Insulated Metal Panels – The Basics

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What Are Insulated Metal Panels and How Are They Manufactured? Since the 1960s, contractors and designers of commercial, industrial and refrigerated buildings have relied on insulated metal panels for their excellent thermal efficiency, ease of installation and overall structural integrity. Insulated metal panels in their simplest form are rigid foam sandwiched between two sheets of coated metal. They are molded in a variety of styles and sizes depending on application. Steel or aluminum panel facings create a vapor barrier and provide long-term thermal stability. The skins are resistant to abuse and come in a multitude of colors.

Panels are often factory manufactured using the foamed-in place process. Foam is injected, as a liquid or froth, between the sheets of metal. It undergoes a chemical reaction causing it to rise and bond to the metal skins, filling the interior cavity, creating a solid monolithic panel that maintains a consistent thermal value and resists moisture, insect and rodent infiltration. Insulated metal panels can also be manufactured by a laminating process. In this method, pre-cured foam board stock is adhered to preformed metal facers with structural adhesives and placed under pressure in a platen press operation. With both types of Insulated Metal Panels a factory controlled, uniform foam thickness provides consistent insulation performance.