Petersen’s new PAC-4000 metal composite material provides design options for those wanting to add truly flat, colorful surfaces to building exteriors. The material is resistant to fire, impacts and water intrusion and can be curved for aesthetic appeal. The PAC-4000 is designed for walls, canopies, fascia and accents on all building types, including hospitals, office buildings, retail, educational facilities and many more. MCM is also known as aluminum composite material.
The PAC-4000 is a 4-millimeter composite panel made by bonding a prefinished aluminum skin to a substrate of thermoset phenolic resin. A second aluminum skin is added as a backer and provides thermal stability and panel balance. The durable, .105-inch thermoset phenolic resin core creates an ultra-smooth substrate, making it an excellent complement and contrast to other raised or textured building elements.
The PAC-4000 is available as a flat sheet for use with routed, factory-fabricated systems. In addition, the sheet also is available for use in budget-friendly, field-assembled systems (with trim moldings and accessories), like the PAC-4000 Reveal and the PAC-4000 Deep Reveal. Both systems provide high-end performance backed by industry standard testing, while the field-assembled options offer significant time and labor savings.
The RV system utilizes low-profile trim moldings with both batten and reveal (1/2-inch) profiles to create a fabricated aesthetic in a simplified design. The DRV system uses a hybrid approach to create a cavity wall (rainscreen) where the panel is sealed into position but allows moisture to exit the system via weep holes placed within the perimeter extrusions. Floating splines within the moldings allow for standard (1/2-inch) and variable (up to 12-inch) joint widths.
For the field-assembled systems, the PAC-4000 material is delivered directly to the job site, along with prefinished trim moldings and accessories. These materials are then cut to size on-site by installing contractors, which shaves weeks off the project timeline (compared to similar systems, which are first shipped to fabricators). The direct-to-job-site process also reduces shipping costs by taking up less space than factory-fabricated systems. Standard carpentry tools can be used to cut and install the PAC-4000 material, further adding to the ease of installation.
“The PAC-4000 metal composite material allows architects and designers to create elevated aesthetics with vibrant finishes to achieve visually stunning installations,” said Mike Weis, Petersen vice president. “With this addition to Petersen’s PAC-CLAD lineup of cladding systems, we once again add a design tool for those wanting to maximize the creative flexibility that architectural metal cladding provides.”
Designed for performance, the PAC-4000 carries a number of tests on the sheet material, as well as the systems in which it is installed, including ASTM 283, 330 and 331, NFPA 285 and ICC approval. The panel has a nominal weight of approximately 1.25 pound per square foot. Warranties include 10 years for the panel, 20 years for anodized finishes and 30 years for coil-coated Kynar 500 finishes. Standard sizes of the PAC-4000 material include widths of 48 or 60 inches and lengths of 96, 120 or 144 inches.
