Perforated Sheet

What Is Perforated Sheet and Where Is It Used?

Perforated sheet is made by punching a flat metal plate with press tooling to a set hole diameter and pattern. The section stays continuous wherever the punch does not touch, so the surface stays flat and both faces look identical. That suits it to visible and technical work alike: ventilation grilles, control panel and generator enclosures, machine guards, drying and screening trays, stair balustrade infill, facade and balcony cladding, acoustic panel backing, silo and duct openings.

Our stock sheets are galvanized; the zinc layer is the first defence against rust outdoors. The product is sold by the piece, sheet by sheet. We are a supplier that sells and ships: we dispatch from our Ostim base to every province in Türkiye. The panel fence systems perforated sheet is often paired with on perimeter projects are available under the same roof.

Perforated Sheet Sizes in Stock and Technical Table

We keep two standard variants. Both are 1000x2000 mm, 1.5 mm thick and galvanized; only the hole diameter differs.

Hole pitch, the distance between two hole centres, and whether the holes run staggered or in straight rows, can change from batch to batch. On a critical job, confirm the pitch with us before ordering; a sheet that misses your dimensions cannot be corrected on site.

Choosing Between Ø5 mm and Ø8 mm Holes

Hole diameter follows the size of whatever has to pass through. Ø5 gives a more closed look and reveals less of what sits behind it: the choice for holding back coarse dust, screening small grain material, keeping hands out for safety and decorative screening. Ø8 passes more air and light and blinds far less readily: motor and generator ventilation, hot surface guarding, coarse screening and grain drying, where flow rate is what counts.

For fine screening below a millimetre, woven screen mesh beats perforated sheet; the strength of perforated sheet is not precision screening but the hard, flat surface it gives.

One detail often missed is blinding. In dusty, fibrous air small holes fill over time; Ø5 is fine on a guard blown down regularly with compressed air, while Ø8 needs far less maintenance where oily dust settles. Acoustics work the other way round: in sound absorbing panels the air volume reaching the wool layer behind governs, so total open area matters more than hole diameter.

How Is the Open Area Ratio Calculated?

The open area ratio gives the percentage of the sheet that is void, and it feeds every calculation for air flow, light transmission, sound absorption and wind load. On a staggered (60 degree) pattern the formula is Open area (%) = 90.7 x (hole diameter / pitch)². On a straight row (90 degree) pattern the coefficient is 78.5.

Ø5 mm staggered on an 8 mm pitch gives 90.7 x (5/8)² = 35.4% open area; Ø8 mm on a 12 mm pitch gives 90.7 x (8/12)² = 40.3%. The higher the open area, the lower the rigidity; do not leave sheets above 40% unsupported over a wide span, frame their edges.

Open area also feeds ventilation sizing. Free area equals grille area times open area ratio: close a 0.6 x 0.4 metre panel with a 35% open sheet and only 0.084 m² of that 0.24 m² actually passes air. Fans sized on gross area are why projects come up short on site; always calculate on free area.

Sheet Weight and Freight Calculation

The product sells by the piece, but you still need the shipping weight. Solid sheet weighs thickness (mm) x 7.85 per square metre: 11.78 kg/m² at 1.5 mm. A 1000x2000 mm sheet is 2 m², so unperforated it comes to about 23.6 kg, dropping in proportion to the open area once punched.

A sheet at 35% open area runs about 15.3 kg, at 40% about 14.1 kg. Twenty sheets sit in the 280-310 kg band and ship on a single pallet. Sheets go out palletised with corner protection to protect the edges; record any crushed corners on the delivery paperwork.

Allow for the length when planning shipment: a 2 metre sheet will not fit a short bed vehicle, so van deliveries need discussing in advance. Store sheets stacked flat with the full face supported, never on end. Thin sheet leaned on its edge against a wall curves under its own weight and never flattens again.

The Difference Between Perforated Sheet and Expanded Metal

The two look alike from a distance but are made in opposite ways. Perforated sheet is punched out, produces scrap and stays perfectly flat. Expanded metal is slit on an offset pattern and stretched; it produces no scrap at all, its apertures are diamond shaped, and the ribs formed in the section let the same kilogram carry more load.

The practical split: for load and slip resistance, walk-on platforms, stair treads, gratings and walkways under machinery, use expanded metal; for a clean look, measured air flow, decorative facades, guard covers and screening surfaces, use perforated sheet. Expanded metal also runs a higher open area ratio.

Galvanized Surface, Cutting and Fabrication Rules

Cutting and drilling galvanized sheet leaves bare steel on the cut face. On small sections the cathodic protection of the zinc covers it for a while, but outdoors, sealing the cut edges with a zinc rich spray or paint clearly extends service life. Welding gives off zinc fumes; always work with ventilation.

To frame the sheet, build a surround from box section and seat it inside; far cleaner and freer of vibration than screwing it down directly. When folding, keep the bend line parallel to the hole rows; bending through the centre of a row tears the sheet.

Three fixings are common: spot welding to a frame, sliding into channel section, and screwing. With screws you must go through the solid metal between the holes, never the hole edge; a screw on a hole lip tears the material out over time. On vibrating machinery, felt or rubber pads on the back face keep the sheet out of resonance and cut noise noticeably.

What Determines the Price of Perforated Sheet?

Price starts with raw material: galvanized coil trades by the tonne, is exposed to exchange rates and moves with the market. Second is punching labour; more holes on a sheet mean more punch cycles and more tool wear, so small diameter, close pitch sheets cost more. Third is the scrap rate; the slugs punched out are paid for in the product.

Order quantity, cutting to non-standard sizes, extra surface treatment and delivery distance are added on top. All published prices include VAT. Current figures sit in the price table on this page; we do not quote prices in the body text because raw material prices can move within a day.

Ordering, Site Survey and Delivery Terms

To order, just give us the sheet count and the variant; with a project drawing we will work out the right variant together. Site surveys are free of charge within Ankara. Our team comes to site and sees the dimensions and operating conditions first hand.

Delivery is always charged; shipping is added to the order total, including deliveries within Ankara. Freight is never inside the product price on any shipment; we confirm the exact figure, by distance and weight, before you order. Installation is not one of our standard services; our teams attend site only on perimeter projects of approximately 1,000 metres and above. On material sales such as perforated sheet, the product is handed over to the team carrying out your fabrication.