Cleanroom Sandwich Panels — GRP, Rock Wool & Honeycomb Systems
While PUF panels excel in thermal insulation, specialized cleanroom environments demand alternative sandwich panel cores — for fire resistance, acoustic control, chemical inertness, or ultra-light weight. Metrolabs supplies and installs the complete range of cleanroom sandwich panel systems, matched precisely to your facility’s application, ISO class, and regulatory requirements.
When Standard PUF Panels Are Not Enough
PUF panels are the go-to for thermal insulation, but not every cleanroom challenge is thermal. Fire-rated facilities, acoustically sensitive research labs, chemically aggressive production environments, and ultra-light modular cleanrooms each demand a different panel core engineered for that specific purpose. Metrolabs offers the complete portfolio:
Non-Combustible Where Fire Safety Is Paramount
Rock Wool and Mineral Wool core panels achieve Class A non-combustible ratings under BS EN 13501-1 — the only category that truly does not burn. Required by building regulations for multi-storey facilities, high-occupancy cleanrooms, and facilities storing flammable materials.
Acoustic Isolation for Noise-Sensitive Environments
Research labs housing sensitive instruments, hospital cleanrooms in patient care zones, and recording or calibration facilities require sound reduction. Rock Wool core panels deliver up to 52 dB Rw — the difference between audible and inaudible across a wall.
Chemical Inertness for Aggressive Environments
GRP/FRP face panels are the only choice for cleanrooms handling aggressive acids, solvents, or oxidizing agents that would corrode even stainless steel over time. Fully inert to pH 0–14, resistant to all laboratory chemicals, and non-metallic for MRI and electromagnetic-sensitive environments.
Ultra-Light for Temporary or Modular Cleanrooms
Aluminium honeycomb core panels achieve structural rigidity at a fraction of the weight of solid-core panels — ideal for portable cleanroom tents, aerospace manufacturing enclosures, and facilities where floor loading is a structural constraint.
Six Specialist Sandwich Panel Cores for Every Application
Each core material is engineered for a distinct set of performance requirements. Metrolabs helps you select the right core for your ISO class, fire risk profile, chemical regime, and budget:
GRP / FRP Sandwich Panels
Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) face skins bonded to a GRP or phenolic foam core — creating a fully non-metallic, chemically inert cleanroom panel. Resistant to the complete pH 0–14 chemical spectrum including hydrofluoric acid, concentrated nitric acid, and all common laboratory solvents. Non-magnetic, non-conductive, and invisible to MRI and RF electromagnetic fields.
Rock Wool / Mineral Wool Core Panels
Rock Wool (basalt mineral fibre) core provides the highest-performing fire-rated cleanroom panel available — Class A non-combustible (does not burn) with up to 120-minute fire resistance. Simultaneously delivers superior sound reduction (up to 52 dB Rw) making it the specification choice for hospital facilities, multi-storey cleanrooms, and any environment where fire resistance and acoustic isolation are both mandatory.
Aluminium Honeycomb Core Panels
Precision-engineered hexagonal aluminium honeycomb bonded between two metal or composite face skins. Achieves exceptional structural rigidity and flat surface tolerance at dramatically lower weight than solid-core alternatives — typically 6–10 kg/m². Specified for aerospace cleanrooms, portable and modular cleanroom enclosures, and facilities with structural floor-loading constraints.
PIR (Polyisocyanurate) Core Panels
Polyisocyanurate foam core panels deliver significantly better fire performance than standard PUF — Class B rated with limited flame spread — while maintaining excellent thermal insulation (λ ≈ 0.022 W/m·K). The preferred upgrade from standard PUF panels for facilities requiring improved fire safety without the full cost of Rock Wool construction. Common in food factories, biotech, and insurance-specified facilities.
Phenolic Foam Core Panels
Phenolic foam core panels uniquely combine Class A fire performance (similar to Rock Wool) with the thermal insulation values of PUF — delivering both fire safety and energy efficiency in a single panel. Self-extinguishing, low smoke emission, and low toxicity in fire conditions. Specified for pharmaceutical cold rooms, hospital modular theatres, and facilities requiring Class A fire rating with high thermal performance.
MDF / Composite Core Panels
Medium Density Fibreboard or composite structural core panels for modular cleanrooms requiring high surface hardness, impact resistance, and excellent screw-holding strength at panel edges — important where equipment, shelving, or medical gas outlets must be wall-mounted. Used in hospital room partitions, laboratory fit-out modular systems, and educational research facility cleanrooms.
Selecting the Right Face Skin for Your Cleanroom
The face skin determines the cleanroom’s surface hygienic properties, chemical resistance, and long-term maintenance requirements. Metrolabs offers five skin material options:
Pre-Painted GI / PPGI (Standard)
Galvanized iron with polyester or PVDF pre-coating in white or off-white. The most economical cleanroom skin for ISO Class 6–8 pharmaceutical, food, and general cleanrooms. Easy to clean with standard disinfectants.
GRP / FRP Face Skin (Chemical Resistant)
Glass-reinforced plastic face skins fully inert to pH 0–14. Non-metallic, non-magnetic, and radio-transparent. The only skin option for HF acid environments, radiotherapy rooms, and MRI suites.
Stainless Steel 304 (Hygienic Grade)
SS 304 skin provides a fully washable, corrosion-resistant surface for ISO Class 5–7 pharmaceutical and food cleanrooms with regular chemical wash-down protocols. Available in #4 brush finish.
