Spec Resources

For MCM manufacturers, an ICC-ES Evaluation Report (ESR) is a powerful document that confirms compliance with the International Building Code and ICC-ES AC25 Acceptance Criteria for Metal Composite Material.
For architects, structural engineers, and building code officials (AHJs), an ESR is a vetting mechanism for all product testing and data through an accredited third party, replacing the need for an MCM manufacturer to provide individual test reports.
Alfrex FR MCM ESR-4566, with California Building Code Supplements, is available for download on its website.

Fire-testing requirements for Metal Composite Material (MCM) depend on the governing code and wall assembly. ASTM E84 or UL 723 is used to evaluate surface-burning characteristics in the United States, while CAN/ULC S102 is used in Canada.
Certain exterior-wall assemblies must also comply with NFPA 285 in the United States or CAN/ULC S134 in Canada. Additional tests conducted by MCM manufacturers include ASTM D1929 to evaluate ignition temperature, and ASTM E119 for rating a fire-resistance-rated wall assembly.

Alfrex 4mm FR MCM has been tested and meets the criteria of ASTM E84, CAN/ULC S102, ASTM D1929, NFPA 285, CAN/ULC S134, and achieved a 2-hour rating per ASTM E119. Alfrex 6mm FR MCM has met ASTM E84, CAN/ULC S102, and NFPA 285 criteria.

Code compliance for an MCM product or wall assembly may be verified through an ICC-ES evaluation report, an accredited product listing, IBC-required product labeling, test reports, or an engineering analysis. For Alfrex FR MCM, key documents include ICC-ES Evaluation Report ESR-4566 and the Intertek/Warnock Hersey listing under Spec ID 36858. These documents describe evaluated products, applicable tests, installation conditions, assembly limitations, and code references (ICC-ES ESR-4566; Intertek Directory of Building Products) (Spec ID 36858).

Yes, but substitutions are not automatically covered. Changing the insulation, water-resistive barrier (WRB), air barrier, sheathing, air cavity, or attachment system can affect an assembly's fire performance. Each proposed configuration should be supported by an applicable NFPA 285 test, listing, or engineering judgment/analysis, and accepted by the authority having jurisdiction when required. Alfrex maintains engineering analyses identifying numerous WRBs, insulation products, and other components that may be used with specified Alfrex FR MCM to maintain a compliant NFPA 285 wall assembly.

No — in Metal Composite Material (MCM), aluminum alloy 3105's added magnesium content gives it roughly 10-15% higher tensile and yield strength than 3003. This difference, however, falls well within the safety margins already built into standard MCM panel thickness specs, so it does not produce a meaningful performance advantage.

• Composition: 3105 adds 0.2-0.8% magnesium beyond 3003's manganese-only chemistry — this is the sole source of its modest strength increase.
• Strength vs. formability trade-off: 3105 gains strength but sacrifices some ductility; 3003 has higher elongation at break, making it slightly easier to form for complex panel profiles.
• Corrosion resistance: Both alloys deliver comparable corrosion resistance and fabrication performance for panel wall cladding — the magnesium in 3105 improves resistance marginally in harsh/marine environments, but this is not a meaningful factor in typical building-envelope applications.
• Industry practice: Domestic MCM manufacturers choose between the two based on supply, cost, and coil-coating preference rather than a structural performance requirement, since both alloys meet the mechanical, corrosion, and fabrication demands of MCM cladding.

No — for MCM, panel thickness, not alloy series, is the primary driver of structural performance. The Aluminum Association's Aluminum Design Manual sets the modulus of elasticity at roughly 10,100 ksi across nearly all alloy-temper combinations, including both 3000 and 5000 series, so deflection behavior and oil-canning resistance are effectively identical between the two in MCM wall cladding.

