Stone Honeycomb Panels for Building Facades — Large Format up to 1600 × 3200 mm

A stone honeycomb panel is a thin natural stone veneer (3–8 mm) structurally bonded to an aluminium honeycomb core. For facades it replaces a 20–30 mm solid stone slab with a panel that is 60–75% lighter, far more impact resistant, and available in large formats — stone and porcelain (sintered slab) honeycomb panels up to 1600 × 3200 mm, and all-aluminium honeycomb panels up to 2000 × 6000 mm.

Maximum panel size: up to 1600 × 3200 mm (stone and porcelain)

Our stone and porcelain honeycomb panels are produced in sizes up to 1600 × 3200 mm in a single panel, which means fewer joints, fewer fixings and a cleaner facade elevation. The achievable maximum for a project depends on stone type, stone thickness and panel build-up — send your drawing and we will confirm.

If your facade needs a larger single panel, the limit comes from the stone or porcelain facing. All-aluminium honeycomb panels (no stone face) are produced up to 2000 × 6000 mm — see aluminium honeycomb panels. Many projects use both: large aluminium cassettes on the main elevations, stone honeycomb panels where a real stone surface is required.

Property	Typical specification
Stone veneer	3–8 mm natural stone — marble, granite, travertine, limestone, onyx (also sintered porcelain / thin ceramic)
Core	Aluminium honeycomb, alloy 3003, foil 0.035–0.078 mm, cell 4–10 mm
Adhesive system	Structural epoxy for the stone bond; thermoplastic film core-to-skin
Panel thickness	10 / 15 / 20 / 25 mm (custom available)
Maximum panel size (stone / porcelain)	1600 × 3200 mm
Maximum panel size (all-aluminium, no stone face)	2000 × 6000 mm
Panel weight	Typically 15–25 kg/m² depending on build-up
Rear skin	Aluminium 0.5 / 1.0 / 2.5 mm, or fibreglass
Finish	Natural stone face; sealed, honed or as specified
Fire performance	Tested to EN 13501-1:2018, achieving A2-s1,d0 (SGS-CSTC report SDFS2002000643FF); BS 476-6 and BS 476-7 tested
Curvature	Single- and double-curvature on a shaped core
Lead time	Typically from 2 weeks; larger projects and volumes take longer

Why a honeycomb core instead of a solid stone slab

Facade option	Weight	Stone thickness	Effect on the facade
Solid stone slab	~40–60 kg/m²	20–30 mm	Heavy sub-frame, heavy anchors, spalling risk from the stone’s own weight
Stone honeycomb panel	15–25 kg/m²	3–8 mm veneer	Lighter sub-frame, larger panels, impact resistant, no self-weight spalling
Aluminium composite (ACP)	~5–8 kg/m²	—	Metal finish only; no real stone surface, lower fire performance

Weight is the number facade engineers care about: at 15–25 kg/m² instead of 40–60 kg/m², dead load on the sub-frame and the primary structure drops by roughly two thirds, which is usually paid back in mullion size, anchor count and installation time.

Facade fixing and system options

Ventilated rainscreen / open-joint cassette — panels carried on stainless Z-brackets or a cassette system with concealed fixings
Sealed curtain wall — panels fixed with undercut anchors into the stone or with mechanical fixings through the rear skin, jointed with structural or weather sealant
Column, soffit and canopy cladding — curved and shaped panels produced on a shaped honeycomb core
Interior and semi-exposed — lift interiors, lobbies, feature walls

Fire performance and compliance

EN 13501-1:2018 — tested, achieving A2-s1,d0 (test report SDFS2002000643FF, SGS-CSTC, CNAS L7877)
GB 8624-2006 — A2-s1,d0,t0 (test report 202110132)
BS 476-6 and BS 476-7 — tested
ASTM E84 — tested

Both the mineral stone face and the aluminium core are non-combustible, so the classification is a property of the materials, not of a coating.

Weathering: coastal and cold-climate facades

Panels are tested for freeze–thaw cycling (ASTM C297 with BS EN 12371 cycles) and 600 hours of neutral salt spray with no cracking or delamination — the two failure modes that matter on coastal and cold-climate elevations.

HYCOMB® as your stone honeycomb panel supplier

Foshan Liming Honeycomb Composites Co., Ltd. (HYCOMB®) is a source manufacturer, not a trading company. We make the honeycomb core and the finished panel in one factory in Foshan, Guangdong, China:

Manufacturing since 2000 — 26 years
10 honeycomb core production lines and 3 continuous panel lamination lines, including one of the widest continuous panel lines in the industry
Annual capacity: 10,000,000 m² of honeycomb core, 3,000,000 m² of aluminium honeycomb panels, 300,000 m² of stone and porcelain honeycomb panels
Full in-house chain: core → expansion → lamination → stone bonding → cutting, slotting and surface finishing
ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 / ISO 45001 management systems

Selected facade references

Astana Arena, Kazakhstan · Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China · Chongqing Rural & Commercial Bank, China · One Kensington Row, London, UK · The Venetian Macao, Macau · 321 Ocean Drive, Miami, USA · Oceana Bal Harbour, Miami, USA · 1401 Elm Street, Dallas, USA · Eye of Doha and Al Noor Tower, Doha, Qatar · Khong Guan Building, Singapore · OZ Mall, Krasnodar, Russia · Encants Barcelona, Spain

Frequently asked questions — for facade engineers

What is the largest stone honeycomb panel you can produce?

Stone and porcelain (sintered slab) honeycomb panels are produced up to 1600 × 3200 mm in a single panel. The achievable maximum for a project depends on stone type, stone thickness, panel thickness and the fixing detail. If you need a larger single panel, all-aluminium honeycomb panels go up to 2000 × 6000 mm. Send the drawing and we will confirm before you price the facade.

Can stone honeycomb panels be used on both ventilated rainscreens and sealed curtain walls?

Yes. The same panel is used on open-joint cassette/rainscreen systems with Z-brackets and concealed fixings, and on sealed curtain walls with undercut anchors or mechanical fixings and weather sealant.

How much weight does a stone honeycomb facade save?

Roughly two thirds. A 20–30 mm solid stone slab weighs around 40–60 kg/m²; a stone honeycomb panel with a 3–8 mm veneer weighs typically 15–25 kg/m².

Do stone honeycomb panels meet high-rise fire requirements?

The panel is tested to EN 13501-1:2018 achieving A2-s1,d0, and tested to BS 476-6 and BS 476-7. Mineral stone and aluminium are both non-combustible. Compliance always depends on the whole assembly, so please confirm the requirement in your project specification against our test reports.

Are they suitable for coastal or cold-climate facades?

Yes. Panels are tested for freeze–thaw cycling (ASTM C297 with BS EN 12371 cycles) and 600 hours of neutral salt spray with no cracking or delamination.

Can you laminate stone that we supply?

Yes. We laminate client-supplied stone as well as stone procured through our own stone suppliers.

How are the panels cut, drilled and slotted on site?

Aluminium honeycomb stone panels are machined with standard stone and timber tooling. Panels can be cut and slotted at the factory to your cutting list, or on site for adjustment cuts.

What is the delivery lead time?

Typically from 2 weeks for a standard order. Larger projects take longer — volume drives the schedule, so a 1,000 m² facade is a different programme from a few hundred square metres. Send your quantities, panel sizes and required delivery date and we will confirm a production schedule with the quotation.

How do I request a facade quotation?

Send drawings, stone type, panel size, quantity and delivery location to intl@hycomb.com.cn or z.ou@hycomb.com.cn — we reply with panel build-up, specification and price.

Request a facade quotation