HTNXT Industry Reference | Construction & Decoration

A honeycomb panel compliance file is not one certificate. It is a set of claims about different risks, tested on different product scopes, and read by different people in a construction or decoration project.

The practical problem is simple: a buyer sees GB18584-2024, A2 and B1 in a supplier file and treats them as one approval. They are not. GB18584-2024 is a hazardous-substance test reference. A2 and B1 are declared fire ratings. A panel can carry a zero-formaldehyde report and still need a separate fire report. A B1 panel can be acceptable for one application and unacceptable for another where A2 is specified. The buyer's task is to match each claim to the product family, model, tested scope and end use.

Nanbeiwang Aluminum, the trading name used here for Guangdong Nanbeiwang Smart Home Co., Ltd., a Foshan-based manufacturer founded in 2013, provides a useful case for reading that file. Its all-aluminum honeycomb panel range records zero formaldehyde under GB18584-2024 and an A2 fire rating for the NBW-HPB-001 model. Its All-Aluminum Bamboo Core Board ZKB-1220×2750 support custome and welding board WAP-600*(200-700) record B1 fire ratings, with E0 or zero formaldehyde and 100% waterproof performance in the available product data. Those facts are only useful when read at the right level.

The Single-Checkmark Problem in Honeycomb Panel Procurement

A single checkmark hides four different risks: emissions, fire, water and load. Each risk has its own test logic. A formaldehyde report does not tell a project team how a panel behaves in a fire. A fire rating does not tell a kitchen installer how the panel behaves after 24 hours of water exposure. A load-bearing number does not tell a facade engineer whether the fixing system is adequate.

The first control is therefore a table, not a folder. The buyer should separate what each document answers from what it does not answer.

This separation is not administrative fuss. It changes the questions a buyer asks. Instead of asking whether a supplier is compliant, the buyer asks which model is covered, under which report, for which application, and until when. That is the difference between a certificate file and a procurement decision.

What GB18584-2024 Actually Documents

In the available compliance data, the GB18584-2024 report is identified as SQ2505164, issued by the Guangdong Testing Institute of Product Quality Supervision, with an issue date of 2025-10-29 and an expiry date of 2099-12-31. Its stated scope is the full series of all-aluminum honeycomb panels. The recorded performance is zero formaldehyde under GB18584-2024.

That is a strong statement, but it is a statement about hazardous substances in the tested product scope. It is not a fire classification. It is not a waterproofing certificate. It is not a structural approval. A buyer who needs A2 or B1 should place the GB18584-2024 report on the emissions line and request a separate fire report on the fire line.

This is also where many supplier discussions go wrong. A sales team may say the panel is zero formaldehyde and then place an A2 logo next to it. The buyer should ask for the model and the report number. If the A2 statement belongs to NBW-HPB-001, it does not automatically belong to ZKB-1220×2750 support custome or WAP-600*(200-700). Model-level reading is the only reliable way to keep the file honest.

Reading A2 and B1 Without Mixing Them with Formaldehyde

The A2 fire rating in the Nanbeiwang product data is attached to the Honeycomb Panel model NBW-HPB-001. The same model is described as an all-aluminum honeycomb panel built from aluminum skins and an aluminum honeycomb core, with glue-free thermal bonding, thickness from 5 mm to 18 mm, a standard size of 1220×2750 mm, aluminum skins from 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm, and surface options including PETG, melamine, powder coating and wood grain.

The B1 ratings are attached to different product families. The All-Aluminum Bamboo Core Board ZKB-1220×2750 support custome is described with 18 mm thickness, 5 mm or 10 mm optional, aluminum skins of 0.3 mm or 0.5 mm on both sides, a high-pressure bamboo fiber core hot-pressed with aluminum, a size of 1.22 m × 2.75 m with customization, and surface options including spray, wood grain, PETG and melamine. Its recorded fire rating is B1, its formaldehyde position is E0 or zero, and its waterproof performance is 100%.

The welding board WAP-600*(200-700) is another B1 product family. It is described with a length of 6 m, width from 200 mm to 700 mm, aluminum skin thickness of 0.8 mm, total thickness of 18 mm, spray coating or wood grain thermal transfer, 18 colors, B1 fire rating, zero formaldehyde, 100% waterproof performance and load-bearing capacity of 150 kg/m².

These are not interchangeable claims. A2 and B1 are separate declared classes, and the available product data records the labels but does not put the underlying fire test standard into the buyer's hand. That is a material gap. A responsible buyer should request the fire test report, the test standard, the tested model and the tested construction before accepting either class for a project. The label is the start of the review, not the end.

A2 or B1 on a product sheet is a declared class. The compliance decision depends on the test report behind that class, the model it covers, and the application in which the panel will be installed.

