Honeycomb Panels for Elevator Interiors
In short: honeycomb panels are used in lift cars for three reasons — they are light (aluminium honeycomb panels run 5–12 kg/m², stone honeycomb panels 15–25 kg/m² against 50–60 kg/m² for solid stone), they stay flat over large areas because the core is stiff in both directions, and they come in large panels up to 2000 × 6000 mm (all-aluminium) or 1600 × 3200 mm (stone and porcelain), so a car wall closes with fewer joints. HYCOMB® manufactures all three panel types at its own factory in Foshan, China, since 2000, and fabricates to drawings — grooving, folding, cut-outs, edge sealing and pre-installed brackets.
Panel options for lift interiors
| Panel | Face | Max. panel size | Weight | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium honeycomb panel | PVDF, polyester, powder coat, brushed or mirror stainless | 2000 × 6000 mm | 5–12 kg/m² | Car walls, door surrounds, ceilings, large one-piece faces |
| Stone honeycomb panel | Natural granite, marble, travertine or limestone, 3–5 mm | 1600 × 3200 mm | 15–25 kg/m² | High-end cars, lobbies matched in stone, feature walls |
| Porcelain (sintered stone) honeycomb panel | Sintered stone approx. 3 mm | 1600 × 3200 mm | 12–20 kg/m² | Cars needing stain resistance, low colour variation and easy cleaning |
Why honeycomb works in a lift shaft
| Requirement | How honeycomb meets it |
|---|---|
| Keep the car light | Every kilogram off the car is either extra payload or less energy per trip. A stone car clad in stone honeycomb panels saves roughly 30–40 kg per square metre compared with solid stone. |
| Stay flat over a full car height | A honeycomb core gives the panel stiffness in both directions, so a 2.4 m tall panel does not bow or oil-can the way a thin solid sheet does. |
| Fewer visible joints | Panels up to 1600 × 3200 mm (stone/porcelain) and 2000 × 6000 mm (aluminium) mean most car walls need one panel per face. |
| Fit the existing structure | We fabricate to drawings: cut-outs for buttons and displays, folded edges, reinforcement pads at fixing points, pre-installed brackets. |
| Meet the fire requirement | Tested build-ups with verifiable report numbers (see below), not just a verbal claim. |
Typical build-ups
| Total thickness | Build-up (example) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mm | 0.8 mm aluminium + 8.4 mm honeycomb core + 0.8 mm aluminium | Ceilings, light wall panels |
| 15 mm | 1.0 mm aluminium + 13 mm core + 1.0 mm aluminium | Standard car wall panels |
| 20 mm | 3 mm stone or porcelain + 15 mm core + 1–2 mm aluminium | Stone or porcelain faced walls |
| 25 mm | 5 mm stone + 19 mm core + 1 mm aluminium, or 1.0 + 23 + 1.0 all-aluminium | Heavy-duty walls, lobby-matched stone |
Build-ups are examples. Core: aluminium foil 0.04–0.10 mm, cell 3–25 mm, density 30–110 kg/m³, bonded with epoxy film or two-component polyurethane under heat and pressure.
Fire performance — verifiable certificates
| Product | Standard | Result | Report / laboratory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium honeycomb composite panel, 15 mm | GB 8624-2006 | A2-s1,d0,t0 | 202110132 — National Fireproof Building Materials Quality Supervision and Inspection Centre (CNAS L0698) |
| Stone honeycomb panel, approx. 39 mm | EN 13501-1:2018 | A2-s1,d0 | SDFS2002000643FF — SGS-CSTC Shunde (CNAS L7877) |
| Stone honeycomb panel, 20 mm | JG/T 328-2011 + GB 8624-2012 | B1-s1,d0,t0, 19 tests passed | WT2019B01B01371 — China Building Material Test & Certification Group |
| Composite build-up | TB/T 3237-2010 (rolling stock interior materials) | Passed | SDHL1607013570FB — SGS-CSTC Shunde |
| Stone honeycomb panel | BS 476 Part 6 & Part 7 | Fire propagation / surface spread of flame | GZIN170200265CCM — SGS-CSTC Guangzhou |
Please note the scope of each report. Report 202110132 covers the aluminium honeycomb composite panel; SDFS2002000643FF covers the stone honeycomb panel. The GD 8624 A2 classification for the aluminium panel is valid where an air gap exists between the panel and a substrate of class A1/A2, density ≥ 800 kg/m³ and thickness ≥ 6 mm. Tell us your construction and we will confirm which report covers it — if none does, we say so rather than stretching a certificate.
