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Numerous finishes redefine what is possible for fabricators and designersThere are various options for applying paint to metal. In the field it is common to see spray or brush applications; in the factory you can spray, powder coat or coil coat. However, when it comes to the performance requirements of today’s metal architecture, products like metal composite materials almost exclusively use the coil coating process to apply finishes that look practically flawless and can last.Coil coating is the method by which a metal coil is coated in a continuous process prior to fabrication. The metal coil is brought through an

(Chesapeake, VA) October 29, 2019 – Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America (MCCA), a leader in metal composite materials manufacturing, is proud to announce the addition of three, new Regional Sales Managers for its ALPOLIC® line of business.In the reorganized Southwest Region, MCCA added two new Regional Managers, Rigo Vega who will oversee Southern California and Marc Ellis who will manage Northern California. Vega and Ellis join Katie Dosch, who began managing the Pacific Northwest in 2018. As Regional Sales Managers, all will oversee established client accounts, while continuing to promote ALPOLIC® to the area’s numerous architects, fabricators, designers and specifiers.“We are

Design flexibility: It’s a term often used by architects when discussing building materials and products. But what does it mean? Why is it important?“To me, it means I can get the product to look the way I want it to look on the building,” says Corie Baker, AIA, senior architect and healthcare marketing sustainability leader at Gresham Smith’s Richmond, Va., office.When a building material is flexible, it works with traditional and modern structures. It offers an endless color palette. It can be used in many ways. And it opens doors to new design capabilities and concepts. MCM (metal composite material) sheets are

From here, go to work in advanced manufacturing Meet 19-year-old Dylan Starowicz who landed a competitive full-time job with benefits just weeks after high school graduation.If you look at the fronts of McDonalds or Starbucks or even the student centers on Tidewater Community College’s campuses, you’ll see Alpolic®, a composite material that adds color and dimension and, of course, coverage to each building.TCC graduate Dylan Starowicz is at work on the lamination line for Alpolic®, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America in Chesapeake.At 19 years old, he is earning a competitive full-time salary with benefits. Starowicz earned his Career Studies Certificate in

CHESAPEAKE, Va., July 1, 2019-- Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America, Inc. (MCCA), a leader in metal composite material (MCM) manufacturing, today announced plans to enlarge its ALPOLIC® production facility located in Chesapeake, Va. Once complete, the expansion will add approximately 40,000 square feet to the company's current plant footprint."Our plant was built in 1991, and fortunately, our business has grown significantly over the years. As part of our strategic plan, adding to our capabilities is critical for continued growth," said MCCA President and CEO Bill Yannetti.Yannetti said the nearly $5 million investment will increase the company's storage, shipping and receiving

(CHESAPEAKE, Va) June 4, 2019 – Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America, Inc., a leader in metal composite material (MCM) manufacturing, is proud to introduce its new “PIGMENTO® Series” finishes for its well-known ALPOLIC® MCM product line. The announcement arises from the company’s long-term relationship with VMZINC® from VM Building Solutions, a pioneer in modern manufacturing. The PIGMENTO® Series expands the company’s QUARTZ-ZINC® MCM offering to now include red, blue, brown, grey and orange colors in addition to the original unfinished, natural metal QUARTZ-ZINC®.With PIGMENTO®, the surface of QUARTZ-ZINC® coil is glazed with mineral color pigments to produce rich, earthy hues. The

Writing a specification can be difficult. Trying to interpret one can sometimes be harder. Even when starting with an in-house template or using a “canned” spec from a manufacturer, there are often questions or trouble areas that pop up with regularity. To help bridge the gap between what specifiers are asking and what contractors are interpreting, Jim Moses, technical services manager for Chesapeake, Va.-based Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America, maker of ALPOLIC metal composite materials (MCM), offers the following most common specification pitfalls as well as suggested ways to avoid them.Click here to read more in our Metal Architecture feature.

Visitors to the ALPOLIC website can now request a specific AIA Continuing Education presentation through our redesigned Lunch & Learn page.  We’ve streamlined the choices, provided additional information about each course offered, including overviews that can now be downloaded directly from the page.  We invite you to visit the new page and select one, two or all three courses to be presented in a free, casual, non-sales atmosphere at your chosen location.  Just click on the link to request yours today.

Home to seven federal agencies, the Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Building, situated in the Golden Triangle neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, provides important services to the area and acts as a landmark to the region. Originally built in 1984, the decades of use began to show on the building’s exterior and the interior demanded technological upgrades as well. The US General Services Administration (GSA), owners of the building, were faced with the challenge of modernization and creating innovative opportunities to advance the sustainability of the building while also limiting the disruption to business operations. The contract was awarded to GE Johnson

When Tidewater Community College decided to expand its curriculum to include mechatronics three years ago, it reached out to local industry professionals. ALPOLIC® helped to create a tailored program to address needs in manufacturing and provide local high school students a leg up in their careers by contributing to a scholarship fund for the Dual Enrollment Program. This month, the City of Chesapeake continued that commitment to the region's manufacturing enterprise by declaring the second week in October "Manufacturing Week in Chesapeake."ALPOLIC® is proud of our support to our local community and wishes the best to the first cohort of

As architects seek more variety and sustainable building materials, metal wall panels made from recycled aluminum offer a solution. When it comes to green—and versatile—options, ALPOLIC®, the world’s leading manufacturer of aluminum and metal composite materials manufactured from up to 50% recycled materials, is leading the way.Produced by Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America, ALPOLIC® Materials is helping engineers and architects create better, more beautiful buildings. Jim Moses, technical services manager at ALPOLIC®, points to the Maricopa County Sherriff’s Office Headquarters in Phoenix, which used a majority of metal composite material with a natural zinc finish, as one key example where an architect had a grand

For the 2018 AIA Convention and Trade Show, Building, Design + Construction magazine debuted its Design Showcase exhibit—a one-of-a-kind tiny house, representing the “Workplace of the Future.” This unique structure, designed and constructed by Tiny House Northeast saw more than 1000 visitors during the two-day trade show, which was held in New York in June.As the exterior sponsor, ALPOLIC® turned to Metal Design Systems (MDS) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to come up with a way to fabricate its Timber Series metal composite material —finished in Walnut— for this unique venture. Unlike most ALPOLIC® projects,  the tiny house required an install capable of staying in place while the structure it was