Porcelain Honeycomb Panel Installation and Fixings

Exterior and Interior Connection Arrangements

The panel has a decorative porcelain or sintered-stone face bonded to a formed honeycomb backing. That backing contains an aluminum honeycomb core between two PU fiberglass skins. The rear skin is the surface through which the illustrated fittings connect to the panel. The porcelain honeycomb panel construction article shows the material order and the distinction between the skins and the core.

Start by identifying the rear attachment on the drawing. An embedded insert provides an internal thread for a mechanical connection. A riveted fitting attaches a profile or clip to the rear of the panel. The mating profile then connects the panel-side fitting to the wall-side support. Identifying these interfaces separately makes the assembly easier to follow.

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Exterior and interior rear connection arrangements

Connection feature	Exterior embedded detail	Interior riveted detail
Panel-side connection	M8 three-prong 304 stainless steel nut embedded in the backing, with localized epoxy backfill.	Rear fitting attached to the PU fiberglass-faced backing with rivets.
Connection to the support	Rear hanging profiles and aluminum angle brackets connect to the steel frame.	Panel-side and wall-side mating profiles engage to locate the panel.
Drawing information	Face and backing thicknesses, embedded insert, profile, bracket and frame interface.	Panel construction, riveted fitting, mating clip and wall-side support.
Installation sequence	Level the steel frame, fit brackets, connect rear profiles, hang and align the panel.	Position the rear fitting, rivet it to the backing, align the mating profiles and engage them.

The exterior project photograph shows how a rear fitting reaches the supporting steelwork. The interior sample shows the mating profiles at the panel edge. Use the arrangement matching the intended application before selecting panel thickness or preparing fixing locations.

How Lower Weight and Better Flatness Help Installation

A lighter panel reduces the mass that the crew must lift and hold while engaging the rear fittings. A flatter panel keeps those fittings closer to their intended support positions. The PU fiberglass-faced construction addresses both tasks: it reinforces a thin ceramic face and reduces thermal movement differences between the bonded layers.

The product’s 1200 × 2800 mm wall-panel comparison links panel weight to the crew used for hanging a 2800 mm face. These are the configurations and crew examples given in that comparison:

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Weight and hanging-crew comparison for 1200 × 2800 mm wall panels

Wall-panel route	Weight per m²	Weight per panel	Crew in the source comparison
Traditional dry-hung 12 mm solid ceramic slab	28 kg/m²	Approx. 94 kg	Specialist team: 8–10 people
Aluminum-skinned honeycomb composite; 3–6 mm face	12–19 kg/m²	Approx. 40–64 kg	Specialist team: 4–6 people
PU fiberglass-faced honeycomb composite; 3–6 mm face	9–16 kg/m²	Approx. 30–54 kg	2–3 people

The PU example reduces complete-piece weight by approximately 40–64 kg against the 94 kg solid ceramic reference. That reduces the weight being held during positioning and helps a smaller crew coordinate the panel. The crew entries describe the illustrated comparison; access, panel shape and lifting equipment determine the crew for a particular move.

Fixing Positions and Installation Time

The comparison lists factory-welded fittings for galvanized-sheet backing and factory-embedded M8 fittings for aluminum-skinned honeycomb. The PU arrangement offers embedded M8 connections as well as riveted fittings and mating clips. Its site-made fitting option allows positions to be adjusted to the coordinated support layout, reducing the need to rework a panel because a preset point does not align.

The same comparison records 1–3 hours per panel for the two metal-faced routes and describes the illustrated PU system as reducing installation time by 70%. The benefit concerns the combined work of positioning, aligning and attaching the panel. The separate approximately one-minute-per-connector statement below describes the riveting operation alone.

For the compared hanging layouts, the PU route uses 500–550 mm spacing, while the aluminum-skinned and galvanized-sheet examples use 250–300 mm. Wider spacing in that documented layout means fewer closely repeated hanging points to coordinate. Keep the chosen fitting pattern with its panel and support drawing. The thermal compatibility comparison explains why limiting panel bow helps those points remain aligned.

