Fabrication Guidance

It is possible to process Valcan’s range of panels in both on-site and off-site situations depending on the project requirements, within this page we aim to provide guidance on tooling and processing applications.

For on-site fabrication Valcan can hire out suitable equipment to contractors, if this is of interest, please contact the team on +44(0)1278 428 245.

The settings and information contained within this page are offered for guidance only and do not constitute a guaranteed performance. Each machine will have its own characteristics and maximum performance guidelines as stated by the manufacturer which should be adhered to over and above the settings offered as guidance below.

Valcan have partnered with tools and accessories company Certifix Ltd and CNC tooling specialist company LKH Tools to ascertain best practice in this area. For beam saw cutting the blade will vary from machine to machine and therefore the below information is initial guidance only.

Vacuum hold down (where applicable) and extraction will make a huge difference to how the tools/blades will perform in the material. As with any tool/blade, these tools need a securely held material / component to achieve the correct results. The vibration will result in the premature failure of any tool/blade.

It is possible to cut VitraDual and Vitrabond/A2 panels on-site using rail/plunge saws with suitable aluminium blade according to the machine manufacturer and suitable extraction equipment should be used. Saws such as the Festool TS 55, Makita SP600J (others are available too) can be used for straight cuts. Saws such as the Festool TS 55, Makita SP600J (others are available too) can be used for straight cuts.

Grooves in panels can be achieved using the Festool PF1200 or Makita CA5000ZJ with the manufacturer's recommended blades installed. Grooving can also be achieved using hand routers.

For the Festool TS 55 saw the blade to be used is the HW 160×2.2×20 TF52 blade and part number 496306. For the Makita SP6000 the blade to be used is the B-09307 165x20mm 56T blade.

The panels to be cut or grooved on site should be placed face down on a clean and level surface, it is recommended that this be an MDF board. The cutting board should be swept of cutting swarf and grit between panels being cut/processed.

For cutting of VitraDual and Vitrabond/A2 panels, the blade should extend approximately 2mm past the sheet into the face of the MDF cutting board – with a suitable sharp blade, a single pass should be achievable.

For grooving, the blade should leave minimum of 1.0mm of material after processing – with a suitable sharp blade, a clean groove should be achieved in a single pass.

Drill panels 1 at a time using hardened steel bits. All panels should have a minimum of 1 fixed point per panel and for the rest sliding points, the fixed point should be central as the panel dimensions allow.

Drill bits for VitraDual and Vitrabond/A2 are available from our VitraFix product range.

VFDB4.9-VD – VitraFix Drill Bit, 4.9mm for VitraDual
VFDB7.0 – VitraFix Drill Bit, 9.5mm for VitraDual

A larger floating hole size may be required under the facade designer's requirements, please call Valcan to discuss specific requirements.

Ceramapanel can be cut off-site using a variety of tools including beam saws and CNC flatbed routers.

Please note that the Ceramapanel Natural+ and Painted range of boards will need any cut/drilled faces to be sealed with the Ceramapanel Edge Sealant, this is supplied FOC with the panel order, if extra is required please contact the Valcan team on +44(0)1278 428 245 to discuss your requirements. Ceramapanel Natural boards do not require sealing.

Quality Poly Crystalline Diamond (PCD) tools are recommended for cutting of fibre cement panels, these provide durability and long life as well as smoother, cleaner and more accurate cuts.

Below you will find details of CNC tools and saw blades suitable for processing Ceramapanel fibre cement panels.

For CNC cutting, a 6mm PCD bit can be used, no coolant is required, and guidance on settings is as follows. A good suitable extraction system will be required.

On-site cutting can be achieved using rail/plunge saws with suitable fibre cement blades according to the machine manufacturer's guidance and suitable extraction equipment should be used. Saws such as the Festool TS 55, Makita SP600J (others are available too) can be used for straight cuts.

Certifix Ltd offers a range of PCD saw blades from both Dart and Makita:

Makita PCD Saw Blade for Fibre Cement
PCD Saw Blade for Fibre Cement, 160mm
PCD Saw Blade for Fibre Cement, 165mm