Fabrication and fixing
| Operation | Done at the factory |
|---|---|
| Cutting to size | Panels cut to your drawing with a CNC saw |
| Grooving / folding | V-grooves and folded returns to form box sections and door surrounds |
| Cut-outs | Button panels, displays, handrails, ventilation slots |
| Edge sealing | Edge sealed against moisture ingress — by resin fill or by metal edge trim |
| Reinforcement | Solid pads or inserts bonded behind fixing points so bolts and brackets have something to land on |
| Brackets | Pre-installed brackets or Z-clips so the site only has to hang the panel |
Frequently asked questions
Why are honeycomb panels used in elevators?
Three reasons: weight (a lighter car means more payload or less energy per trip, and the counterweight design gets easier), flatness (the honeycomb core gives stiffness in both directions, so large wall panels stay flat instead of oil-canning), and fewer joints (panels up to 1600 x 3200 mm for stone/porcelain and 2000 x 6000 mm for all-aluminium mean a car wall usually closes with one panel per face).
Which panel should I use for a lift car?
Most lift interiors use one of three: aluminium honeycomb panels (lightest, largest panels, finishes include PVDF, polyester, powder coat, brushed or mirror stainless), stone honeycomb panels (natural stone face at roughly a quarter of the weight of solid stone, for high-end or lobby-matched cars), and porcelain / sintered stone honeycomb panels (stain-resistant, almost non-absorbent, minimal batch colour variation). Floors normally use a thicker panel, often with a slip-resistant finish.
What fire rating applies to elevator interiors?
It depends on the project and the local code, but interiors generally require a non-combustible or limited-combustibility lining. Our aluminium honeycomb composite panel at 15 mm achieves GB 8624-2006 A2-s1,d0,t0 (test report 202110132, National Fireproof Building Materials Quality Supervision and Inspection Centre, CNAS L0698). Our stone honeycomb panel at approx. 39 mm achieves EN 13501-1:2018 A2-s1,d0 (report SDFS2002000643FF, SGS-CSTC Shunde, CNAS L7877). A composite build-up has also been tested to TB/T 3237-2010 for rolling stock interior materials (report SDHL1607013570FB, SGS-CSTC Shunde).
How large can the panels be, and how many joints will I see?
Stone and porcelain honeycomb panels go up to 1600 x 3200 mm (5.12 m²); all-aluminium honeycomb panels go up to 2000 x 6000 mm (12 m² per panel). A standard car wall height usually closes with a single panel, so the visible joints are the car corners and the door surround rather than panel-to-panel seams.
Can you supply panels fabricated to our drawings?
Yes. Grooving, edge folding, cut-outs, edge sealing, reinforcement pads behind fixing points and pre-installed brackets are all done at the factory, so the site only has to fix the finished panels. Send the drawings and we will quote the panel and the fabrication separately, line by line.
How much does a honeycomb panel weigh compared with solid stone?
A stone honeycomb panel is typically 15-25 kg/m² against 50-60 kg/m² and more for the same stone at solid thickness — a 60-75% reduction. All-aluminium honeycomb panels are lighter still, around 5-12 kg/m². Porcelain honeycomb panels usually fall between, at about 12-20 kg/m².
What is the minimum order and lead time?
It depends on the build-up and the amount of fabrication, but regular panels run from about two weeks. Send the panel sizes, quantities and drawings and we will confirm a production slot — lift packages are usually a few cars at a time, so we quote per project rather than per sheet.
Can you match an existing lift car that we are refurbishing?
Often yes. If you can send a sample or the original finish specification, we can match the stone, the porcelain colour or the aluminium finish. For refurbishments the usual constraint is thickness, because the new panel has to fit the existing door frames — tell us the available cavity and we will work to it.
Project references
Our honeycomb panels have been supplied into interiors and facades for projects including Marina Bay Sands (Singapore), The Venetian (Macao), 321 Ocean Drive and 1401 Elm Street (USA), One Kensington Row (London), Eye of Doha (Qatar) and Guangzhou Baiyun and Beijing Capital airports. Ask us for references relevant to lift and interior packages.
Contact
Foshan Liming Honeycomb Composites Co., Ltd. (HYCOMB®) — No. 10 Huasha Road, Hongsha Hi-Tech Zone, Guanyao, Nanhai District, Foshan 528237, China.
Tel: +86-757-8522 3766 · intl@hycomb.com.cn
Related pages: Stone honeycomb panels for facades · A2 fire rated aluminium honeycomb panels · Aluminium honeycomb panels · Porcelain honeycomb panels · Certifications & test reports