Cladding is used in numerous projects — from agricultural to high-end commercial buildings, you’re likely to see cladding materials along the exterior of the structure. This offers sturdy and durable protection against weather conditions, abrasions, UV rays, and more environmental factors.
Link to KLS
While a variety of materials are used to create cladding, metal cladding is the top option for many homeowners and business owners due to its form, functions, and advantages.
But what is metal cladding, and what should you know about it? This article discusses the fundamentals. Read on!
Metal cladding is a product made of layered metal. It performs the same function as other cladding options — protecting the exterior walls (or the interior) of a building. Metal cladding may also be used for roofing material.
Aside from structural protection, the metal cladding also has aesthetic and design purposes, adding versatility to any structure.
Compared to other types, — such as stone, concrete, and wood — metal cladding strikes an optimal balance between function and aesthetic. Various metals can be made into cladding, offering versatility and other mechanical properties:
Some projects opt for aluminum cladding, as aluminum offers more resistance against rust and corrosion. It is often used for homes, commercial centers, and other buildings in humid climates.
Aluminum cladding offers other benefits, such as being lightweight and highly versatile when it comes to coating and painting. However, it is not as strong as other metals, so it may not be applicable in harsher environments.
Steel cladding’s most important advantage is its high strength. When it comes to rust resistance, steel may not be the best option — but certain grades of steel offer good protection.
As it is extremely durable, it is popular for exterior and interior cladding. This type is best applied in buildings where long-lasting strength is required, such as in industrial settings.
Copper cladding offers adequate protection against the elements but oxidizes quickly — turning from shiny orange to light green — unless a protective coating is applied. Thus, it is often chosen for its aesthetic appeal rather than any protective advantage it may offer. It is typically used for roofing and other finishing work.
All metal cladding systems offer more or less the same properties:
Metal cladding can protect and shield a structure from ever-changing and harsh elements that may damage it — such as rain, winds, pollution, and temperatures. They’re strong and durable enough that they improve the stability and lifespan of a structure. Often, metal cladding products are long-lasting and manufacturers sell them with warranties as long as 30 years or more.
Metal cladding can be quite lightweight, reducing the load of the building, and also making this material much easier to transport, install, and repair.
All metal building materials must be resistant to fire. This puts metal cladding above other materials — such as wood panels — in terms of protective advantages.
Metal cladding is often used for architectural and design purposes. While there are many practical benefits to using this product, it offers many aesthetic benefits as well. Installing cladding can change the overall look of a building. Both material and installation choices may be used in such a way that it creates varying styles.
As it is made from common materials, metal cladding can easily be recycled at the end of its life. As a result, you can reduce your building’s carbon footprint.
There are two main ways to install metal cladding:
Aside from that, there are many different ways to configure metal cladding. Configuration is important as it affects the overall look of the building.
Common setups include panel, strip, brickwork, mesh, cassette, textile, tube, shingle. Some configurations offer better thermal insulation, protection, and durability.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit how to color stainless steel.
Aside from configuration, there are multiple finishes to choose from that will affect the aesthetics of your building. The most popular options are: polished, smooth, natural, textured, ribbed, perforated, matte, oxidized, and lacquered. The best choice for your building will depend largely on your personal preference and budget.
Other kinds of finishes a manufacturer may offer are: grooved, patina, painted, high-gloss, brushed, sandblasted, 3D-printed, aged, oiled, brush-hammered, metalized, lozenge-patterned, and mirror.
There are options for metal manufacturers to add additional characteristics to metal cladding projects. Aside from offering non-combustible, sturdy, and weather-resistant protection, your metal cladding may have other characteristics.
Common additions include LED lighting, backlighting, and planters (to grow plants like moss, ferns, vines, etc.). These additional characteristics improve the aesthetic appeal and help create better-looking facades and environments.
Depending on the material, configuration, finish, and additional characteristics you choose for your building, your metal cladding will have different maintenance needs.
Here are a few pointers for taking care of metal cladding to extend its lifespan:
Now that you know what metal cladding is and the structural and aesthetic benefits it offers, you may be interested in learning more about this product and how it may be applied to your construction project.
In the ever-evolving landscape of material science, clad metals stand out as a revolutionary innovation that combines the best attributes of different metals and alloys. This article is the introduction to a series about clad metals that will discuss how what they are, how they’re made, their benefits, and their applications.
By employing advanced metallurgical bonding techniques such as plating, welding, roll bonding, and heat treatment, clad metals bring together materials with contrasting properties to create a unified product with a completely new set of capabilities. This unique amalgamation allows for the development of materials that can meet the stringent demands of modern engineering and industrial applications.
Clad metals are engineered to harness the strengths of their constituent materials, resulting in combinations that were previously thought to be incompatible. For instance, imagine a material that offers both high electrical conductivity and high strength, or one that combines high thermal conductivity with exceptional stiffness. These seemingly conflicting properties can be unified into a single material which enables a completely new set of properties (see also Figure 1).
The versatility of clad metals opens a plethora of possibilities across various industries. Here are some compelling examples of the unique property combinations that clad metals can achieve:
Figure 1. Combinations made with clad metals to generate new, unique property sets.
Two aspects are particularly important for clad metals: the selection of the material components and the process of metallurgical bonding (electroplating, laser or electron beam welding or roll bonding). The material components are chosen based on which properties are needed in the final material.
Several aspects are relevant when choosing the appropriate cladding method:
Some of these aspects are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1. Advantages and disadvantages of different cladding methods.
This means that many possible combinations are conceivable. The combination of metals and alloys in specific designs with different cladding processes open a wide universe of new solutions for demanding applications (Figures 2 and 3).
Figure 2. Geometrical solutions for clad metals.
Figure 3. Clad metal combinations for different sets of properties.
Due to their outstanding performance, clad metals are essential for existing applications like connectors for batteries, heat spreaders and heat sinks. They are also proving to be extremely effective for new applications such as components for hydrolyzers and fuel cells.