Panel Sizes
TAKTL has developed automated processes for cutting and drilling our panels in-house, rather than relying on third party processors. This is one of the advantages of working with TAKTL: to the extent possible, finished panels will arrive on site, cut and drilled per the approved shop drawings. Building the following design considerations into your façade from an early stage will ensure that you can capture the advantages of automated fabrication.
Optimization of a standard TAKTL application for cost and manufacturing efficiency relies on two primary factors:
Yield: Design for the Lowest Waste Factor
Using TAKTL’s two standard blank sizes of 4’ X 10’ and 4’ X 12’, the most effective way to design efficiency into your panel layout is to waste less than 15% of a blank. The key is to design panels that cut well out of TAKTL’s standard blank sizes with little to no waste, rather than to strive to work with the largest size. For example, a 2’ X 5’ panel is just as viable as a 4’ X 10’ panel. Starting to think about optimizing panel sizes during Schematic Design and early Design Development, before window locations are set, can have a measurable effect on material pricing and installation.
Part Types: Limit the Number of Unique Panel Sizes
The most successful projects take advantage of TAKTL’s fully automated process for cutting finished panel sizes. In the factory, five-axis CNC saws with water jet capabilities are programmed to cut finished parts from larger blanks, prioritizing the highest yield and the fewest changes to the saw cutting pattern. TAKTL facades that are designed to feature a few typical panel sizes, with special conditions only at openings and building corners, can capture the effectiveness of this process and reap the attendant benefits relative to cost and lead time.