Cutting Dibond - how to cut an aluminum composite panel

Advantages of using Dibond

Aluminium composite panel (ACP) is a popular material. It does not break or warp under strong physical forces. It remains rigid for a long time and is highly resistant to UV radiation. It is available in multiple colours. It can be directly printed using screen printing or a digital UV printer and is also well-suited for decoration with film. Due to its multi-layered construction, it allows for engraved signs with high-contrast lettering.

It comes in natural, white, colored, or brushed finishes. Its lifespan is longer than that of PVC sheets. It offers excellent value for money and is a lightweight base material.

Areas of application

Advertising industry (billboards, decoration), interior design (room divider, furniture), architecture (facade cladding).

Structure

In the aluminium composite material board for the advertising industry, two 0.1-0.3 mm-thick aluminium sheets sandwich a hard polymer plastic core. Total thickness 2-3 mm.
Well-known brands: Dibond, Alubond, Reynobond, XL Bond, Alupanel Lite, Tubond.

The materials used in the construction industry are made with a thicker, 0.5 mm aluminium coating and a 4-5 mm thick PE or refractory core.
Well-known brands: Alucobond, Alupanel, Etalbond, Prefabond.

How to cut an aluminium sandwich board?

Aluminium sandwich sheets are well machinable, customizable, cold bendable, and can be cut, sawn, milled, engraved, and drilled. Here are some tips for cutting.

There are several methods to cut sandwich boards. It is worth considering whether you cut occasionally or often, undertake the post-production or simply do not want to deburr or file the cutting edges.

• The simplest way is scoring and snapping. Thinner Dibond plates can be cut with a razor knife, next to a straight ruler. The blade has to be pushed on the material several times, and if it is sufficiently weakened, the material can be broken in half.
  This YouTube video from 3:20 to 8:40 shows someone using a utility knife with a breakable blade. The blade got worn while cutting a single sheet and must be replaced.
  
  
• CIAK Professional can be used similarly when supplemented with a Dibond Kit; a special Dibond cutting blade must be pushed through several times, lowering the blade deeper and deeper. After a few cuts, the plate must be broken into two. The cutting edges can be smoothed with the deburring knife supplied with the Dibond kit.
  If you need to cut larger quantities of aluminium composite sheet or want a more beautiful result, you should choose the Bomber or GLADIUM Rebel cutting machines instead.
  What you need: CIAK Professional Cutter + Dibond Kit + Dibond Blades + Dibond finishing hook blade
  Video: Ciak Professional + Dibond Kit cuts aluminium sandwich panel.
  
  
• The best value for money, the perfect quality tool is the CIAK Bomber horizontal cutting machine with the motorised milling head. Note that due to the thickness of the milling tool, 6 mm is "lost" from the material.
  What you need: CIAK Bomber electric cutter + Dibond Milling Tool
  Video: Dibond cutting with CIAK Bomber electric cutting machine
  
  
• The GLADIUM vertical industrial sheet metal cutting machine allows the cutting of aluminium sandwich panels with less effort. GLADIUM cuts thinner boards with a hardened steel blade, and when paired with a REBEL motor saw, it easily handles even the toughest material.
  What you need: GLADIUM panel cutting machine + Dibond blades
  or GLADIUM panel cutting machine + REBEL Motor Saw + Saw blade for aluminium
  Video: Gladium cutting machine with REBEL motor saw cutting the aluminium composite sheet in half - from 0:35 to 1:10.
  
  
• The V-REBEL 'V-cutter' option is available for GLADIUM machines and allows V-grooving for bending plates. The grooving and incising are also required for fitting and bending Alucobond boards.
  
  
• While the above-mentioned methods allow the board to be cut in a straight line only, any shape can be cut using a router or a milling machine. The sandwich sheet can be milled, its surface can be engraved (eg, for inscriptions) or folded by grooving.
  
  
  

Comparison of cutting methods

	CIAK Professional + Dibond kit	BOMBER	GLADIUM	GLADIUM + REBEL	MCUT
	Horizontal manual cutting ruler	Horizontal manual cutting machine with milling head	Vertical manual cutting machine	Vertical manual cutting machine with circular saw	Horizontal CNC router	utility knife	saw	laser cutter
straight cut
shape cut
V cut, grooving				V-Rebel option
machine price
cutting width [mm]	3	5	5	12	12	2	5
cutting length [cm]	max. 310	max. 310	max. 205	max. 205	max. 300
cutting quality
cutting tool	blade	mill bit	blade	circular saw	mill bit	blade	saw	laser
orientation	horizontal	horizontal	vertical	vertical	horizontal			horizontal
movement	manual	manual	manual	manual	PC	manual		PC