The M8 Embedded-Nut Detail

In the exterior section, the M8 nut sits within the composite backing. The source detail identifies a three-prong nut made from 304 stainless steel, surrounded by a localized epoxy resin backfill. Its threaded opening is accessible from the rear, allowing the hanging component to connect behind the ceramic face.

The ceramic face, its adhesive layer and the PU honeycomb backing remain distinct parts of the section. The epoxy is concentrated around the insert. It should be identified as local insert reinforcement when describing this detail; the PU fiberglass skins and the ceramic bonding layer retain their own material descriptions.

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Materials and dimensions in the exterior embedded-insert section

Component	Detail	Documented specification
Ceramic face		3–6 mm porcelain or sintered stone at the exposed front.
Composite backing		12–15 mm PU fiberglass-faced aluminum-honeycomb backing in the exterior embedded-insert detail.
Insert and local reinforcement		M8 three-prong nut, 304 stainless steel. Nut height: 13.8 mm. Base wall: 1.1 mm. Threaded barrel wall: 2.0 mm. Epoxy resin backfill localized around the insert.

Keep the backing dimension attached to this particular embedded detail. A “3 + 9 mm” wall-panel description identifies another documented face-and-backing combination. It cannot supply the 12–15 mm backing dimension shown around the exterior insert. The panel thickness, sizes and weight article explains these configuration references.

For an embedded rear connection, show the insert position from the back and retain an uninterrupted ceramic face in the section. An undercut anchor drilled into a solid stone or thick porcelain slab describes a different fixing arrangement. Applying that drilling detail to the thin face would change the documented construction.

The complete M8 insert and wall connection detail is on page 7 of the technical guide. Use the same layer names on the panel schedule, section drawing and fixing description so the quoted backing and the installed connection correspond.

Connecting the Panel to the Exterior Subframe

The exterior assembly progresses from the existing wall to steel supports, aluminum brackets, rear hanging profiles and the composite panel. Establishing the frame plane comes before aligning the panel face, because the profiles engage with supports already positioned behind it.

Funtek’s detail uses galvanized square tubing or channel sections together with steel angles to establish the support at the original wall. Aluminum angle brackets attach to the horizontal steelwork. The rear hanging profiles connect the panel to those brackets and provide the adjustment shown in the dry-hung arrangement.

1. Level the steel subframe

Set out the support positions against the panel layout and establish a consistent installation plane. The frame’s position determines the space available for the brackets, rear fittings and panel build-up. A change in the finished face position therefore needs to be followed through the section to the steelwork.

The installation drawing should identify the wall-to-frame connections and the horizontal members receiving the aluminum brackets. Keep those support references coordinated with the panel numbers. The facade panel layout process explains how elevation dimensions and individual panel references fit together.

2. Fit the aluminum angle brackets

Position the aluminum brackets on the horizontal steel frame at the locations corresponding to the panel’s rear fittings. In the Zhongnan project photograph, the bracket projects from the horizontal steel member toward the fitting on the rear skin. This is the connection to locate when comparing the drawing with the installed support.

Check the bracket’s orientation and its relationship to the rear profile before lifting the panel into position. The assembly needs room for the mating parts to engage and for the illustrated adjustment to be made. Show that relationship in the section at corners, openings and returns as well as in the typical wall area.

3. Connect the rear hanging profiles

The product comparison shows 500–550 mm hanging-point spacing for the illustrated PU fiberglass-faced arrangement, compared with 250–300 mm for the aluminum-faced honeycomb and galvanized-sheet examples. Read those layouts with their corresponding backing constructions. The panel reference, rear-fitting positions and support locations still need to agree on the same drawing.

Identify the rear profile against the panel reference and connect it through the specified embedded insert. The drawing needs to show which component is fixed to the panel and which belongs to the frame. A rear elevation establishes the fitting locations; a section establishes how those fittings engage.

