Metal composite material (MCM) is widely specified thanks to its endless options in cladding designs. We expect demand for MCM to remain high in 2022 as the construction industry continues its rebound from COVID-19, embracing new project starts fueled by the bullish increase in architectural designs. Our common goal is to ensure the right product gets to the job site at the right time. Here we will shed more light on the situation and offer a few key tips to help keep your projects on track.
The Nils K. Nelson Bioscience Innovation Building at Purdue University Northwest (Photo: Mark Kempf Photography, courtesy of 3A Composites USA)
The current supply chain crisis is heavily linked to COVID-19. Projects were delayed and some job sites were shut down in 2020—a year that otherwise, in my view, would have seen amazing growth in commercial construction. When the COVID-19 vaccine became available in January 2021, the commercial construction market hopped into gear and tried to catch up on the 2020 delays. Projects moving forward met a traffic jam in material requests and longer lead times. As manufacturers, we struggled to get raw materials—including aluminum and plastic commodities—domestically. We turned to the global market and were met with congestion at every port.
In dramatic contrast to historically stable paint supply, 2022 brings several factors which are driving longer lead times and high increases in architectural quality (PVDF) paint costs. Crucially, demand for PVDF resin in the booming EV battery market is outpacing supply. To further strain the supply chain, many suppliers of resins, additives and solvents required for paint manufacturing have struggled to recover from prolonged power outages during the Texas freeze and damages from Hurricane Ida.
The global supply chain crisis has not only forced manufacturers to scramble to secure raw materials but to pay a premium for them due to supply and demand. Manufacturers who source materials globally face freight costs that have as much as quadrupled over previous years. Rising raw material prices and shipping fees have forced manufacturers to increase product pricing in response to continuous increases in our costs.
Due to these challenges, MCM manufacturers should have a proactive and strategic procurement strategy to remain ahead, ensure continuous supply and limit cost increases.
The following key strategies are offered to ensure that metal composite panels in their project’s ideal color and finish are available on time and at the lowest possible cost:
- Review, select and specify metal wall panel finishes early in the design process. Include your MCM manufacturer’s representative; they are the best source for material availability. Delaying the specification decision will likely result in a less competitive bid and inaccurate pricing, which could result in limited finish selections, costly change orders and increased lead times.
- Consider stocked wall panel finishes to reduce lead times. Metal panel manufacturers like ourselves not only have closely followed color trends but have greatly expanded our stocked offerings to include multiple shades and finishes in many popular color categories. While the industry has come to expect custom colors to be readily available, paint industry supply issues will challenge that expectation in 2022 with greatly increased lead times.
- Design wall cladding to be fabricated utilizing as much of each metal composite sheet as possible to reduce material costs and waste. We recommend working with your trusted local fabricator to optimize the panel layout early in the process.
As metal panel manufacturers, we will continue to address supply chain issues in 2022 through strategic planning to secure raw materials.
Nick Scheib serves as vice president, architectural sales and marketing, Americas, 3A Composites USA, Davidson, N.C. For more information, call (800) 626-3365, email info.usa@3AComposites.com or visit www.alucobondusa.com.