At present, Architectural Specifiers are generally very cautious of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) products and are hesitant to specify systems that fall into this product category.

As ZX Panel contains no composites it negates specifiers cautiousness, and being a New Zealand made product is seen favourably in its own right. ZX Panel is therefore viewed as a smart alternative to ACM products.

Market sources say the reasons for specifiers hesitancy to use ACM include:

- Fire risk since the Grenfell Towers incident is top of mind, so specifying with extreme caution is crucial.

- Compliance and lack of familiarity is a concern for practices who are busy and may not be engaging an engineer for cladding system requirements.

- Price and installation capabilities are not widely known so this can be a barrier to specification initially.

Specifiers indicate ZX Panel is favored for projects that require the ‘ACM’ look – typically high-end homes and commercial or low-maintenance buildings like schools, multi-residential and apartment projects.

Minimal maintenance systems are also growing significantly in the specification sector so specifiers are looking for products not requiring painting and expensive up-keep – commercially and residentially.