Curved & Shaped Honeycomb Panels
In short: HYCOMB® produces single- and double-curved honeycomb panels on a shaped core — not by cold-bending a flat panel. Faces can be natural stone, sintered porcelain or aluminium. Typical work is column cladding, radiused fascias, canopy soffits and free-form feature walls. Column cladding in the Ø 2,000–4,000 mm range is routine for us; send the radius and the panel build-up and we confirm what is achievable before you price the facade.
What we make
| Form | Face | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Single curvature — one radius | Stone, porcelain or aluminium | Column cladding, curved fascias, barrel soffits, curved lift interiors |
| Double curvature — compound | Stone, porcelain or aluminium | Free-form ribbons, domes, sculpted entrance canopies, feature walls |
| Shaped / radiused edge | As above | Radiused panel edges, corner returns and shaped reveals on a flat panel |
| Curved with a composite fascia | Stone or aluminium on a GRC / substrate | Balustrade caps and cornice lines where the curve is shared with another trade |
How a curved panel is made
A curved honeycomb panel is formed on a shaped core: the aluminium honeycomb core is produced or pre-formed to the target radius, and the face is bonded to the curved core. That is different from cold-bending a finished flat panel, which tends to shear the core and open the bond line. Forming on a shaped core keeps the core walls square to the faces, keeps the bond even through the curve, and lets the panel hold its radius off the mould instead of springing back.
For a single radius the geometry is settled early. For a compound (double-curved) form the work starts with segmentation: the surface is divided into panels that can each be held on a shaped core, and the joints are placed where the geometry and the fixing allow — which is why a double-curved job is a development step rather than an off-the-shelf order.
Specifications
| Property | Range |
|---|---|
| Face | Natural stone veneer 3–8 mm (marble, granite, travertine, limestone, onyx) · sintered porcelain slab · aluminium |
| Core | Aluminium honeycomb, alloy 3003, foil 0.035–0.078 mm, cell 4–10 mm, shaped to the radius |
| Total thickness | 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 mm (build-up dependent) |
| Curvature | Single- and double-curvature; column cladding in the Ø 2,000–4,000 mm range |
| Developed size | Dimensioned by developed width × arc length; falls as the radius tightens. Flat stone / porcelain panels go to 1600 × 3200 mm |
| Weight | About 15–25 kg/m² (build-up dependent) |
| Rear skin | Aluminium 0.5 / 1.0 / 2.5 mm, or fibreglass |
| Fire classification | EN 13501-1:2018 A2-s1,d0 (SDFS2002000643FF); BS 476-6 / BS 476-7 tested |
| Finishing | Cut, shaped, edge-treated and finished to the drawing |
What we need to assess your curved panel
| # | Information | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The radius, and single or double curvature | Sets the core forming and whether it is a standard shaped core or a development |
| 2 | Developed width and arc length — or the 3D model | Dimensions the panel and drives how the curve is segmented into joints |
| 3 | Panel build-up: face material and thickness, core, total thickness | Decides whether the radius is achievable with that face |
| 4 | Fixing system and support points | Curved panels need the sub-frame to follow the curve and the panel to move freely |
| 5 | How the curve is dimensioned and toleranced | Determines the tolerance we can hold and how it is inspected on site |
Fire performance and compliance
Curved panels are the same composite as our flat panels, so the material classification carries over. The stone honeycomb panel is tested to EN 13501-1:2018, achieving A2-s1,d0 (test report SDFS2002000643FF, SGS-CSTC, CNAS L7877) and to BS 476-6 and BS 476-7 (report GZIN170200265CCM). 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. Confirm the exact build-up against your project specification and we will send the report that applies.
Fixing curved panels
| System | How the curve is handled |
|---|---|
| Ventilated rainscreen / cassette | Sub-frame rails bent to the curve; stainless Z-brackets or cassette fixings allow the panel to move with temperature |
| Sealed curtain wall | Undercut anchors or mechanical fixings through the rear skin, jointed with structural or weather sealant |
| Column cladding | Panels fixed to a curved sub-frame or directly to the column with adjustable brackets; edge treatment closes the curve at the joints |
| Canopies and soffits | Hangers and rails set out to the curve, with the fixings sized for the panel weight |
We supply the curved panel, the edge treatment and the fixing accessories together, so the interface between the panel and the sub-frame is documented rather than left to the site. See U-channels & fixing accessories.
