paper on combustible exterior wall cladding, the International Code Council explains that the International Building Code gives MCM its own section, Section 1406. On Type I through IV construction, MCM installed without a height limit must pass NFPA 285 fire-propagation testing along with flame-spread and smoke limits. Code alternatives allow certain MCM installations up to 40 feet above grade without NFPA 285, if flame-spread and coverage limits are met.
Two cautions apply. The ICC paper describes the 2018 edition, while New Jersey adopted the 2024 International Building Code effective August 17, 2026, so section numbers and details may differ. And the code analysis belongs to the architect of record: we price and supply the core and system the drawings specify.
What sits behind the panels counts too. When foam plastic insulation is part of an exterior wall on a Type I to IV building more than one story tall, the IBC generally requires the wall assembly to meet NFPA 285, unless masonry or concrete covers the foam on each face. The Metal Construction Association also reports that a newer provision holds metal laminate panels above 40 feet to the same requirements as MCM. The tested assembly matters, not just the panel.
How does route-and-return fabrication work?
Route and return means we cut a groove in the back skin and core, then fold the sheet along that groove to form returns. The face skin stays continuous around the bend, so the edge looks sharp and painted rather than cut.
- Lay out every panel from the approved shop drawings and number it to its place on the elevation.
- Cut the sheet to size, leaving material for the returns.
- Rout grooves in the back along each fold line, leaving the face skin and a thin layer of core intact.
- Fold the returns and fasten the corners with clips or rivets.
- Bond stiffeners to the back of large panels to keep the face flat, then fit the extrusions or clips the system uses.
- Label, protect and bundle the panels in the installer’s sequence for delivery or pickup.
Two shop rules protect the finish. Metallic and mica colors can look different depending on direction, so each panel carries an arrow, and your installer should hang it the same way as its neighbors. The peel-off protective film stays on through fabrication; tell your installer to remove it soon after the panels go up, since film left in strong sun gets hard to remove.
Wet-seal or dry-joint: which joint system?
A wet-seal system closes every joint with backer rod and sealant, so the panel face is the water barrier. A dry-joint system leaves the reveals open or gasketed and relies on a drained, vented cavity behind the panels, which is the rainscreen approach.
| Question | Wet-seal | Dry-joint (rainscreen) |
|---|---|---|
| How joints close | Backer rod and sealant | Open reveals or gaskets, no field sealant |
| Where water stops | At the sealant line | At the weather barrier behind a drained cavity |
| Look | Sealant visible in each reveal | Clean, shadowed reveals |
| First cost | Usually lower | Usually higher, with more extrusions and parts |
| Upkeep | Sealant inspected and renewed over time | Little joint maintenance |
| Good fit | Small fascias, canopies, budget-driven jobs | Large facades and designs that want deep, clean reveals |
Neither system is right for every building. A small canopy fascia can be sealed economically, while a large entrance wall usually justifies a rainscreen. Either way, your installer installs the system; we fabricate the trays to suit the joint system shown on the approved shop drawings. Our guide to ACM rainscreen systems, wet-seal versus dry-joint compares the two in more depth.
Where are aluminum composite panels used?
ACM goes where people look closely and where a flat, precise face matters. On most buildings that means the street level and the entry.
Storefronts
Bands above and around storefront glass, with reveals lined up to the mullions and blocking for future signs planned behind the panels.
Fascias
Roof-edge and parapet fascias on retail centers, banks and offices, often capped with matching metal coping.
Canopies
Fascias and soffits on entrance, drive-through and fuel canopies, where panels wrap a steel frame.
Column covers
Square or rounded covers that hide structural columns at entries, lobbies and covered walkways.
Building entrances
Portals, entry towers and feature walls that mark the front door of an office or institutional building.
Mixed facades
ACM at the entrance with roll-formed panels such as the AMP Wave 16-4 on the long walls, to control cost.
For the full range of profiles, see our metal wall panels page.
What do the drawings and samples process look like?
Nothing is fabricated until the architect approves the shop drawings and the color. ACM trays are cut to exact sizes, so the order of steps matters.
- Submittal. Product data for the panel and core, the joint system, finish data, the color chart and sample warranties. See our submittals page.
- Color samples. Physical chips, since metallic and dark colors rarely look right on a screen.
- Shop drawings. Elevations with every panel numbered, joint lines, and sections at heads, sills, jambs, corners, parapets and soffits.
- Sample panel or mockup when the specification asks for one, so reveal, flatness and color are judged at full size.
- Field dimensions. Your installer measures the framing in place and confirms the dimensions on the shop drawings before release, because a tray cannot be trimmed on site without losing its folded edge.
- Release and fabrication. Ask us for current lead times; they depend on the panel maker and the color.
- Delivery or pickup. Numbered, film-protected trays are delivered in New Jersey or picked up at the shop. Ask about delivery to your job.
Our shop capabilities page describes what we fabricate in-house, and our contractor and architect resources cover how we work with general contractors. We have fabricated aluminum composite panels in New Jersey for more than ten years, for the contractors and installers who put them on the building.
How do you maintain aluminum composite panels?
ACM needs little care. Wash the panels once or twice a year with water, a mild detergent and a soft brush, then rinse. Avoid solvents, abrasive pads and pressure washers held close to the face.
On wet-seal systems, inspect the sealant joints regularly and renew any that crack or pull away. Dry-joint systems have no field sealant to renew; just keep the base and drainage openings clear. Finish warranties come from the panel maker, and the installation warranty comes from your installer.
Aluminum composite panel questions
What thickness are aluminum composite panels?
Most wall cladding uses 4 mm panels: two thin aluminum skins with a core between them. Other thicknesses exist, and the specification and submittal set the one for your project.
Is ACM the same as MCM?
MCM, metal composite material, is the broader term the building code uses. ACM is MCM with aluminum skins, and it is the type most storefronts and fascias use.
Do I need a fire-rated core?
It depends on the building’s construction type, height and wall assembly, and the architect’s code analysis decides. As the ICC describes the code, MCM without a height limit on Type I to IV buildings must pass NFPA 285 testing, which usually points to a fire-rated core.
Which is better, wet-seal or dry-joint?
Neither in every case. Wet-seal costs less and suits smaller fascias and canopies. A dry-joint rainscreen costs more but needs little joint maintenance and gives cleaner reveals on large facades.
Can ACM go over an existing storefront or masonry wall?
Usually, yes. Your installer builds a framing or furring layer over the old surface, corrects the weather barrier and flashing, then hangs the panels. Have the installer check the wall’s condition and take field dimensions before the trays are released for fabrication.
What should I send for an ACM quote?
Plans, elevations, the ACM specification section, addenda, finish requirements and the bid date. Upload them on our send plans page and note any alternates, such as a second joint system.
Do you install ACM panels?
No. We are a fabrication shop. We rout and fold the trays to approved shop drawings, and the customer’s installer installs the wet-seal or dry-joint system. Orders are delivered in New Jersey or picked up at the shop.
How long do ACM finishes last?
Finish life depends on the coating and the panel maker, and finish warranties come from that maker. We include the sample warranty in the submittal so you can read the terms before you approve the color.
Request a quote
Tell us what you need: the product, the metal and finish, and your dimensions or cut list. We reply with a written quote. Delivery in New Jersey or pickup at our shop.
Prefer to talk now? Call (732) 201-5224. Fully insured
ACM orders
Planning ACM on a storefront, canopy or entrance?
Send plans and the specification, and we will quote the ACM trays, trims and matching coping to approved shop drawings, delivered in New Jersey or ready for pickup. The owner of a single storefront with their own installer can call or request a quote instead.