Characteristics of aluminum plate curtain walls

　　1. Aluminum panel curtain walls are rigid, lightweight, and high-strength. Aluminum single-panel curtain walls have good corrosion resistance, and the fluorocarbon paint can last for 25 years without fading.

　　2. Aluminum panel curtain walls have good processability. Using a pre-processing and post-painting process, aluminum panels can be processed into various complex geometric shapes such as planes, arcs, and spheres.

　　3. Aluminum panel curtain walls are not easily stained and are easy to clean and maintain. The non-adhesive nature of the fluorocarbon coating film makes it difficult for pollutants to adhere to the surface, and it has better cleanability.

　　4. Aluminum panel curtain walls are convenient and quick to install and construct. Aluminum panels are formed in the factory, and no cutting is required on-site; only simple fixing is needed.

　　5. Aluminum panel curtain walls can be recycled and reused, which is environmentally friendly. Aluminum panels can be 100% recycled, and their recycling value is higher.

　　Aluminum panel curtain walls have a unique texture, rich and lasting colors, and a variety of shapes. They can be perfectly combined with glass curtain wall materials and stone curtain wall materials. Their perfect appearance and excellent quality make them favored by owners. Their light weight, only one-fifth that of marble and one-third that of glass curtain walls, significantly reduces the load on the building structure and foundation, and their maintenance cost is low, with a high performance-to-price ratio.

　　In terms of aluminum panel curtain walls currently used in China, the vast majority are composite aluminum panels and aluminum alloy single panels.

　　Composite aluminum panels consist of two outer layers of 0.5mm pure aluminum panels (0.2～0.25mm for indoor use) with a 3～4mm thick polyethylene (PE or polyvinyl chloride PVC) core, which are roll-pressed and thermally bonded. The product is a flat panel of a certain specification, such as 1220mm×2440mm. The fluorocarbon paint on the surface of the exterior composite aluminum panels is also applied by roll coating, which is completed simultaneously with roll pressing and thermal bonding. The coating thickness is generally around 20μm. The advantages of composite aluminum panels are their light weight, smooth surface, good flatness, consistent color in the same direction, and excellent on-site processability. They provide conditions for handling changes in the exterior wall dimensions caused by on-site construction errors, reducing the workshop processing cycle and shortening the installation period.

　　When installing composite aluminum panels, they need to be processed into wall panels. First, the panels need to be cut according to the dimensions of the secondary design. When cutting, the size of the folded edges needs to be considered. Generally, about 30mm is added to each side. According to curtain wall installation companies, the yield rate of cutting is generally 60%～70%. The cut composite panels need to have grooves cut on all four sides, that is, a certain width of the inner aluminum panel and plastic layer is cut off, leaving only the 0.5mm thick outer aluminum panel. Then, the edges are folded into 90-degree right angles. Then, a sub-frame of the same size is made using aluminum profiles and placed in the groove of the bent aluminum-plastic panel. The bottom of the sub-frame is bonded to the back of the aluminum-plastic panel with structural adhesive, and the folded four sides are fixed to the outside of the sub-frame using rivets. The sub-frame usually also has stiffeners to ensure the mechanical strength of the wall panel. The stiffeners are made of aluminum and bonded with structural adhesive. Some non-standard methods only fix corner aluminum at the four corners of the composite panel, and the stiffeners are bonded with double-sided tape, which greatly reduces the firmness.

　　Aluminum alloy single panels are generally 2～4mm aluminum alloy panels. When making them into wall panels, they are first subjected to sheet metal processing according to the requirements of the secondary design, directly folded, and the four corners are high-pressure welded into a tightly sealed groove. The back of the wall panel uses electric welding studs to pre-leave fixing bolts for the stiffeners. After the sheet metal work is completed, fluorocarbon paint is sprayed, generally with two coats and three coats, and the paint film thickness is 30～40μm. Aluminum alloy single panels are easy to process into arcs and multiple folded edges or sharp angles, meeting the needs of ever-changing exterior wall decoration today. They also have rich colors and can be selected according to the design and owner's requirements, truly expanding the design space for architects.