Perforated Aluminum Sheets & Panels — Custom Hole Patterns, Cut-to-Size

Open area is the percentage of sheet surface removed by the holes, and it controls airflow, light, weight and cost. For round holes in the standard 60° staggered pattern, open area (%) = 90.69 × (hole diameter / pitch)². Example: 3 mm holes at 4.5 mm pitch give 90.69 × (0.667)² = 40.3%. For square-pitch square holes the coefficient is 78.54. Tell us target open area and we will propose hole/pitch combinations from our die library.

Round, square, slotted/long-hole, hex, louvre and decorative/custom shapes. Round holes in a 60° staggered pattern are the industry standard; hole diameters run from 0.8 mm to 50 mm with centre pitches from about 2.5×t upward. Non-standard and decorative layouts are produced with custom tooling or CNC laser. Open areas are typically engineered between 20% and 50%, up to ~60% for lightweight screens.

3003-H14 is the most economical general-purpose choice (HVAC, guards, shelving). 5052-H32 gives the best corrosion resistance and is preferred for marine, food-plant and outdoor facades. 6061-T6 is the strongest for structural/load-bearing panels. 1100-O suits decorative work needing maximum formability. We also consider the final finish: 5xxx/6xxx anodize most consistently.

Yes. Sheets are deburred first so the finish covers hole edges evenly. We supply clear or coloured anodizing (sulphuric, up to ~25 μm), PVDF and polyester powder coating, and can colour-match to RAL or Pantone. Note that punching exposes fresh alloy on the hole walls, so the supplier must control cleaning and etching before anodize to avoid streak marks — standard practice on our line.

As a punching rule of thumb, hole diameter should be at least 1.0–1.5 times the sheet thickness — use 1.5× for harder tempers like 5052-H32 or 6061-T6 and for panels that will be anodized (the coating can close up very small holes). The bridge between hole edges should stay ≥ 1.0×t, and we recommend keeping a solid margin of ≥2 hole-diameters at sheet edges.

The base material strength is unchanged, but stiffness and load capacity of the finished panel drop roughly in proportion to open area, and stress concentrates around holes. For non-structural uses (screens, grilles, facades) this is usually irrelevant; for load-bearing panels or floors, either limit open area to ~30–40% or step up one gauge/alloy (e.g. 3003 → 5052 or 6061). Send us your loading case and we will recommend a specification.

Standard sheets are 4×8 ft (1220×2440 mm), plus 1000×2000, 1250×2500 and 1500×3000 mm; we can perforate up to ~1500 mm wide and supply lengths to 6000 mm. Cut-to-size with ±0.5 mm tolerance, edge rolling and bending into finished panels are available. Upload a DXF/PDF with your inquiry and we quote material + processing together.

Hole diameter ±0.10 mm up to 3 mm and ±0.15 mm from 3–12 mm (laser ±0.05/0.08 mm); centre pitch ±0.30 mm per 250 mm of pattern; cut length/width ±0.5–1.0 mm; flatness controlled per ASTM B209 with a flattening pass for architectural panels. Exact values on your drawing are confirmed in the quotation.

Perforated sheet is punched from solid coil, giving exact round/square/custom holes with clean deburred edges, precise open area and an architectural look, but costs more. Expanded metal is slit and stretched into diamond openings, is cheaper and has no punched scrap, but the pattern is limited to diamond, edges are sharp, and open area is approximate. Choose perforated for spec-critical, visible or filter applications; expanded for low-cost guarding and screening.

MOQ is 1 metric ton per order (mixed patterns, sizes and finishes are acceptable). Stock patterns dispatch in 5–7 days; custom tooling and production take 10–18 days depending on gauge and quantity; samples ship by courier in 3–5 days. FOB Shanghai/Ningbo or CFR/CIF/DDP to your port.

Price = base alloy sheet cost (follows LME aluminium + gauge/alloy premium) + perforating charge (depends on hole size, pitch/open area and thickness) + finish, if any. As a guide, perforation typically adds a per-m² processing charge that is lower for standard 60° round dies than for custom/decorative laser work. Email your specification for a firm FOB quotation valid 5 days — we respond within 24 hours.

Yes. A4-size sample panels are available before mass production, and every shipment includes an EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate with chemistry and mechanicals traced to the heat number. Production is ISO 9001:2015 certified and SGS/BV/TÜV third-party inspection can be arranged before dispatch.