In 1944, American L.R. Carl discovered by chance during an explosive test that two thin brass discs were welded together by the explosion. This serendipitous event spurred further research, and in 1963, the United States' company, Vonsmidth, achieved the world's first 6 feet by 20 feet titanium-steel composite plate through Metal Explosion Clad Plates . By 1962, Japan's Asahi Kasei and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries had already reached an internationally recognized commercial level in explosion welding research.
Aluminum composite panels (acm panels) are made by processing aluminum coils and combining them with polyethylene plastic. The concept of composite aluminum alloy sheets with various other materials was proposed by researchers from Swiss Aluminium in the 1960s. In 1965, they established the process for composite panels made from aluminum alloy and low-density polyethylene. The first formal market introduction of aluminum-plastic composite panels (acm panels) occurred in 1969 by the German company Alusingen.