When you specify a Fairview Architectural panel, you’re making a decision that starts thousands of miles away and passes through more hands, science, and precision than most people realize.

Transparency is one of our core commitments at Fairview Architectural. That means not just telling you what our products can do, but showing you where they come from and how they’re made. Because understanding the supply chain behind your façade materials isn’t just interesting, it directly informs better specification decisions.

Here’s the full journey, from raw earth to finished panel.

Step 2: Refining Bauxite into Alumina

Before aluminum can exist, bauxite must be refined into alumina (aluminum oxide) through a chemical extraction process. This is a specialized, large-scale operation, and the U.S. currently produces only about 40% of its own alumina consumption. China, Australia, and Brazil lead global production.

This step matters because alumina refining capacity shapes where material originates and how easily supply can be secured. 

Step 4: Primary Processing – More Specialized Than You’d Think

Converting ingots into coils requires either a casting or extrusion process, and this step is more nuanced than it might appear. Each processing facility specializes in only a handful of alloys and hardnesses. There is no single processor capable of producing every alloy, thickness, and hardness combination, which is why a robust façade supply chain requires relationships with multiple processors.

This has a practical implication that architects and project managers occasionally bump into: when a project calls for a specific or unusual alloy, sourcing it may require reaching outside a standard supply chain. It’s possible, but it takes time. This is exactly why early material discussions matter, and why having a responsive material partner in your corner makes a measurable difference to project schedules.

Step 6: Becoming the Product – Vitrabond and Vitraplate

The finished, painted coil takes a different path depending on which Fairview product is being manufactured.

Vitrabond® – Aluminum Composite Material (ACM)

For Vitrabond, the finished coil is loaded onto a feeder at the start of the ACM manufacturing line, positioned above a feeder carrying the aluminum that will form the rear skin. The two aluminum skins come together with our proprietary Thermal-Reactive Core material, bonding them in a continuous fusion process. This proprietary process is the secret behind our True-Flat Technology, which along with our Thermal-Reactive Core is what separates Vitrabond from other ACM products.

From there, the composite material moves through the line through drying, cooling, and protective film application before reaching a flying saw, a cutting mechanism that trims panels to length without ever stopping the line. Finished sheets are then lifted off the line and loaded into crates through a fully automated process, eliminating handling risks and protecting the finish at its most vulnerable moment.

Vitraplate® – Solid Aluminum Plate

Vitraplate is a different challenge entirely. Because the aluminum is 3mm thick rather than the 0.5mm used for Vitrabond skins, each coil yields significantly less usable surface area for the same coil weight. That means more coils are required to fulfill a given volume of product, and since every coil has a “head” and “tail” that cannot be used, there is inherently more material waste in the Vitraplate process.

The coils go through a precision leveling process on proprietary equipment engineered and manufactured to our specification to ensure the material properties are suited specifically to the building facade industry’s needs as relates to fabrication processes and end-use installations. Producing a large, flat sheet from a thick coated coil without damaging the finish, and without leaving internal tensions that would cause the sheet to curl back over time, requires specialized equipment that we developed in-house from our deep process expertise. Standard Leveling Lines and Cut-To-Length processes cannot achieve the material properties required by fabricators to achieve the end results that the building facade industry demands.

Why This Transparency Matters

Understanding where your materials come from and how they’re made is not just academic. It informs specification decisions, helps set realistic lead time expectations, enables smarter value engineering conversations, and builds the kind of trust that holds up when a project gets complicated.

At Fairview Architectural, we believe that architects, consultants, fabricators, and developers deserve a material partner who will tell them the full story, including the parts that are complex, the constraints that are real, and the places where early planning makes the biggest difference.

Every panel we ship carries that story with it.

Want to learn more about how our manufacturing process supports your project? Explore our products or contact our team, we’re always glad to talk through the details.

One of the most effective ways of enhancing the performance of a building envelope is to use a rainscreen cladding system. The rainscreen principle began to be understood in the early 1900’s, as out lined in our blog post – History of the Rainscreen Principle and has become the standard in building envelope construction.  

Metal panel rainscreen systems, whether composite (ACM/MCM) or solid aluminum, are praised for their sustainability and aesthetics. Their adaptability to various design trends and ease of installation make them a superior choice compared to other rainscreen products.