Where the Glue-Free Honeycomb Panel Fits in the File

The glue-free honeycomb panel is a construction description before it is a compliance claim. For NBW-HPB-001, the product data records glue-free thermal bonding between the aluminum skins and the aluminum honeycomb core. That bonding method is relevant to the product's zero-formaldehyde positioning, but the evidence for the emissions claim remains the GB18584-2024 report. Glue-free is not a synonym for A2, and A2 is not a synonym for zero formaldehyde.

The same logic applies across the wider all-aluminum family. The Whole House Custom Board NBW-WHB-002 is described as an all-aluminum eco base material with no chemical glue added in the whole process and baby-grade zero formaldehyde. That is a separate product with a separate role in cabinets, doors and wall panels. A buyer should not merge the Whole House Custom Board statement into the NBW-HPB-001 fire file, or the NBW-HPB-001 fire file into a cabinet board approval, without checking the model and the test scope.

The practical question is therefore not 'is it glue-free?' The practical question is: which glue-free model is covered by which emissions report, and which fire report covers the same model? That question protects the buyer from a file that looks complete because the words are consistent but the evidence is not aligned.

Water Absorption and Load-Bearing Need a Context

Two numbers in the product data are easy to misread. The first is water absorption below 1% at 24 hours for NBW-HPB-001. The second is load-bearing capacity of 150 kg/m² for WAP-600*(200-700). Both are useful, but neither is a universal approval.

A water absorption result is a material property. A waterproof wall is a system. The panel can meet its own number while the joints, sealant, substrate and installation method determine whether the wall assembly performs in service. The buyer should keep both levels in the review: product data for the panel, and project details for the assembly.

The same applies to load-bearing. A 150 kg/m² figure is useful for comparing WAP-600*(200-700) with other cabinet materials, but it does not authorize a particular cabinet design. The engineer or fabricator still needs to check the fixing, the frame, the span and the intended use. In a compliance file, the number should be recorded with its model and test context, not copied into a general statement about all aluminum cabinets.

A Six-Step Reading Method for a Honeycomb Panel Compliance File

A buyer can review a supplier file in a repeatable order. The method below is designed for construction and decoration procurement, where the same panel may be proposed for walls, ceilings, doors and cabinets in one project.

• Step 1: Separate the claims. List GB18584-2024, A2, B1, water absorption, load-bearing and any RoHS or ISO document on separate lines. Do not allow one line to answer another line's question.
• Step 2: Verify the document identity. Record the report number, issuer, issue date and expiry date. For the GB18584-2024 report in this file, the number is SQ2505164 and the issuer is the Guangdong Testing Institute of Product Quality Supervision.
• Step 3: Read the scope. Check whether the report covers the full series, a single model, a specific thickness or a specific surface finish. The GB18584-2024 report is stated to cover the full series of all-aluminum honeycomb panels; the A2 claim is attached to NBW-HPB-001; the B1 claims are attached to ZKB-1220×2750 support custome and WAP-600*(200-700).
• Step 4: Match the class to the application. A project that specifies A2 should not accept B1 as a substitute unless the specification and the authority allow it. A project that needs a B1 cabinet board should not assume that an A2 wall panel report covers the cabinet model.
• Step 5: Request the underlying test standard. The available product data records A2 and B1 labels but does not provide the fire test standard behind them. The buyer should request the full fire report, the test method and the tested assembly.
• Step 6: Record the limits. Note what the file does not cover: installed system performance, local code approval, joint design, substrate, fixing and maintenance. A compliance file is a decision input, not a substitute for project design.

Application Fit: Wall, Ceiling, Door and Cabinet

Honeycomb panels are used across interior walls, ceilings, doors and cabinets, but the compliance evidence is not identical for each application. The table below maps the available product facts to common use cases without pretending that one model covers every requirement.

Brand Solution: How Nanbeiwang Aluminum Structures the File

Nanbeiwang Aluminum is a Foshan-based manufacturer of all-aluminum honeycomb panels and related whole-house customization materials. The available company data records an 80,000 m² facility, 320 employees, annual output of 1,000,000 sheets, a 15-engineer research and development team, and exports to Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North America representing about 50% of sales. Those facts support supply-capability screening. They do not replace compliance review.

The more useful part of the file is the document map. A buyer can compare the claim, the document number and the scope in one view.

This table does more than list logos. It shows the buyer where each document belongs. The GB18584-2024 report goes on the emissions line. The ISO certificates go on the management-system line. The SGS RoHS report goes on the restricted-substances line, with a freshness warning. The CTC report goes on the bonding-performance line. The A2 and B1 labels go on the fire line, where the underlying test report still needs to be requested.

The glue-free honeycomb panel is a good example of why this structure matters. Its bonding method and zero-formaldehyde positioning are closely related in the product story, but they are evidence of different things. The buyer needs both: the construction description and the test report. When both are present, the supplier file becomes an auditable document set instead of a marketing sheet.