Projects and references
Curved and shaped panels sit alongside our flat facade work on projects including Astana Arena (Kazakhstan), Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (China), The Venetian (Macao), One Kensington Row (London), 321 Ocean Drive and Oceana Bal Harbour (Miami, USA), Eye of Doha and Al Noor Tower (Qatar) and Encants Barcelona (Spain). Send us the curve on your project — for a shaped or double-curved panel we will tell you honestly whether it holds in-house or needs development before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
What is a curved honeycomb panel?
A flat honeycomb panel formed to a radius, so it can clad a column, a curved fascia, a canopy soffit or a free-form feature wall. The face can be natural stone, sintered porcelain or aluminium, and the core is the same aluminium honeycomb used in our flat panels. It is the same composite, shaped instead of left flat.
Are curved panels bent, or made on a shaped core?
They are formed on a shaped core. The honeycomb core is produced or pre-formed to the target radius and the face is bonded to the curved core, rather than cold-bending a finished flat panel. Forming on a shaped core is what keeps the core walls square to the faces and keeps the bond even through the curve — cold-bending a finished panel tends to shear the core and open the bond line.
What radius can you produce?
It depends on the panel: the radius, the panel thickness, the face material and its thickness, and the fixing detail all interact. Column cladding in the Ø 2,000–4,000 mm range is a common enquiry and one our shaped-core line is set up for; tighter radii are a question of panel build-up rather than of principle. Send the column or the curve drawing with the radius and we will confirm what is achievable before you price the facade.
What sizes are available for curved panels?
A curved panel is dimensioned by its developed (flat) width and its arc length, not by a flat rectangle. As the radius tightens the achievable developed width falls. We have worked curved column cladding on 1,220 × 2,440 mm panels, and flat stone and porcelain panels go to 1600 × 3200 mm, so the developed size of a curved panel sits inside the flat envelope and depends on the curve. Give us the geometry and we will work to it.
Can stone-faced panels be curved?
Yes. Natural stone veneer from 3–8 mm, sintered porcelain, and aluminium faces can all be formed to a radius on a shaped core. The practical limit is set by the stone: a brittle 8 mm limestone tolerates less curvature and less handling abuse than a 3 mm stone or a porcelain slab. Tell us the stone and the radius and we will confirm the build-up.
What about double curvature and compound curves?
Double curvature — curved in two directions at once, as on a dome or a free-form ribbon — is produced the same way, on a core shaped to the compound form rather than on a single fixed radius. It is a shaped-core job rather than a bending job, and it is normally a project-by-project development: send the 3D model or the surface and we will advise on segmentation into panels and joints, and on whether the geometry can be held in-house.
How are curved panels fixed?
The same systems as flat panels: stainless Z-brackets, cleats and cassette fixings for ventilated rainscreen work, undercut anchors or mechanical fixings with weather sealant for sealed curtain walls. On a curved run the important extra is that the sub-frame has to follow the curve and the panel has to be able to move with temperature without fighting the radius. We supply the panel, the edge treatment and the fixing accessories together so the interfaces are not left to the site.
What do you need to assess a curved panel?
Five things: (1) the radius, and whether it is single or double curvature; (2) the developed width and arc length, or better the 3D model; (3) the panel build-up — face material and thickness, core, total thickness; (4) the fixing system and where the panel is supported; (5) how the curve is dimensioned and toleranced on the drawing. With those we confirm feasibility, panel segmentation and the achievable tolerance.
What thickness and weight should I expect?
Curved panels use the same family as our flat panels: typically 10, 15, 20 or 25 mm total thickness with a 3–8 mm stone or porcelain face on an aluminium honeycomb core. Stone and porcelain honeycomb panels run about 15–25 kg/m² — roughly two-thirds lighter than an equivalent solid stone slab, which is what makes curved cladding practical on a column or a high corridor without overloading the structure.
What fire rating do curved honeycomb panels have?
Curved panels are the same composite as our flat panels, so the material classification carries over: the stone honeycomb panel is tested to EN 13501-1:2018 achieving A2-s1,d0 (report SDFS2002000643FF, SGS-CSTC) and to BS 476-6 and BS 476-7 (report GZIN170200265CCM). Both the mineral face and the aluminium core are non-combustible, so the classification is a property of the materials rather than of a coating. Confirm the exact build-up against your specification and we will send the report that applies.
What is the lead time for a curved order?
Regular flat panels run from about two weeks. Curved and double-curved work starts with a feasibility and segmentation step, so allow more — the geometry has to be confirmed against a drawing or model before the shaped core goes into production. Send the curve and 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 · U-channels & fixing accessories · Honeycomb panels for elevator interiors · Porcelain honeycomb panels · Certifications & test reports