A rainscreen system acts as a protective screen against rain, allowing moisture to penetrate behind the screen and then evaporate through ventilation. An air space behind the rainscreen ensures constant airflow, while a weather barrier serves as the primary defense between the exterior and interior. The structural wall is located inside the weather barrier, with insulation placed either inside or outside the barrier, depending on the building envelope design.

Selecting a metal panel rainscreen installation system for your cladding project can be challenging due to the variety of available options and the need for integration with other products. This guide focuses specifically on metal panel rainscreen installation systems:

1. Arrowhead Rainscreen Cladding Installation Systems by Fairview Architectural

Fairview Architectural stands out as the only metal panel façade product manufacturer offering both sheet materials and extrusions/components, ensuring installers receive a complete package from a single source for guaranteed compatibility. Additionally, Fairview mandates training and vetting for fabricators and installers, providing architects and building owners with confidence that the project will be executed correctly. This thorough approach helps prevent issues like mold growth caused by under-qualified installers or under-tested rainscreen systems.

Arrowhead is a family of rainscreen panel installation systems that offers a wide variety of design possibilities, unparalleled installation efficiencies, and long-term product lifecycle benefits.

There are numerous ways that Arrowhead saves you both money and time over any other metal panel rainscreen installation system:

• Non-sequential installation avoids interruptions from other trades
• Unique installation process avoids many steps in the installation process required by other systems
• Multiple systems to choose from offering the widest variety in aesthetics in one system

 2. EVO and FUSION by Carter Architectural Panels 

Carter Architectural Panels call themselves the “North American Extrusion System Specialists”. According to their website, as they evolve, so do their products and partnerships. Originally in sheet metal and architectural panel fabrication, supplying and installing panels on site, they turned to offering fabricating rights to other fabricators across North America for their extrusions. Their objective was to cause change in the specification process through Architects and Specifiers, to accept tested panel systems, which perform exceptionally. 

The Carter website states that “EVO™ RIVETLESS™ panels are value engineered and designed to withstand the harshest elements and toughest competitors”, and that they are “strictly a distributor of the FUSION™ DRILLFREE™ extrusion system to fabricators across North America, and do not compete in the manufacturing of any products.” 

3.SAF Rainscreen Installation Systems 

SAF is a fabricator of a wide variety of metal building products, from column covers to sunshades, and metal wall panels. They can custom fabricate architectural bollards and apply custom finishes. SAF glazed and rainscreen systems come with time-tested securing systems including one with no screws or rivets visible.  

By using a pre-engineered system approach, SAF can quickly design and fabricate a building panel and extrusion system that is easy to install, enabling smooth workflows on the job site.  

As we mentioned at the start of this article, choosing a metal panel rainscreen installation system for your cladding project can be a challenge but we hope that these comparisons prove helpful. We also highly recommend specifying a rainscreen installation system that will enable your design intent while also ensuring a sound building envelope that will protect the building in any situation. Specification documents for Arrowhead Installation systems can be downloaded below: 

👉Fairview Architectural Binder 

Learn more about the Arrowhead family of rainscreen systems:  

• What is a Non-Sequential Cladding installation system, and why does it matter? 
• History of the Rainscreen principle 

Get Connected – Customer Service is ready to assist by phone 860-242-2711 or by email at helpdesk@fairview-na.com.  

Cladding Safety with Metal Composite Material (MCM) and NFPA 285-19

One of the most talked about points when specifying MCM panels, is NPFA 285 compliance. Fire safety standards are a big concern globally, and understandably so.

Since the 1980s, innovative exterior wall systems have been developed to enhance a buildings appearance, and to improve the overall performance of a facade. Over the last decade several high-rise building fires including structures in Dubai, Shanghai, Atlantic City, and the much-publicized Grenfell Tower in 2017 has raised concerns over buildings and façade cladding safety.

The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) has developed research and resources to help building owners and global enforcement authorities, assess the fire risk of existing high-rise building portfolios, as well as identify what fire testing procedures should be applied when designing new buildings.  It has been suggested that the absence of severe apartment building fires in the U.S. is a testament to the American Building Code and additional standards such as NFPA 285.

What is NFPA 285?

The NFPA 285 test evolved from previous building and fire codes and first came into existence in 1998. The Code was updated in 2018 following the Grenfell Tower fire and has been continually revised, and improved to ensure the safety of buildings and their residents. NFPA 285 -19 (2019) is the current test standard.