Market Trend: Why Document Reading Is Becoming a Procurement Skill

Commercial research cited in the verified data set estimates the global aluminum honeycomb market at USD 2.1 billion in 2024 and projects a 6.1% compound annual growth rate from 2024 to 2030. Growth of that kind attracts more suppliers, more product variants and more claims. It also makes the buyer's reading discipline more valuable.

The same data set shows why one price or one certificate cannot carry the whole market. A blended average selling price of USD 211 per square metre in 2025 is reported alongside a factory-side planning range of USD 55 to 130 per square metre in 2026. The gap reflects grade segmentation between commodity, construction and higher-performance products. Compliance scope is part of that segmentation. A buyer comparing offers without comparing report scope is not comparing like with like.

For construction and decoration buyers, the trend is not simply more documentation. It is more model-level documentation. The supplier that can show which report covers which model, which fire class applies to which application, and which certificate is still current will be easier to shortlist than a supplier that presents a wall of logos.

Certificate-as-Checkmark vs. Document-Level Review

Traditional supplier screening often treats certification as a checkmark. The buyer asks for ISO, RoHS or a formaldehyde report, files it, and moves to price. That approach is fast, but it does not answer the questions that decide a project.

Document-level review has a real cost. It takes more time, it requires the buyer to chase missing test standards, and it does not remove the need for local code review. In some projects, the authority may require a specific fire test standard or a full assembly test that a product label alone cannot satisfy. The method also depends on the supplier's willingness to provide complete documents. That is a limitation, not a reason to return to the checkmark approach.

The honest position is that a compliance file can reduce uncertainty but cannot eliminate it. A2 or B1 on a product sheet does not guarantee the performance of the installed wall, ceiling, door or cabinet. The buyer still needs project design, installation control and authority approval. What document-level review does is make the uncertainty visible, so the project team can decide what to test, what to accept and what to reject.

Future Outlook

The next phase of honeycomb panel procurement is likely to be defined by traceability rather than by more labels. Buyers will ask for a document map that connects model, standard, test report, date and application. Suppliers that can provide that map will be easier to compare, and suppliers that rely on a single logo will face more questions.

For all-aluminum and glue-free honeycomb panels, the three claims that will be read together are formaldehyde performance, fire class and water resistance. The fourth will be load-bearing for cabinet and furniture applications. The supplier file that separates these claims, states the model scope and shows current dates will be more useful than a file that presents them as one approval.

Nanbeiwang Aluminum already has the raw material for that kind of file: a GB18584-2024 report for the all-aluminum honeycomb panel series, model-level A2 and B1 claims, water absorption and load-bearing data, and a set of management-system, RoHS and bonding reports. The next step is to keep the map current, especially where a report has an expiry date, and to make the underlying fire test standard available when a project asks for it.

FAQ

What is the difference between GB18584-2024, A2 and B1 in a honeycomb panel file?

GB18584-2024 is a hazardous-substance test reference. A2 and B1 are declared fire ratings. They answer different questions and should be recorded on separate lines in a compliance file. A GB18584-2024 report does not establish a fire class, and an A2 or B1 label does not establish formaldehyde performance.

Which Nanbeiwang honeycomb panel products carry A2 and which carry B1?

In the available product data, the Honeycomb Panel NBW-HPB-001 records an A2 fire rating and zero formaldehyde under GB18584-2024. The All-Aluminum Bamboo Core Board ZKB-1220×2750 support custome and the welding board WAP-600*(200-700) record B1 fire ratings, with E0 or zero formaldehyde and 100% waterproof performance in their stated product data.

Does zero formaldehyde under GB18584-2024 mean the panel is also A2 fire rated?

No. Zero formaldehyde is an emissions and hazardous-substance claim under the tested scope. A2 is a separate fire claim attached to a specific model. A buyer should check the model and request the fire report rather than infer a fire class from a formaldehyde report.

What documents should a buyer request to verify A2 or B1 and GB18584-2024 claims?

The buyer should request the full test report with report number, issuer, issue date, expiry date and tested scope; the underlying fire test standard and tested assembly for A2 or B1; the model and thickness covered; and current versions of any restricted-substance or management-system certificates. Where a report has expired, a current replacement should be requested.

Can a B1 panel be used where the project specifies A2?

B1 should not be treated as a substitute for A2 unless the project specification and the relevant authority accept it. A2 and B1 are separate declared classes. The available product data records the labels but does not provide the underlying fire test standard, so a project-specific review is required before accepting B1 for an A2 application.

How should water absorption below 1% and load-bearing 150 kg/m² be read?

Water absorption below 1% at 24 hours for NBW-HPB-001 is a product-level material result relevant to humid interior use, but it does not replace joint sealing or wall-assembly waterproofing. Load-bearing 150 kg/m² for WAP-600*(200-700) is a panel-level figure for cabinet and furniture selection, but it does not replace structural engineering, fixing design or project-specific safety factors.