How PCG’s ACM Fabrication Lead Times Beat the Competition
ACM, or aluminum composite material, is a hugely popular exterior skin product. Its versatility and customizable nature allow it to be installed on all kinds of buildings, from schools, office towers, hospitals, distribution centers, and many more. PCG started installing ACM approximately 15 years ago. After starting with smaller projects and hand-routing all our panels, we can now manage much larger projects simultaneously and fabricate all our panels in-house with a state-of-the-art C&C machine in our new facility in Peachtree Corners, Georgia.
Typical ACM Panel Fabrication Lead Time
One of the biggest issues we hear from clients regarding ACM projects is fabrication lead time. A frequent project timeline challenge is the duration from when the job is ready until the panels are installed on the building.
It appears that the typical lead time from competitors is 6-8 weeks to fabricate panels. However, we were on a jobsite this summer, and the general contractor informed us that a competitor had told them it would take 12 weeks to manufacture the panels. That seems excessively long.
PCG’s Standard Lead Time and Response to Changes
Our standard lead time is two weeks or less from the exterior skin being ready for us to be on-site installing ACM panels. To gain a clearer understanding of what sets us apart, let’s delve deeper into the process.
As previously mentioned, we fabricate all of our panels in-house. This means after the material is delivered to our shop, we fabricate the panels at our facility, and then deliver them directly to the site. We control the whole process. We organize our priorities to ensure that we can meet schedule requirements and provide the two-week lead time.
Other installers farm out their panel fabrication to other shops, which means they are just in line behind a number of other jobs. They have no say in when their panels will be made and no way to expedite the process.
Conversely, if a couple of panels are added to a project at the last minute and we need them ASAP, we can reorganize our fabrication schedule that day to get those panels to the site within 24 hours.
PCG’s Field Measurement Efficiency
In addition to our in-house fabrication, another step in the ACM fabrication process that sets us apart is our field measurement. Others require that the entire building be ready for them before they field measure. This can mean that the building's elevations are ready for installation weeks before the first area is even ready.
At PCG, all we need is one elevation ready for us to come and measure in the field. We will measure and return to the site within two weeks to begin the installation. That way, as the next area of the building becomes available, we are on-site and can field measure that elevation while we are installing the first elevation.
Creating Value for Our General Contractors
The goal is to have a continuous flow of panels being measured, fabricated, and installed on-site. This leads to an overall better workflow for the project and releases the trades after us to complete their scopes of work. Most of the time the exterior skin of the project is towards the end of the project.
This is a crunch time when a general contractor is trying to wrap up and move on to the next job. They don’t have time to wait 6-8 weeks for fabrication while nothing is getting done to the outside of the building.
We 100% agree, and that’s why we don’t make our general contractors wait. And we don’t need some fancy scanner to create a 3D image of your building to measure for panels. We still measure “old school” with a tape measure. The same crew that measures the panels will also install them later. This reduces coordination later and saves time in the field.
Ultimately, we are not always the ones handling the largest and most high-profile ACM jobs, and we are also not always the most affordable in terms of pricing. What we have learned, however, is that saving multiple weeks on a tight project schedule has real value to our clients. Let us show you how we can perform on your next ACM project.