What does the NFPA 285 involve?

The NFPA 285 test is classified as the ‘Standard Fire Test Method for Evaluation of Fire Propagation Characteristics of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components’. This standard provides a test method for determining the fire propagation characteristics of exterior wall assemblies that are constructed using combustible materials or that incorporate combustible components.

The actual test itself is performed as an assembly test for exterior walls that contain combustible components or materials. The test determines vertical and horizontal flame spread by simulating an interior flashover fire that impacts the exterior cladding through a compromised window opening. It is important to stress the fact that NFPA 285 is a large-scale assembly test. This means that individual products and systems cannot pass the test alone. Materials are only considered acceptable when evaluated in conjunction with and as part of the entire wall assembly.

An example of a typical NFPA 285 compliant MCM wall assembly includes the following components that are often sourced from multiple manufacturers: insulation, exterior cladding panel, air barrier, water-resistive barrier, fasteners, lintels and furring.

The fire exposure duration for NFPA 285 is 30 minutes. See example diagram below:

Image: courtesy of the Metal Construction Association

When is NFPA 285 compliance required?

NFPA 285 compliance is required for an exterior wall assembly containing MCM panels as follows:

• Installations on buildings of Type I, II, III or IV construction that are greater than 40 feet in height where the fire-separation distance exceeds 5 feet.
• Installations of up to 50 feet if the MCM has a limited self-ignition temperature.
• Installations up to 75 feet (or beyond if sprinkler protected).

The graphic below provides a visual reference on when and where the Code is required:

Note: There are situations where a combustible Water Resistant Barrier can be used without being tested such as when the only combustible component in the wall assembly is covered with brick, stucco, concrete and a few other materials or meets certain technical parameters.

How does MCM perform against NFPA 285?

Although continually faced with updated test protocols for fire protection, metal composite material cladding is passing the test. With its Fire Retardant (FR) mineral core, MCMs perform well when subjected to NFPA’s stringent testing procedures.

Note: not all manufacturers have tested their products against the current standard, so it is important to make sure that the MCM you are specifying is compliant and accompanied by an ISO/IEC 17065 accredited report.

When exposed to fire, the metal skins of the MCM initially deflect the heat and fire away from the core material. While the metal skins will eventually melt, the material remains in place, and the metal limits both the amount of combustible core available to the fire and the spread of flame.

Also, of note is the fact that wall cavity heat gain is not typically an issue in MCM systems in the absence of exterior flames. In other words, the wall does not self-sustain once the flame source is eliminated. This is also a benefit of the FR core as it has shown to self-extinguish almost immediately.

This is due to the FR core utilizing the addition of minerals, such as alumina trihydrate or magnesium oxide, that effectively break down when subjected to extreme heat. This then releases water vapor, helps suppress the fire, and causes the self-extinguishing process mentioned above once the flame source is removed (see diagram below).

Are there alternatives to using MCM panels?

MCM panels are a popular construction material and there are many advantages to continue using and specifying them as part of your compliant wall assembly. Alternative options to MCM are non-combustible solid metal panels or engineered metal plate, however, current supply chain issues caused by the high demand for raw aluminum materials, is seeing prices for these products reach all-time highs.

How to specify MCM compliant products

If you require a non-combustible cladding solution that is compliant to NFPA 285, MCM is the more reasonably priced option with the addition of being available in an extensive range of colors, easy to fabricate and install and long-term warranties.

At Fairview our range includes the MCM panel product, Vitrabond FR, that is fully compliant to NFPA 285 (report available on request) as well as the 3mm pre-finished solid aluminum panel (Vitraplate). Contact our team for more information and to discuss your specific project needs.

Fairview is the only ACM/MCM manufacturer that offers a fully patented and tested installation system: Arrowhead. The Arrowhead Metal Panel Installation System, was designed in 2017 by industry professionals as a more efficient solution to traditional (sequential) installation systems.

Arrowhead is a fully tested rainscreen application system for ACM panels and aluminum plate panels. Not only is Arrowhead rated for hurricane zones, but it is also tested and rated for the more stringent Miami–Dade high velocity hurricane zone (HVHZ) requirements. In addition to hurricane testing, Arrowhead is rated for both AAMA 508 (Pressure Equalized Rainscreen Wall Cladding Systems) and AAMA 509 (Drained and Back–Ventilated Rainscreen Wall Cladding Systems).