Changing a profile changes its interface with the bracket and the available installation space. Keep the profile shape and connection arrangement with the panel build-up when reviewing alternatives. Matching only an M8 thread size does not establish that two complete rear fixing arrangements are equivalent.

4. Hang the panel and adjust its position

Bring the panel-side profiles into engagement with the support assembly, then adjust the panel to the specified face line and adjacent panel edges. Observe the rear connection as well as the visible joint. A face can appear aligned while a fitting has not reached its intended seated position.

Check the seated profile, locking or final-fixing operation and joint alignment against the coordinated connection detail. A fitting that has not seated should be corrected at its frame, bracket or profile interface before the panel is secured.

The temporary positioning clips in the project photograph show the visible panel joints during installation. The rear profiles and frame provide the mechanical connection behind that surface. For substrate preparation, the ventilated cavity, water management and the wider construction sequence, continue to the complete sintered stone facade installation article.

Interior Riveted Fittings and Mating Clips

The interior detail uses a riveted rear fitting and a matching profile. The cut sample shows both the honeycomb panel edge and the interlocking aluminum fitting, making it possible to see the difference between fastening a component to the panel and engaging that component with the wall-side support.

First identify the panel-side fitting and its orientation on the rear elevation. Its position must correspond to the mating support on the wall. The fitting is then attached to the backing using the specified riveting arrangement. Riveting joins the fitting to the panel; engagement with the mating profile is the following assembly operation.

Once the wall-side support and panel-side fitting correspond, bring the mating profiles together in the direction required by their shape. The illustrated cut edge shows how the profile sections overlap. Check that the intended engagement is achieved before treating the panel position as complete.

The exposed-edge photograph also shows why the depth behind the ceramic needs its own dimension. The panel occupies one part of the wall build-up, while the rear fitting and support occupy another. At a doorway or return, the finished-face position has to account for all of those parts.

Funtek’s product presentation states approximately one minute per connector for the mating-clip riveting process. That describes the connector operation. Setting out supports, moving panels, aligning joints and completing perimeter details remain separate installation tasks.

Use the rear-fitting arrangement shown for this panel when preparing the interior detail. A thin-bed adhesive installation has a different connection to its substrate, while a ceiling application has a different orientation and support condition. Their installation instructions should stay with their respective assemblies.

Connector Pull-Out and Rivet Test Results

The technical records contain a panel-connector pull-out series and separate rivet shear and tension series. Read the tested component, dimensions and loading mode with each result. This establishes what the number describes before it is used in a specification discussion. For the panel itself, use the strength and impact results; for conditioned bonds, use the bond-strength and durability results.

Panel installation connector: five specimens

SGS report GZIN2506000960CM01_CN, dated June 9, 2025, records five specimens measuring 100 × 100 × 22.96 mm. The stated method references JG/T 328-2011 Section 7.8 and customer requirements, with a loading speed of 5 mm/min. The recorded maximum capacities are listed below.

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Panel-connector pull-out series

Connector specimen	Connection view	Recorded maximum force
1		3235 N
2		3534 N
3		3448 N
4		3528 N
5		3704 N
Minimum in the series		3235 N

The 3235 N figure is the minimum of the five recorded specimen maxima. It is useful for reading this test series and comparing a proposed connection with the tested specimen construction. Retain the specimen’s 22.96 mm thickness in that review; it is a test dimension, separate from the backing thickness in the M8 drawing.

Rivet shear and tension

The rivet records identify FWBASP4010, size 4.0 × 10 mm, dated May 4, 2023. Both reference ISO 14589 and a test speed of 10 mm/min. The shear series lists a loaded area of 18.096 mm², rounded to 18.1 mm² in its mean row.

