What Is Dibond & How Can It Be Used?

When asked ‘What is Dibond’ there are a number of possible answers, all of which are different but true. Dibond can be summed up simply as an extremely rigid yet lightweight material which excels at indoor or outdoor signage, as well as in the fabrication of various temporary or semi-permanent installations.But that is a rather shallow answer to the question, and it does not really tell you anything specific or meaningful about the material. The first thing to understand about it is that whilst the material is collectively known as ‘Dibond’, it is a trade name and not the name of the actual material; which is ‘Aluminium Composite Sheets’ or ‘Sandwich Panel’.The reason that it is a composite sheet is that whilst its surfaces are aluminium, that is only the case until you get 0.3mm under the material’s surface, after which you will find the material’s polyethylene core. It may seem a little strange to combine these two together, but in actuality the two compliment each other rather nicely.

The symbiosis which the two materials enjoy actually give the composite sheets a number of properties that the two materials alone would not have, proving that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; but what are the properties of these composite sheets exactly? Well:

• High strength / low weight
• Broad range of available colours
• Wide workable temperature range
• Non-corrosive
• Food-safe
• 100% recyclable
• Fully machinable
• Impressive damage resistance
• Can be printed on to directly
• Available with matte, glossy or mirrored finish
• Weatherproof

The list goes on.As you can see its properties are numerous, so it is probably little surprise to find out that it is suitable for a lot of purposes; and that to list them all would be time consuming and would quickly become tedious. However, to list none would be a shame, especially as it does excel at so much, so lets start off by talking about what it is known best for: signage.The reasons it is so popular as a signage material should be obvious from the list of properties above. In fact when you think about it, it would not be hard to think that Dibond was willed into existence by signage professionals. One of its greatest qualities is that you can have two different types of surface (matte and gloss) on either side of one sheet; better still both can be printed onto directly and the results would not differ.

This is of course in addition to the material’s full machinability, which lets it’s user cut it effectively into what ever size and shape they want to, and its lightweight property, which allows it to be moved and installed with ease. Not to mention it’s weatherproof and damage resistance, so it can be installed outdoors in any climate with no adverse effects.These are also the reasons why Dibond works well in creating temporary installations, like kiosks and exhibition stands. It has also been known to have been used in furniture, and for the making of service counters in clubs, bars, hotels, cafés, etc.For more details on Dibond Aluminium composite sheeting, please click ‘here‘ to see our Dibond FAQ.