The main difference between pre-finished and post-painted aluminum plate is when the coating or painting process occurs. Pre-finished aluminum plate is coil coated before material fabrication (cutting, routing, folding, shaping, extrusion attachment), while post-painted plate is spray coated after fabrication processes are completed. Pre-finished plate is typically back-routed like MCM, providing crisp edges and corners, while post-painted plate is often press-brake formed with rounded edges and corners. Alfrex Plate is a coil coated, pre-finished solid aluminum sheet product that can be processed and installed with virtually the same techniques and systems used with MCM/ACM.

Alfrex and a very limited number of other Metal Composite Material (MCM) manufacturers possess the capabilities to manufacture 3mm-thick, coil-coated aluminum plate, since doing so requires specialized equipment for leveling and cutting sheets to the high degree of architectural flatness required for wall cladding applications.

Solid aluminum plate cladding is generally available from about 0.060" (1.5mm) up to 3/16" (4.76mm), with the exact range depending on the coating process. Coil coating is more economical for larger quantities but tops out at 3mm (0.118") — and very few coil coaters worldwide can coat 3mm plate in wide architectural widths like 62". Spray coating (post-painting) is more economical for smaller quantities and custom colors and easily accommodates a wider range of both thinner and thicker configurations, from about 0.032” (0.7mm) up through 3/16 (4.76mm) and greater. Alfrex Plate is a coil coated product available in 3mm and 2mm thicknesses in standard 62" and 50" widths, with custom thicknesses and widths available subject to mill minimums.

Depending on LME pricing and production quantities, expect 3mm plate as an input material to be 2 to 3 times more expensive than 4mm MCM. Including higher fabrication (processing) costs for 3mm Plate, its installed price premium can range from +$15 to $20 per square foot higher assuming an average installed cost of $75 per square foot for MCM.

Compared to 3mm thick solid aluminum plate, 4mm MCM contains 67% less aluminum, weighs approximately 9% less, and is 33% thicker. Even though 3mm solid plate is more dent resistant, counterintuitively 4mm MCM is stiffer, with its calculated flexural rigidity (EI) being roughly 37% higher, thanks to the thicker 'I-Beam' effect and corresponding increase in moment of inertia.

The vast majority of engineered installation systems designed for 4mm and 6mm thick MCM can seamlessly accommodate 2mm and 3mm thick solid aluminum plate in both caulk and rainscreen system panel joint configurations. Alfrex has a full-sized mockup wall in its Buford, GA manufacturing plant showing 4mm MCM and 3mm Plate installed side-by-side using the same rainscreen system.

Yes. Coil-coated aluminum plate satisfies the classification requirements for a non-combustible building material under International Building Code (IBC) Section 703.3.1, which states that "a material having a noncombustible structural base, determined in accordance with ASTM E136, with a surfacing not more than 0.125 inch (3.18 mm) thick that has a flame spread index not more than 50 when tested in accordance with ASTM E84 or UL 723, shall be acceptable as noncombustible."
With a 100% solid aluminum structural base and a coil-coated finish, Alfrex Plate has been tested in accordance with ASTM E84 and achieved a flame spread index of zero (0), satisfying this non-combustibility classification. ASTM E136 cannot be used on its own for coated products, since that test method explicitly does not apply to materials with a paint finish or protective coating — which is why the code pairs a structural-base test (ASTM E136) with a surface-burning test (ASTM E84) for finished materials like Alfrex Plate.
For the Canadian market, non-combustibility requires that a coated plate product pass CAN/ULC-S114 in its uncoated, structural-base form and CAN/ULC-S135 in its coated, finished form. Alfrex Plate has successfully completed testing to both CAN/ULC-S114 and CAN/ULC-S135.

Fabricating 3mm pre-finished plate is similar to fabricating MCM — both utilize virtually the same techniques and installation systems — but plate can' simply be run through an MCM process unchanged. It requires modified routing speeds and feed rates, along with special routing bits and a continuously applied coolant or lubricant spray on machining bits, none of which MCM fabrication typically needs. With these adaptations in place, fabricators have reported achieving processing speeds and efficiencies close to those of MCM. Alfrex's Plate Fabrication and Technical Recommendations manual was developed specifically for fabricators experienced in working with MCM who are adapting their equipment and processes to 3mm plate. It isn't a step-by-step "how-to" guide, but it offers practical guidance — including tooling, feed-rate, and lubrication recommendations — for making that transition smoothly.

Other than architect’s preference, pre-finished 3mm thick solid aluminum plate is most frequently specified instead of Metal Composite Material (MCM / ACM) when either non-combustible wall cladding material is required (eg: soffit applications in Canada), or when special product testing is mandated for combustible materials (eg: New York City).

Alfrex stocks 3mm thick aluminum plate in 62" x 196" sheets in six standard color paint finishes — coordinated with 4mm FR MCM plus matching 0.040"; flat sheet — with lead times of typically two to three days for stocked finished goods. Lead times for aluminum plate generally depend on whether the finished product is stocked in inventory (available in days) or must be made-to-order (available in months). Plate manufacturers stock only a limited number of finishes in finished goods inventory, since aluminum plate is mostly a made-to-order product industry-wide.

The lead times for custom colors in coil coated solid aluminum 3mm plate are longer than those for MCM and can vary widely depending on metal availability. Most aluminum plate projects are "made-to-order" with lead times ranging from 8 to 18 weeks regardless of color - underscoring the necessity to evaluate each project individually. For Alfrex Plate 3mm the typical lead time for made-to-order is 10-18 weeks, with stocked material available in two to three days.

Minimum order quantities for custom colors in coil-coated solid aluminum plate can vary between manufacturers, depending on metal availability and the operational minimums of specific coil-coating lines. Custom color Alfrex Plate is routinely ordered in quantities between 1,000 and 5,000 square feet, though actual minimums vary by plate thickness, finish type, and specific project requirements; pricing can be much higher for smaller amounts and should be considered up front during project planning. Contact Alfrex directly to confirm current minimums for your specific color and thickness.

The maximum thickness available in coil-coated aluminum plate is 3mm (0.118"). Only a few coil coating lines in the world can coil coat 3mm thick aluminum coil in a 62-inch (1575mm) width and achieve the flatness and paint finish quality necessary for architectural wall cladding. Even though some existing coil coating lines can handle thicker aluminum coil in narrower widths, the wider widths required for wall cladding often exceed their capabilities. For this reason, thicknesses greater than 3mm — for example, 3/16 inch (4.76mm) and 1/4 inch (6.35mm) — must be post-painted (spray coated).

Coil-coated aluminum plate with a product width of 62 inches enables an installed 60-inch-wide panel face, the same as MCM, since panel modules are formed by routing and folding sheets to create 1-inch-wide perimeter return legs for attachment to installation extrusions. Alfrex Plate is also available in a 50-inch standard width for both 3mm and 2mm thicknesses, which similarly yields a 48-inch installed panel face — giving fabricators two standard modular sizing options
depending on project layout.

Yes - custom widths are available in Alfrex Plate. Standard widths are 62" and 50", while custom widths range from 31.5" up to 62". Minimum quantities are driven by rolling mill minimums of 8,300 sf for 3mm and 12,174 sf for 2mm — correlated to ingot weight rather than a single fixed square-footage rule. Custom widths are subject to longer lead times, which should be confirmed for each inquiry as they are rolling mill specific.