• Structural performance: Panel thickness governs deflection and stiffness far more than alloy choice — this is the primary factor engineers should evaluate, not the alloy series.
• Modulus of elasticity: The Aluminum Design Manual (ADM) uses ~10,100 ksi for essentially all alloy-temper combinations, meaning 3000 and 5000 series aluminum deflect and resist oil-canning nearly identically in cladding applications including MCM.
• Industry practice: Alfrex uses 3000 series aluminum alloy (3003-H14), the most common choice among domestic MCM manufacturers for painted finishes. From a structural standpoint, there is no performance case for switching to 5000 series — the main reason some manufacturers use alternative alloys, such as 1100 or 5000 series, is anodizing finish quality rather than structural performance.

The visual acceptance parameters for installed MCM are defined by the Metal Construction Association (MCA) in its "Visual Acceptance Parameters for Metal Composite Material (MCM) Panels and Panel Systems" guideline, which standardizes how installed panels should be inspected and evaluated for common visual concerns.

• Viewing conditions: Inspect installed panels from a 90° angle at a distance of 10 feet, under natural exterior lighting conditions (Metal Construction Association).
• Surface imperfections: Dents, dimples, and core or facing-material defects are evaluated against AAMA 2605 and the Insulated Glass Manufacturers Association's IGU guidelines — the MCA notes these are inherently difficult to define with a single numeric threshold, so any imperfections are flagged to the installer for investigation and possible remediation.
• Panel bow: Temperature-driven expansion and contraction can cause visible panel bow; the MCA considers this generally temporary, subsiding as the panel returns to installation temperature, though persistent bow warrants an installation-technique review.
• Color-fastness (warranty term): Typical finish warranties allow up to 5 ΔE units of color change over the life of the warranty — this is a long-term fade allowance, not a same-day installation-acceptance threshold. Lot-to-lot variation at installation depends on finish type, with flake-containing (metallic/mica) finishes more variable than solid colors and generally not to be mixed on a single elevation.
• Panel stiffener read-through: Proper use of sealant, adhesive, and tape during fabrication helps avoid visible read-through of internal panel stiffeners.

No — MCM cannot be powder coated or post-painted with oven-cured coatings, becauseMCM's core material is heat-sensitive well below the temperatures those processes require. 
Standard powder coatings need a substrate temperature of roughly 325-400°F to cure, and even specialty low-bake formulations require at least 250°F — far above the heat limits MCM can safely tolerate, so curing at those temperatures will warp the panel and render it unusable.
For this reason, only air-dry paints should be used for post-paint applications with Alfrex FR MCM, with heat used to accelerate curing never exceeding 140°F (60°C).

Published continuous-service temperature ranges vary somewhat by manufacturer, but most MCM (Metal Composite Material) brands converge on a range near -40°C to +80°C. Alfrex FR MCM's published range is -40°C to +80°C (-40°F to +176°F).

Metal Composite Material (MCM) should be installed far enough from any radiant heat source — such as a patio heater, fireplace, or grill — that the panel's surface temperature never exceeds 176°F (80°C), the maximum material-surface temperature published by Alfrex and other MCM manufacturers.  This 176°F ceiling is the governing continuous in-service limit — distinct from the 250°F coating-warranty exclusion threshold for PVDF paint. Unlike combustible-material clearances defined in stove and space-heater codes, there is no single published "install no closer than X inches" rule for MCM. Actual panel surface temperature depends on the heat source's radiant output, wattage or BTU rating, distance, and mounting angle. Use the heat source manufacturer's own clearance-to-combustibles or surface-temperature data as a starting point and consult a qualified engineer for recommendations.

For Metal Composite Material (MCM), fire-retardant and fire-resistant describe two different things: fire-retardant refers to a material's formulation to resist ignition and slow flame spread, while fire-resistant refers to an assembly's ability to withstand fire exposure for a rated time without losing its structural or compartmentation function. The two terms are sometimes used loosely across the industry, and even the acronym "FR" itself is applied inconsistently — but the underlying distinction is well established in fire-safety and building-code literature.