The Arrowhead system is engineered to save costs and labor time, increasing your productivity and allows you to get more jobs done each year. It is a premium system because of its innovation, flexibility, and ease of install.

We currently offer three Arrowhead systems, FLEX, LEAN, and FLUSH, with more options currently in development. Our Arrowhead packages include versatile facade materials, fully tested labor-saving installation and manufacturer’s in-house training programs.

The Revolutionary Arrowhead T-Clip
Our Arrowhead systems use a revolutionary t-clip that fastens the panel to the wall. Our patented t-clip is what makes the arrowhead system so innovative. It allows the system to be non-sequential.

Since the system is non-sequential, you can add or remove panels independently without affecting the integrity of the structure. This can save you and your installers time, labor, and money.

The t–clip secures the panels to the base extrusion. The clip slots into the extrusion, and then you simply twist the t–clip’s to secure the panel to the wall. This simplified installation allows less labor to install more panels, increasing capacity and reducing installation time.

9 Key Benefits of the Arrowhead System
The Arrowhead system is truly revolutionary. Here are some of the major benefits of the Arrowhead system and why you need it for your next project:

1. Fully Tested: It is the only true non-progressive tested AAMA 508 and AAMA 509 compliant rain screen system for metal panels. It is also hurricane rated and Miami-Dade rated.

2. Cuts Costs: Because the Arrowhead system is fast and easy to fabricate and install, it can be done in just days instead of weeks, which significantly reduces labor costs and saves labor time. You can also have multiple crews on site because the panels do not have to be installed sequentially, which allows projects with tight schedules to be completed in–time.

6. Easy Installation: The non–sequential system makes it possible for measurements to be taken from the installed base extrusions and sent directly to the fabricator. In addition, panels are easily locked in place using the t–clip. The t–clip is simple use and gives consistent results.

7. Panel Replacement: If you have a damaged panel, you can simply remove and re–install the single panel without compromising the integrity of the system or having to remove other panels.

8. Versatile: The FLEX system accommodates different depths of panels so you can add complexity to your façade design while using the same simple mounting system.

9. Compatible: Arrowhead systems are compatible with our ACM/MCM products: Vitrabond FR ACM, Vitraplate prefinished 0.125” aluminum, Vitranar prefinished solid aluminum as well as other industry brands. All three Arrowhead systems can be used on the same wall, giving a sophisticated look while having the same installation process throughout. As the base extrusions are the same across all three systems, different panel styles can be achieved next to each other while using the exact same installation method.

Arrowhead FLEX System
The Arrowhead FLEX System is our most common system. It allows for different depths of panels. It is aesthetically like traditional rain screen systems and has the same features, however, is designed to significantly reduce installation and labor costs. With the FLEX System, the base wall extrusions are shimmed and attached to the exterior wall first. The extrusions are then used to take the measurements for the panels to be placed straight onto the extrusion and held in place by the t-clips.

Arrowhead LEAN System
The Arrowhead LEAN System takes all the benefits of the more traditional Arrowhead FLEX system and combines them with an extremely simplified fabrication process. No rivets are used to hold the panels to the frame. Instead, a double groove and slow system is used to secure the frame extrusion. There are less steps in the process, which increases production speed.

Currently the LEAN System is limited to a 1-inch reveal, so it cannot accommodate panels of different depths.

Arrowhead FLUSH System
The Arrowhead FLUSH system provides a minimalist look with shallow reveals and is easy to fabricate. The FLUSH system offers a clean aesthetic for a truly modern finish to your building façade.

The FLUSH System is mainly used for interior designs because of its sleek look, but it can be used for exteriors as well. It provides extremely small joints and has a flush panel look. The FLUSH System has the same features and ratings as the LEAN and FLEX systems.

Award-winning results

And if you need a 10th reason, Arrowhead can help you develop an award-winning project just like Capitol Vista that recently won the 2021 NAHB Best in American Living Platinum Award in the Affordable, Multifamily category at the Collaborative Vision for Design Equity Awards. This project features Arrowhead FLEX with our Vitrabond FR panels.

Contact Customer Support today
Your dedicated Arrowhead product manager will be there for you from start to finish. We also provide technical support from our product engineers. And now, with our new Customer Success team, you can use our dedicated line to contact us about anything regarding Fairview and get your questions answered.