With the recent apartment fires in London, Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) as a cladding solution has come under scrutiny. Contractors, architects and specifiers need to be aware of the differences surrounding different aluminium cladding products and ensure that they use clear names for specified products.
There has been a generic use of the word ACM panel which also can be used in the signage, trailer, printer industry. This term needs to change for peace of mind, and to better state what is specified, for example: Aluminum Fire Rated Cladding Panel.
PSP has always been ahead of the trend, supplying Alpolic/fr for commercial cladding jobs since its arrival in the New Zealand market over 15 years ago to comply with the associated changes with building requirements and regulations. Alpolic/fr is an Aluminium Fire Rated Cladding (AFC) product that complies with all NZ fire standards for commercial and domestic cladding.
Alpolic/fr has a been tested to one of the world's highest standards when it comes to fire rating — National Fire Protection Association NFPA 285, Standard Fire Test Method for Evaluation of Fire Propagation. According to MBIE's Acceptable Solutions, this test enables Alpolic/fr to be used as a cladding system for any building height if it has passed the criteria.
This along with its Group 1-S rating for internal surface linings as per NZBC C3.4 (a) surface finishes, demonstrates that Alpolic/fr is a leading cladding option.
The AFC panel itself is lightweight, easy to fabricate and comes with a 15 year warranty. Alpolic/fr is available in several gloss levels up to 90% and with more than 230 colours to choose from. A special three coat Lumiflon paint system offers a superior quality finish. Alpolic/fr is ideal for any curtain wall, low and high rise cladding purpose where durability, style and peace of mind is required.