Thickness is the most useful and most misunderstood number on a honeycomb board. It starts at 10 mm, with 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mm as the common steps, and other thicknesses are made to order. What it buys is bending stiffness, which rises steeply with thickness, so a small step up often removes a problem that paper grammage cannot fix.
Why thickness dominates stiffness
In any sandwich panel the facings carry tension and compression and the core keeps them apart. Move the facings further apart and the same facings resist far more bending, which is why a 20 mm board is not twice as stiff as a 10 mm one but several times stiffer.
This is the practical reason to go up a thickness before going up a paper grade. Adding grammage to the facing helps, but separating the facings helps much more for the same material.
Specification at a glance
The table below maps the common thicknesses to the job they usually do. It is a starting point for a quotation, not a load guarantee.
| Thickness | Typical use | Watch |
|---|
| 10 mm | Layer pads, separators, display | Sags if used as a shelf |
| 15 mm | Pallet pads, crate lining | Check the span between bearers |
| 20 mm | Appliance panels, slab separators | Volume cost in freight |
| 25 mm | Box walls, door cores | Joint and edge detail |
| 30 mm | Heavy box base, tabletop core | Heaviest and most bulky |
| Custom | Made to order from 10 mm | Confirm feasibility first |
Choosing by span and support
A board on a continuous support, such as a pallet deck, behaves very differently from the same board spanning between two bearers. Span is the variable that catches buyers out: a 15 mm board that works as a tier pad will sag as a shelf.
Point loads are the second variable. A distributed load spreads across the cells; a point load presses on a few cell walls. Where the load is concentrated, thicken the board locally or add a solid insert rather than thickening the whole panel.
Tolerance, weight and freight
Thickness carries a production tolerance, and the facing and bonding add to the nominal figure. If your inspection measures a specific point, send the method with the enquiry so the sample matches it.
Every extra millimetre also adds volume, and this product is bulky, so freight is priced on the space it takes. That is why the right thickness is the thinnest one that does the job, not the thickest one available.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
What is the thinnest honeycomb board you make?
10 mm. Thinner sheets are not practical on our lines.
Is 20 mm twice as stiff as 10 mm?
Considerably more than twice, because stiffness depends strongly on the distance between the facings. The exact figure depends on the construction.
Can you make 12 mm or 18 mm?
Custom thicknesses are possible from 10 mm upwards, subject to confirmation against the construction.
Does thickness affect the sheet size?
No. The standard production width is generally up to about 1,250 mm regardless of thickness, and length is cut to order.
How is thickness measured?
Across the board including both facings. Send your measurement method with the enquiry so the sample matches your inspection.
Send the sheet size, thickness, core cell and facing weight to mona@hengnicepacking.com and we will quote the construction that fits the load.
