U-Channels & Fixing Accessories for Honeycomb Panels
In short: a honeycomb panel facade is won or lost at the fixing. HYCOMB® supplies the accessory package along with the panels — U-channels and edge channels, Z-clips and cleats, brackets and anchors, edge seals and gaskets, and sub-frame profiles — extruded to the section, cut, drilled and finished to your drawing. Standard profile lengths run up to 3048 mm, finishes include mill, satin anodised and powder coated, and the accessories are packed and shipped in the same container as the panels.
What we supply
| Family | What it does | Typical form |
|---|---|---|
| U-channels & edge channels | Edge trim and panel support: closes the exposed panel edge, spreads a point fixing over the panel width and gives the edge a clean line | Extruded U or channel section, e.g. 60 × 60 mm in 6 mm wall, cut to length |
| Z-clips & cleats | The dry-fix hooks: they carry the panel on the sub-frame and let it move as the temperature changes | Extruded or folded hooks, sometimes called shark-fin or Z-shape clips |
| Brackets & anchors | Heavier connection points, and the anchorage for stone-faced panels | Folded or extruded brackets, drilled to the fixing pattern |
| Edge seals & gaskets | Keep water and dust out of the open panel edge and the joints | Gasket profile or sealing strip, cut to length |
| Sub-frame profiles | The rails behind the cladding: wind load, alignment and the levelling allowance | Square tube, angle and mullion profiles to the section |
If your project uses a fixing system we do not list — a cassette with folded returns, a bead system, a beadless blind fix — send the detail and we will quote what the detail needs rather than push you back onto our standard list.
Specifications
| Item | Range |
|---|---|
| Material | Extruded aluminium, typically 6xxx series; temper to project |
| Finish | Mill · clear / satin anodised · champagne anodised · powder coated · PVDF |
| Wall thickness | To the drawing; 1.5–6 mm is the common band |
| Length | Cut to length; standard profile lengths up to 3048 mm, longer on request |
| Fabrication | Cutting · mitring · drilling · punching · slotting · tapping · bending |
| Tolerances | Set by the drawing; we confirm what we can hold before production starts |
| Packing | Itemised on the packing list; shipped in the same container as the panels |
Why the fixing package decides the project
| Issue | What the accessory has to do |
|---|---|
| Thermal movement | Panels and profiles move by different amounts. The clip has to hold the panel without locking it down, or the panel face distorts and the joints open. |
| Wind load | The clips and sub-frame transfer the load back to the structure. Too few anchors, or a sub-frame section that is too light, is a design failure that only shows up in a storm. |
| Water at the edge | The open honeycomb edge is the panel’s weak point. A U-channel and a continuous edge seal keep water out of the core, and they are cheaper than replacing a delaminated panel later. |
| Site tolerance | The structure behind is never perfectly true. The sub-frame has to offer enough levelling allowance to absorb that without the cladding following every bump. |
| Inspection and warranty | Accessories are the first thing an inspector or a warranty provider asks to see. Documented, traceable brackets and clips save arguments later. |
How the package fits our panel systems
| System | Typical package |
|---|---|
| Ventilated rainscreen facade | Sub-frame rails, cleats or Z-clips, U-channel at the panel edges, edge seals, brackets to the structure |
| Cassette / folded panel | Folded returns on the panel, hook clips and alignment brackets, no separate edge trim needed |
| Stone and porcelain faced cladding | Heavier anchors and brackets sized for the panel weight, plus reinforcement at the fixing points |
| Interior linings and lift cars | Concealed clips, U-channel trim and corner profiles, light sections |
| Ceilings and soffits | Hangers, rails and edge trim, with the fixings sized for the panel weight |
Projects and references
The same accessory package travels with our panels into facades and interiors 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 the fixing details used on a project similar to yours.
Frequently asked questions
What fixing accessories do you supply?
Five families: U-channels and edge channels (edge trim and panel support), Z-clips and cleats (the dry-fix hooks that carry the panel on the sub-frame), brackets and anchors (for stone-faced panels and heavier build-ups), edge seals and gaskets (joint and edge weather sealing) and sub-frame profiles (square tube and angle in the sections your drawings call for). Send the drawings or the BOM and we quote the panel and the accessory package line by line.
Can you make U-channels to our own drawing?
Yes. Send the section drawing with the wall thickness, the alloy and temper, the finish and the lengths, plus the drilling or punching pattern. We extrude to the section, then cut, machine, finish and pack to the drawing. If you only have a sketch, we will work from that and confirm the profile before production rather than after.
What alloy and finish do you normally use?
Extruded aluminium, typically in the 6xxx series, with the temper set by the project. Common finishes are mill, satin or clear anodised, champagne anodised, powder coated and PVDF. Anodised and coated profiles are supplied with the film thickness the specification requires. For interior trim, mill or satin anodised is the usual choice; for coastal and exterior work we normally recommend anodising or a coating rather than leaving the profile bare.
How long can the profiles be?
Standard lengths run up to 3048 mm, and longer lengths can be produced for projects that need them. Longer profiles mean fewer joints in the U-channel or cleat run, which is usually worth having on a long facade line — tell us the maximum length you can handle on site and we will work to it.
Do you cut, drill and tap the profiles?
Yes. Cutting to length, mitring, drilling, punching, slotting, tapping and bending are all done to the drawing, so the profile arrives ready to fix. Reinforcement and edge treatment are dealt with the same way. If your drawings call for holes at a pitch, tell us the pitch and the tolerance and we will confirm what we can hold before we start.
Can the accessories be shipped together with the panels?
Yes, and it is normal practice for us. Clips, channels, seals and fasteners are packed with the panel order and travel in the same container, itemised separately on the packing list. That avoids a second freight leg and avoids the site discovering on the day of installation that the clips went to a different port.
Why does the fixing package matter so much?
Because the facade succeeds or fails at the fixing, not at the panel face. The clips have to allow the panel to move with temperature, the sub-frame has to take the wind load and transfer it back to the structure, the U-channel and edge seals have to keep water out of the panel edge, and the levelling allowance has to be enough to absorb the tolerance in the structure behind. Poorly specified or undocumented accessories are also the first thing an inspector or a warranty provider asks about. We prefer to quote the package explicitly rather than leave it to the site.
Can you supply the sub-frame as well as the panel?
Yes. Square tube, angle, cleats and brackets can be supplied in the sections and finishes the drawings call for, cut to length and drilled. Some clients buy panels only and prefer to source profiles locally; that works too, and we will confirm the interface dimensions so that the two packages meet correctly.
What information do you need to quote?
The section drawing or a sketch, the alloy and temper, the finish, the total length or piece count, and the drilling or punching pattern. If the accessories are for one of our own panel systems, tell us the panel build-up and the project — we keep the drawings for repeat orders, so a follow-up order for the same facade is quick.
Do you have a minimum order or a standard lead time?
Regular panels and their accessories run from about two weeks. Accessory packages usually move with the panel order, so the lead time is set by the panels rather than by the profiles. Send the quantities and we will confirm a production slot.
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 · Honeycomb panels for elevator interiors · Aluminium honeycomb panels · Porcelain honeycomb panels · Certifications & test reports