Stainless Steel 316L (Sterile Grade)
SS 316L electro-polished to Ra < 0.5 μm for aseptic and sterile manufacturing areas. Resistant to all pharmaceutical disinfectants including oxidizing agents, H₂O₂, and VHP sterilization cycles.
Specialist Sandwich Panels for Every High-Performance Application
Pharmaceutical & Sterile Suites
Rock Wool fire-rated panels for multi-storey pharma facilities. SS 316L skin for aseptic fill-finish and injectable manufacturing.
Hospital Operating Theatres
Class A Rock Wool panels for surgical suites requiring both non-combustible construction and acoustic isolation from adjacent areas.
MRI & Radiology Suites
GRP / FRP non-metallic panels that are fully transparent to magnetic fields and RF radiation — the only compliant panel for MRI room construction.
Chemical & Acid Handling Labs
GRP face panels with phenolic or GRP core for cleanrooms handling concentrated acids, solvents, and aggressive oxidizing chemicals at full pH 0–14 resistance.
Aerospace Cleanrooms
Aluminium honeycomb panels for ultra-light aerospace component assembly cleanrooms where floor loading and weight are critical structural constraints.
Food & Beverage Processing
PIR or Phenolic core panels with PPGI food-safe skin for FSSAI and HACCP-regulated food production cleanrooms requiring improved fire safety over standard PUF.
Biotech & Gene Therapy Labs
Phenolic foam core panels combining Class A fire rating with high thermal performance — specified for gene therapy cleanrooms where both containment and fire protection are critical.
Modular & Portable Cleanrooms
Aluminium honeycomb panels enabling rapid-build, relocatable cleanroom enclosures — from ISO Class 7 mobile tents to permanent modular ISO Class 5 research cleanrooms.
The Right Panel for the Right Application — Every Time
The most common and costly mistake in cleanroom construction is specifying the wrong panel core for the application. Metrolabs engineers guide you through this decision — ensuring your panels meet compliance requirements without over-engineering or over-spending:
Expert Panel Selection Guidance
Our engineers evaluate your ISO class, fire risk, acoustic requirement, chemical exposure, and budget to specify the optimal core and skin combination — documented in a formal technical specification for your procurement process.
Full Panel Portfolio Under One Roof
GRP, Rock Wool, Honeycomb, PIR, Phenolic, and MDF cores — all with multiple skin options — supplied and installed by a single contractor. No specification gaps, no responsibility conflicts between suppliers.
Turnkey Design & Installation
2D/3D layout design, panel fabrication, structural frame, panel installation, joint sealing, coving, and utility integration — all delivered under a single Metrolabs contract with a single point of accountability.
Validation-Ready Documentation
Complete IQ (Installation Qualification) documentation pack including material certifications, fire test reports, acoustic test data, chemical resistance data, and installation records — ready for regulatory submission.
Core Material Quick-Selection Guide
Turnkey Sandwich Panel Cleanroom — From Design to Validation
Our structured five-stage delivery process ensures technical compliance, schedule adherence, and complete documentation at every phase:
Requirements & Panel Specification
ISO class, fire risk, acoustic, and chemical requirements assessed. Core material and skin specified. 2D/3D layout design produced and approved before fabrication.
Panel Fabrication
Panels precision-cut to approved dimensions. All door, window, pass-through, and service cutouts pre-fabricated off-site. Skins inspected and surface-finished before delivery.
Structural Frame Installation
Floor tracks, wall uprights, ceiling grid, and corner profiles installed to layout, leveled, plumbed, and secured. All structural elements compatible with panel core and skin weights.
Panel Assembly & Sealing
Panels installed in sequence using cam-lock joints. All panel-to-panel joints, corners, and penetrations sealed with pharmaceutical-grade silicone. Epoxy coved junctions formed at all wall-floor interfaces.
Commissioning & IQ Documentation
Services integrated. Particle count, airflow, temperature mapping completed. Full IQ documentation package issued — material certs, fire reports, acoustic data, installation records.
Sandwich Panel Cleanrooms Meet Every Regulatory Framework
WHO & EU GMP
WHO GMP and EU Annex 1 for sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing specify smooth, non-shedding, non-particle-generating cleanroom surfaces — met by all Metrolabs sandwich panel systems.
WHO GMP · EU Annex 1ISO 14644 Cleanroom
ISO 14644-4 construction and start-up requirements — surface smoothness, joint integrity, structural adequacy, and commissioning documentation — satisfied by our sandwich panel installation process.
ISO 14644-4BS EN 13501 Fire Classification
European fire classification standard for construction products — Class A (non-combustible) for Rock Wool and Phenolic panels, Class B for PIR. Required by building regulations and insurance specifications for multi-storey facilities.
BS EN 13501-1NABL / FSSAI / FDA
NABL laboratory accreditation, FSSAI food facility certification, and US-FDA cGMP inspection criteria all require documented, compliant controlled environments. Metrolabs provides full IQ documentation packages ready for submission.
NABL · FSSAI · FDAReady to Specify the Right Sandwich Panel System?
Contact Metrolabs for a free consultation. Our engineers will assess your cleanroom requirements — ISO class, fire risk, acoustic and chemical exposure — and specify the optimal sandwich panel core and skin combination. We then deliver the complete turnkey installation with validation-ready documentation.
🏭 Request a Free Cleanroom Panel Consultation
Consultation Requested!
Our cleanroom panel specialists will contact you within 24 working hours.
Immediate: 9840931231