The diverse range of aluminium colours, finishes, and textures, offers countless possibilities for applications across numerous industries. From design to architecture, from furniture to accessories, from automotive to boating, from cosmetics to the electrical and electronics industries.
Aluminium’s unique characteristics – such as its strength, ductility, light weight and its almost infinite recyclability – combined with its many customisations’ options – help make this metal the ideal choice for decorative applications such as furniture, objects, merchandising, and product design.
Thanks to its innovative lines and over 60 years of experience, Almeco has built a very extensive catalogue of surfaces – completed by customised solutions –, that provides various solutions in terms of effects, finishes, and colours for each application.
How to choose the right aluminium colour, texture, and finish
So how do you untangle and choose between the many options of aluminium colours, finishes and textures? The first discriminating factor is the application, which will also determine the type of treatment the aluminium will undergo.
In fact, aluminium surfaces for decorative coatings undergo an anodising process where an oxide layer is formed to further protect the metal, making it more resistant to environmental factors, scratches, and fingerprints. However, it must be considered that surfaces intended for outdoor use are subject to greater stress factors resulting from continuous exposure to weathering and sunlight. Surfaces intended for these applications – as well as those to be used in “challenging” environments in terms of temperature and humidity – need more protection, therefore a thicker oxide layer.
In this way, the quality of the product can be ensured over time. Similarly, the application context will also guide the choice of the finishing: mirror finishes, for example, are more delicate, and therefore less suitable for outdoor applications or in places where they are subject to continuous stimuli (e.g. being continuously touched/handled) that could scratch or damage the surface. In contrast, matt or textured surfaces are more durable and may be suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications.
Another advantage of the anodising process is that the surface colour can also be changed. During this procedure, it is in fact possible to treat the surface with coloured pigments that are absorbed into the oxide layer, thus ensuring a stronger colour uniformity. When choosing the colour, however, consideration must also be given to the type of application: for example, brighter colours (blue, red, green) are suitable for indoor applications, while gold, bronze and black tones are also resistant for outdoor use.
Aluminium colours, finishes and textures: from the idea to the application with Almeco’s customised solutions
This is precisely the approach that Almeco offers its customers, thanks to the combination of experience, innovation, and experienced consultants, capable of guiding the customer right from the early stages of a project and all the way from idea to application.
A customisation path that Almeco’s consultants develop in collaboration with their clients, in order to create the right product for the specific application. From the feasibility of the project to its characteristics, costs, production time and delivery.
Aluminium colours, finishes and texture: many possibilities for unique designs
In addition to offering customised solutions, Almeco has developed several collections of surfaces, each optimised to the application required to make the most of the qualities of aluminium. The bandoxal surface portfolio, for example, includes surfaces specifically optimised for decorative applications: bxdecor.
bxdecor offers an extensive range of colours that are ever-changing and always in line with the most current design trends: from warm, earthy colours to metallic tones. The wide range of colours is complemented by the different finishes possible – embossed, brushed, specular and textured.
The bandoxal range also includes bx3D, a line of three-dimensional aluminium surfaces dedicated to architectural and interior applications.
Lightness, versatility make bx3D ideal for wall and ceiling coverings and design solutions.
5 different patterns besides the possibility of customization to give exclusivity to the project.
Within the Almeco decorative products range, one can also find bxpro, an array of aluminum surfaces crafted to embody superior durability without compromising on aesthetic allure. This specially designed aluminum for outdoor application undergoes a treatment to establish a resistant anodising layer measuring up to 25 microns, and it is offered in various finishes, including matte, satin, brushed, or glossy and colours. Noteworthy for its robustness and resilience to environmental elements, bxpro finds applications in architectural projects such as facades and roofing claddings, but also for interior applications.
The surfaces are also available in small batches, so they can be used in any type of application: from ceiling and composite panels to art installation and jewels, to interior design elements and applications in consumer goods. Many possibilities for unique designs.