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Rivet shear test series

Rivet specimen	Maximum shear force	Shear strength
1	1557.07 N	86.04 MPa
2	1795.35 N	99.21 MPa
3	1967.49 N	108.73 MPa
4	2024.67 N	111.88 MPa
5	1821.12 N	100.64 MPa
Recorded mean	1833.14 N	101.3 MPa

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Rivet tensile test series

Rivet specimen	Maximum tensile force	Deformation at maximum
1	1915.59 N	2.48 mm
2	1832.16 N	2.33 mm
3	1742.49 N	2.44 mm
4	1466.95 N	1.73 mm
5	1639.83 N	1.10 mm
Recorded mean	1719.4 N	2.02 mm

Shear and tension act in different directions, so the two series remain separate even when they use the same rivet designation. The deformation column belongs to the tensile test at maximum force; it does not specify a wall movement joint.

Project connection design uses the selected panel construction, complete fitting arrangement and project loads. Dividing a panel weight by one of these test forces cannot establish the required number or spacing of fixings: that calculation would leave out load direction, fitting geometry, support conditions and the design basis. Read the full connector and rivet series on page 8 of the technical guide, then use the project mock-up and testing plan when defining an assembly-level check.

What the Project Drawing Should Show

A usable rear fixing detail connects the numbered panel to its actual support. Show the ceramic face and backing as separate dimensions, then show the insert or riveted fitting, its mating profile, bracket and frame. The same panel reference should appear on the elevation, rear view, section and schedule.

The rear view locates fittings relative to the finished panel edges. The section explains their depth and engagement. These views answer different installation questions, so a section alone cannot establish all fixing positions and an elevation alone cannot show how the parts meet.

Include the following information with the detail:

• Panel identity: reference, application, finish, finished width and height, face thickness and backing thickness.
• Rear connection: embedded M8 insert or riveted fitting, component material, profile orientation and fixing positions.
• Support interface: bracket, horizontal steel member, wall-to-frame connection and finished-face location.
• Adjacent construction: panel joints, corners, opening returns, perimeter treatment and the relevant drainage or access route.
• Document control: drawing revision, matching panel schedule and the test reference used in the connection review.

For example, keep “3–6 mm ceramic face + 12–15 mm backing” beside the embedded M8 detail when discussing that exterior configuration. Identify the chosen values on the order drawing. A different panel reference using a 3 + 9 mm construction should retain its own matching rear connection detail.

The facade specification and RFQ checklist covers the wider information needed for quotation. After award, the submittal and shop drawing workflow explains how the selected detail, panel schedule and revisions are coordinated before fabrication and installation.

For product selection, review the Funtek porcelain honeycomb panel system with your application and available connection sketch. This brings the panel build-up, required pieces and rear fixing into the same quotation discussion.

Before releasing a repeated connection detail, use a sample assembly to check the panel-side fitting, mating profile, adjustment range and finished-face position together. The facade mock-up and testing plan sets out how to record that assembly review alongside the project drawings.

Openings and exposed perimeters should also be coordinated with the fabrication and edge details. For overhead applications, the ceiling panel framing, clips and service-access guide explains vertical engagement and removal in a suspended arrangement.

See the Connections in the Project Photos

Zhongnan International Mall, Hangzhou

The rear connection photograph shows the exposed honeycomb panel edge, rear skin, fitting, aluminum bracket and horizontal steel support together. Follow those visible components from the panel toward the frame to understand the sequence in the exterior section. The front installation photograph shows the adjacent panel edges and temporary positioning clips.

The completed facade shows the ceramic surface and the finished panel arrangement after the rear assembly is concealed. Reading the rear detail alongside the installation and finished views connects the visible wall surface with the parts supporting it.

Jiande villa

The Jiande photograph provides another view of the rear profile and the cavity behind the panel. The support and the composite panel edge are visible in the same narrow space. This is useful when considering how a return, corner or perimeter detail relates to the depth behind the finished face.

View the project installation and rear connection photographs alongside the wall connection section. For the associated report identifiers and source locations, use the technical reference register.