The fire-retardant core in Metal Composite Material (MCM) products gets its fire performance from a mineral filler — typically aluminum trihydrate (ATH) or magnesium hydroxide (MDH) — that makes up roughly 65–70% of the core material by weight.
When exposed to fire, this mineral filler undergoes endothermic decomposition, releasing water vapor and leaving behind a metal oxide residue that combines with the charred polymer to form a protective barrier layer. 
This combination slows flame propagation and heat transfer, which enables FR-core MCM to pass demanding multi-story fire tests like NFPA 285 and CAN/ULC S134.

Yes - Alfrex FR MCM and Alfrex Plate both carry Florida Product Approval with High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) status under the unified approval number FL15337-R5. The approval carries HVHZ status, meeting the stricter wind, water, and impact-resistance requirements required for installations in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The approval can be confirmed directly through the state of Florida's official database at Florida Building Code Product Approval search by entering 15337 in the FL# field.

MCM fabricators are best positioned to advise architects on achieving design intent. Their years of experience across countless projects give them practical, hands-on expertise that MCM manufacturers — whose focus is producing the original MCM sheet product — typically don't specialize in.

• Attachment methods: Fabricators design and detail how panels connect to the building structure and to adjacent materials.
• Stiffener use: Fabricators determine stiffener type, placement, and attachment to control panel deflection and prevent visible distortion.
• System application: Fabricators translate architectural drawings into engineered panel systems that meet project-specific wind, water, and structural performance requirements.
• Fabrication methods: Fabricators handle cutting, routing, folding, and finishing — the processes that turn flat MCM sheet into an installable, design-intent-accurate panel.
• MCM manufacturers, by contrast, are focused on bonding metal skins to the core to produce the flat MCM sheet itself — not on developing project-specific panel systems or design solutions.

California amends its base building code with agency-specific requirements for healthcare facilities regulated by OSHPD (now HCAI) and schools regulated by DSA. Because of this, a standard ICC-ES evaluation report (ESR) isn't enough on its own — MCM manufacturers need an ICC-ES evaluation report that includes California Building Code (CBC) Supplements specifically addressing these agencies.

• For Alfrex FR MCM, ICC-ES evaluation report ESR-4566 includes CBC Supplements confirming compliance across all three layers:
  • CBC baseline: Chapters 7, 8, and 14, with Chapters 16 and 17 applying as needed.
  • OSHPD (now HCAI): Chapters 7, 8, and 14, covering OSHPD categories 1, 1R, 2, 4, and 5.
  • DSA: Chapters 7, 8, and 14, covering DSA-SS (Structural Safety) and DSA-SS/CC (Structural Safety/Community Colleges).

No major MCM brand currently holds an FM Approval for exterior wall cladding as a standalone product. FM Approval (i.e.: FM 4411, FM 4880, FM 4881) evaluates a complete wall assembly and has been concentrated among insulated metal panel (IMP) manufacturers rather than MCM brands, which rely on NFPA 285 and CAN/ULC S134 assembly testing for code-compliance listings.

Face sheet dimensions of 60" × 96" or 60" × 60" produce the highest material yield from the 4mm × 62" × 196" stock sheet size most MCM manufacturers carry in standard colors.

Fabrication basis: Panels are formed with 1"-deep return legs, created by routing a groove near the perimeter and folding the edge down for clip and extrusion attachment. A 62" stock width nets a 60" face after 1" returns on both edges, so the width dimension is fully consumed in both configurations.

• 60" × 96": The 196" stock length is cut in half, yielding two 98" blanks. After 1" returns on each end, each blank produces a 96" face. This uses the full sheet with no length scrap.
• 60" × 60": The stock length is divided into three 62" segments (186" of the available 196"), each yielding a 60" square face after 1" returns on each side. The remaining ~10" of length is offcut, typically usable for flashing or clip stock rather than field panels.

Finish-dependent scrap variance: Solid colors are non-directional, so cut-off remnants can be reoriented and used in any position, lowering the effective scrap rate. Mica and metallic finishes have directional graining from the coating application process, so remnants can only be reused if oriented identically to the field panels, which reduces their usable yield.